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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Which editing software should I buy
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02/08/2018 11:22:41 PM · #1
I shoot with a Nikon D300 in RAW mode. What software do you guys and gals recommend? I’m not a professional so keep that in mind.
02/08/2018 11:42:53 PM · #2
I also shoot with the D300 in RAW. I use a combination of the Adobe Photographer subscription, namely Lightroom and Photoshop, and the NIK Collection.
02/09/2018 12:12:40 AM · #3
Originally posted by hiltonmd:

I also shoot with the D300 in RAW. I use a combination of the Adobe Photographer subscription, namely Lightroom and Photoshop, and the NIK Collection.


Second the Photographer Subscription. For $10 USD per month for both, it's a good value.
02/09/2018 01:08:50 AM · #4
Originally posted by kirbic:

For $10 USD per month for both, it's a good value.

+1

Edit: one subscription allows you to use it on two (2) computers.

Message edited by author 2018-02-09 01:09:45.
02/09/2018 01:56:49 AM · #5
Although I love Lightroom to work on my RAW files, I hate the Adobe subscription model. I don’t need the latest version of the software all the time and l’m not going to pay £10/month for that. So I changed to Affinity Photo (for an one-off price of £50) and use that for both RAW processing and editing (although I also use an older version of Lightroom when possible, I’m so used to it). But if you look for a cheaper solution than Lightroom/Photoshop, Affinity sure is an option. Surely not at the same level as Photoshop (yet), but very promising.

Another possibility is ON1 Photo RAW 2018, both for raw and photo editing. I have seen the software and was quite impressed, especially when you like to work with templates as a base for editing. And also available for an one-off price, I think around £100.

Message edited by author 2018-02-09 04:51:27.
02/09/2018 04:15:15 AM · #6
I use Gimp, is free and open source software. Works well for me, although it may take a bit time to get used to it. You need some raw converter though, that is not included. I use Darktable, but I don't know if that is available on Windows (I use Linux on my desktop).

Message edited by author 2018-02-09 04:16:10.
02/09/2018 05:23:18 AM · #7
I use a combination.

Bridge/Lightroom 5/Afinity Photo with the nik plugins

Bridge is free, lightroom 5 came free with my camera, Afinity I got when it was on promo for £25, nik FX is also free.

BARGAIN!

Other free programs to look out for is Darktable, its a lightroom clone.
02/09/2018 07:20:24 AM · #8
Paint Shop Pro is economical and is comparable to Photoshop in what it can do. The X9 version is less than $50 on Amazon. I'm using the X4 version and feel no reason to upgrade.

Paint Shop Pro X9 Ultimate

Tim
02/09/2018 12:47:45 PM · #9
Thanks for all of your replies. I am going to look tonight or in the morning at all of the ones you guys recommended and decide.
02/09/2018 02:21:54 PM · #10
Originally posted by rupypug:

Thanks for all of your replies. I am going to look tonight or in the morning at all of the ones you guys recommended and decide.


Few things to consider:
- Lr and Ps are the "standards" for RAW processing and editing respectively, so there's *lots* of good tutorial information out there for them
- Lr has a "different" interface, that may be initially off-putting but in the end is very intuitive once you get used to it (takes a while)
- Lr needs relatively fast computer hardware to really shine. It's a little doggy on slow hardware
- Lr is *so* much more than a RAW processor; it's also a top-notch library management system, and makes it easy to publish collections to common sites. As such, if you are going to use it, take the time to set it up the way you will want to organize your photos, and learn the features. Example: you can train it to recognize faces, and it will then be able to find all photos with certain people in them.
- Ps can be a big learning curve, and really isn't needed for most general photo adjustments
- GIMP is free, but frankly it is nowhere near what Ps is; I found it very hard to get accustomed to (used it for about a year in a work setting, hated it)
02/10/2018 12:20:08 PM · #11
Originally posted by atupdate:

Paint Shop Pro is economical and is comparable to Photoshop in what it can do. The X9 version is less than $50 on Amazon. I'm using the X4 version and feel no reason to upgrade.

Paint Shop Pro X9 Ultimate

Tim


I recently upgraded from X4 to X8. The main reason for the upgrade was I finally confirmed X8 works with the newest Nik collection that was given away by Google a few years ago. All of the updates seem to demand more horsepower, but my computer is 9 years old and was due for an upgrade anyway.

I tried Lightroom a few years ago and went back to using the RAW conversion software from my camera manufacturers (Canon DPP and Olympus viewer)
02/10/2018 01:25:52 PM · #12
Let me a dd a few thoughts:

- I think people will agree that LR and PS are industry standards, but at the end of the day you should edit in whatever tool you feel most comfortable and can achieve your desired end state.
- While many tools offer initial price advantages over the Adobe subscription model, I like to know I will get the latest updates with no extra charge. Additionally, the Photographer package includes other benefits at no cost, like LR Mobile to sync with other devices, and Adobe Portfolio.
- I am an Adobe LR fan not only for the editing capability but also the powerful workflow and organizational features (e.g., tagging, geo-location, searching, project collections, etc.)
02/10/2018 06:04:47 PM · #13
I ended up buying the Affnity software and so far I'm enjoying it. Thanks for the help.
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