Poll: What RAW converter editor you like better ?

[Aleo Veuliah]

With each generation of RAW processors, it becomes harder and harder to judge which program has the best features and produces the best IQ.

Tell us what is your favorite and why, and if you have any tips for using them post here to share the information with others in this thread.

Best.

Aleo

 

[Photo Grapher]

Liked the thread and hope some can share tips for us to learn to use better these good programs.



Ilda Sofia

 

[peppermonkey]

I don't use it but I think there are quite a number of users using Aperture.

 

[peppermonkey]

I am a LR user, and I don't think I can get away from it unless I decide complicating my workflow is a good thing.

The raw converter does a decent enough job that I'm okay with it. I haven't really checked out other software because of the complicity it would bring.

Basically, I need LR for it's ability to organize, categorize, post, and edit my photos.

I use the meta tags, labeling, rating, flagging, collections, smart sets and a slew of others for organizing/categorizing my photo library. I must have this.

Also use a number of Nik Software plugins which I love.

I also post from within LR (Flickr or otherwise).

All this and also edit my photos.

LR is just too convenient a package.

If something else does all this and have a better raw converter, I may change my stance. As of now though, LR as a package is just too convenient.

 

[Gregm61]

The development window in Lightroom and Adobe camera raw in photoshop are one and the same. Arranged differently, but the same controls/sliders are all there in both, do the same exact thing, and either one is far and away the best I have used compared to Capture One, raw therapee, DxO Pro Optics 8 and Silkypix.

 

[gollywop]

--
gollywop

 

[Alumna Gorp]

Gregm61 wrote:

The development window in Lightroom and Adobe camera raw in photoshop are one and the same. Arranged differently, but the same controls/sliders are all there in both, do the same exact thing, and either one is far and away the best I have used compared to Capture One, raw therapee, DxO Pro Optics 8 and Silkypix.

 

[dmarko]

I prefer Lightzone.

Now it's free and I love it's zone mapper tool, the ability to quickly apply localized changes and layer-style processing including use of blending modes.

Since the development is now restarted I hope it will deliver great potential this already very nice piece of software has.

Also a good option for those running linux is Darktable.

 

[Ulric]

Aftershot Pro. It is fast, gives me control and runs on Linux, which means I don't have to run it in an emulator. It was also very inexpensive.

 

[Aleo Veuliah]

peppermonkey wrote:

I don't use it but I think there are quite a number of users using Aperture.

 

[Gregm61]

Alumna Gorp wrote:

Gregm61 wrote:

The development window in Lightroom and Adobe camera raw in photoshop are one and the same. Arranged differently, but the same controls/sliders are all there in both, do the same exact thing, and either one is far and away the best I have used compared to Capture One, raw therapee, DxO Pro Optics 8 and Silkypix.

 

[Guy Parsons]

For me, Silkypix V5 Pro, has all the controls that I need, highlight recovery is within reach of what Lightroom does, I prefer the colours from Silkypix over Lightroom (trialled V4 once).

Panasonic owners with the free SE version 3 can (until September 2) buy an inexpensive upgrade to the special Panasonic only version of V5 Pro, otherwise the full all-cameras version is a tad expensive, but paid upgrades are years between so overall cost of ownership is lower than the ilk of Lightroom etc.

Relentless updates all the time as new cameras are added, just a few days ago the E-P5 and E-PL6 were added.

My page of some Silkypix links here http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/silkypix/s01-menu.html but as usual needs updating and rework. Win and Mac versions but no Linux. Free trial for 30 days, when purchased can be installed on two computers. Reliable responses to email support.

The user manual loads with the program and is accessible via F1 and is a weird English from Japanese style of writing, but every detail is covered well, just hard work reading it. Always start reading at Part 10 to get an idea of best use.

Terminology used is a bit unfamiliar and many people hate it because "it's not like Photoshop", and that is a really good thing as far as I am concerned !

One nice tool I use with the 9-18mm lens is to un-distort say a group photo so the people on the edges are back to normal shape.

The Trim function (crop to everyone else) allows with RAWs to use the edge pixels that never get seen in the default jpegs from the camera. With some models significant amounts are recovered.

By default the lens barrel/pincushion distortion is applied from the exif, but no other items are obeyed apart from (optional) camera white balance. No matter what the in-camera jpeg settings were, the RAW by default develops as a full colour 4:3 image in Olympus' case.

Extra Tastes can be downloaded (or custom made by the user) to create more effects, but often I might produce a neutral 16 bit tiff and use the Nik Colour Efex Pro 3 in PaintShop Pro X5 to get great filter action.

Weird program for some at first sight but it is extremely logical to use once it is understood. Plus I find that the default RAW process usually delivers a result a whisker better than I can get from the in-camera jpeg with Olympus.

Regards...... Guy

 

[s_grins]

I have found that SilkyPix is a perfect converter for those who have Panasonic cameras. Even such a (retarded) person like me can learn and use this software in less than one day, - just select one of many specially developed "tastes" (sets of variables), and you're done. Or you can add your personal touch to selected taste, and save it under another name for future, and so on.

 

[Guy Parsons]

Ulric wrote:

Aftershot Pro. It is fast, gives me control and runs on Linux, which means I don't have to run it in an emulator. It was also very inexpensive.

Certainly fast and good results, but I'm still waiting for them to add the E-PL5, come on Corel, it's getting to 9 or 10 months now.

Cost was cheap, best time is Black Friday sales at Thanksgiving. Use United States site and buy from there, worked for me in Australia bypassing the local Corel site with much higher prices.

Regards..... Guy

 

[benarden]

Aleo Veuliah wrote:

With each generation of RAW processors, it becomes harder and harder to judge which program has the best features and produces the best IQ.

Tell us what is your favorite and why, and if you have any tips for using them post here to share the information with others in this thread.

Best.

Aleo

Scarab Darkroom !

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

 

[SkiHound]

That pretty much describes me. Several years ago I compared Aperture and LR3. Liked the Aperture interface but thought LR was the better overall program. It's such a standard it would be hard for me to move to anything else.

 

[Aleo Veuliah]

peppermonkey wrote:

I am a LR user, and I don't think I can get away from it unless I decide complicating my workflow is a good thing.

The raw converter does a decent enough job that I'm okay with it. I haven't really checked out other software because of the complicity it would bring.

Basically, I need LR for it's ability to organize, categorize, post, and edit my photos.

I use the meta tags, labeling, rating, flagging, collections, smart sets and a slew of others for organizing/categorizing my photo library. I must have this.

Also use a number of Nik Software plugins which I love.

I also post from within LR (Flickr or otherwise).

All this and also edit my photos.

LR is just too convenient a package.

If something else does all this and have a better raw converter, I may change my stance. As of now though, LR as a package is just too convenient.

 

[Aleo Veuliah]

Gregm61 wrote:

The development window in Lightroom and Adobe camera raw in photoshop are one and the same. Arranged differently, but the same controls/sliders are all there in both, do the same exact thing, and either one is far and away the best I have used compared to Capture One, raw therapee, DxO Pro Optics 8 and Silkypix.

 

[Aleo Veuliah]

Guy Parsons wrote:

Ulric wrote:

Aftershot Pro. It is fast, gives me control and runs on Linux, which means I don't have to run it in an emulator. It was also very inexpensive.

Certainly fast and good results, but I'm still waiting for them to add the E-PL5, come on Corel, it's getting to 9 or 10 months now.

Cost was cheap, best time is Black Friday sales at Thanksgiving. Use United States site and buy from there, worked for me in Australia bypassing the local Corel site with much higher prices.

Regards..... Guy

I have tried and liked, in fact it is the Bibble reincarnated.

 

[Aleo Veuliah]

Guy Parsons wrote:

For me, Silkypix V5 Pro, has all the controls that I need, highlight recovery is within reach of what Lightroom does, I prefer the colours from Silkypix over Lightroom (trialled V4 once).

Panasonic owners with the free SE version 3 can (until September 2) buy an inexpensive upgrade to the special Panasonic only version of V5 Pro, otherwise the full all-cameras version is a tad expensive, but paid upgrades are years between so overall cost of ownership is lower than the ilk of Lightroom etc.

Relentless updates all the time as new cameras are added, just a few days ago the E-P5 and E-PL6 were added.

My page of some Silkypix links here http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/silkypix/s01-menu.html but as usual needs updating and rework. Win and Mac versions but no Linux. Free trial for 30 days, when purchased can be installed on two computers. Reliable responses to email support.

The user manual loads with the program and is accessible via F1 and is a weird English from Japanese style of writing, but every detail is covered well, just hard work reading it. Always start reading at Part 10 to get an idea of best use.

Terminology used is a bit unfamiliar and many people hate it because "it's not like Photoshop", and that is a really good thing as far as I am concerned !

One nice tool I use with the 9-18mm lens is to un-distort say a group photo so the people on the edges are back to normal shape.

The Trim function (crop to everyone else) allows with RAWs to use the edge pixels that never get seen in the default jpegs from the camera. With some models significant amounts are recovered.

By default the lens barrel/pincushion distortion is applied from the exif, but no other items are obeyed apart from (optional) camera white balance. No matter what the in-camera jpeg settings were, the RAW by default develops as a full colour 4:3 image in Olympus' case.

Extra Tastes can be downloaded (or custom made by the user) to create more effects, but often I might produce a neutral 16 bit tiff and use the Nik Colour Efex Pro 3 in PaintShop Pro X5 to get great filter action.

Weird program for some at first sight but it is extremely logical to use once it is understood. Plus I find that the default RAW process usually delivers a result a whisker better than I can get from the in-camera jpeg with Olympus.

Regards...... Guy

Nice to see a person using and liking Silkypix, it is very well coded and have very good image quality, the only thing is that have a longer learning curve.