Is LR really the best option? - Basic RAW processing software

[Joe94]

I didn't and still won't do any editing or photo manipulation, I purely just used Lightroom to process the raw file into a JPEG I was happy with. This is what I would like to continue again now.

What caused you to choose Lightroom in the first place for such basic needs?

When I first got into Photography about 5yrs ago, I went straight to the adobe plan and used Lightroom. Mainly because from what I could understand (bear in mind I was totally new to photography) it was the industry standard. And there was/is so much support material out there, I found it easy to learn using YouTube.

With this in mind, am I still better off signing up to a Lightroom subscription again (Classic or the new CC) or is there an alternative RAW processor I should consider for my use?

There must be at least a dozen alternatives for what you describe doing. Mac or Windows?

Yeah there does seem to be quite a few options, to be honest a bit overwhelming. I suppose it’s one of those things where you ask 5 photographers and you’ll get 5 different answers as to what is ‘best’.

Well, since you're already familiar with Adobe, maybe Photoshop Elements would be best for you. It surely has the basic features you want, and it's a one time purchase for about the cost of a single year's use of Lightroom.

Okay thank you, one for me to look at for sure

 

[dj_paige]

You dont say which camera you use. If it is a Nikon, you may want to check out Nikon NX Studio. I use it occasionally and it works well. A few pluses over a third party app (like DXO, LrC, C1, etc):

1. Will show you focus point if you are wondering about that

2. Applies the in camera "Picture controls", both standard and custom

3. Can be used for Pixel Shift if your camera supports that.

All in all, they have done a good job upgrading from previous versions. it's free, and allows you to do basic edits.

Thank you. It is actually a Nikon z6ii that I’ve just got so this sounds like a good option for me to consider

Joe94

In your original post you said you only want to change RAW to JPG, you weren't going to do any editing. Is this still true, or have you changed your mind on not doing any editing?

It still seems to me that if you want to find software to change RAW to JPG, perhaps you would be better off just shooting JPG and save some steps and get the benefit from the in-camera processing.

 

[Joe94]

You dont say which camera you use. If it is a Nikon, you may want to check out Nikon NX Studio. I use it occasionally and it works well. A few pluses over a third party app (like DXO, LrC, C1, etc):

1. Will show you focus point if you are wondering about that

2. Applies the in camera "Picture controls", both standard and custom

3. Can be used for Pixel Shift if your camera supports that.

All in all, they have done a good job upgrading from previous versions. it's free, and allows you to do basic edits.

Thank you. It is actually a Nikon z6ii that I’ve just got so this sounds like a good option for me to consider

Joe94

In your original post you said you only want to change RAW to JPG, you weren't going to do any editing. Is this still true, or have you changed your mind on not doing any editing?

It still seems to me that if you want to find software to change RAW to JPG, perhaps you would be better off just shooting JPG and save some steps and get the benefit from the in-camera processing.

 

[Reilly Diefenbach]

Hello, apologies I think it me confusing matters aha.

When is say changing from a RAW file to JPG, I still would use the sliders in LR etc.. but only the ones under the basic tab, so nothing too complex.

Ideally I still would like to shoot RAW.

In addition to all the myriad of things it can do, Lightroom's AI button is extremely good. Eight sliders adjusted instantly pretty close to how an expert would do. No one else has anything like as good. Select One or Select All (each frame is individually analysed,) click on Auto and Bob's your uncle:




Underexposed to hold the snow highlights.

One click:


AI Auto

It doesn't get any easier than that.

 

[Zeee]

There are two options now available with LrC. Auto is now AI and they call it Sensei. It was trained on thousands of professional edits. Vey usable and a great start point.

Loading…

photofocus.com

Next is ISO Adaptive Presets. You can select t a low and high ISO and for each tweak NR, sharpening and any other thing you can think of for each ISO. While importing LrC will make those adjustments to each individual ISO.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/lightroom-classic/help/iso-adaptive-presets.html

Between those two I can produce a decent looking file in seconds. I once edited a charity shoot and processed about 500 files in just over an hour.

 

[Joe94]

Hello, apologies I think it me confusing matters aha.

When is say changing from a RAW file to JPG, I still would use the sliders in LR etc.. but only the ones under the basic tab, so nothing too complex.

Ideally I still would like to shoot RAW.

In addition to all the myriad of things it can do, Lightroom's AI button is extremely good. Eight sliders adjusted instantly pretty close to how an expert would do. No one else has anything like as good. Select One or Select All (each frame is individually analysed,) click on Auto and Bob's your uncle:


Underexposed to hold the snow highlights.

One click:


AI Auto

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Wow that is pretty impressive! Am I correct in saying LR has a new Denoise Ai thing??

 

[Joe94]

There are two options now available with LrC. Auto is now AI and they call it Sensei. It was trained on thousands of professional edits. Vey usable and a great start point.

https://photofocus.com/photography/adobe-sensei-auto-now-in-lightroom-cc-classic/

Next is ISO Adaptive Presets. You can select t a low and high ISO and for each tweak NR, sharpening and any other thing you can think of for each ISO. While importing LrC will make those adjustments to each individual ISO.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/lightroom-classic/help/iso-adaptive-presets.html

Between those two I can produce a decent looking file in seconds. I once edited a charity shoot and processed about 500 files in just over an hour.

 

[Barleyman]

There are two options now available with LrC. Auto is now AI and they call it Sensei. It was trained on thousands of professional edits. Vey usable and a great start point.

https://photofocus.com/photography/adobe-sensei-auto-now-in-lightroom-cc-classic/

Next is ISO Adaptive Presets. You can select t a low and high ISO and for each tweak NR, sharpening and any other thing you can think of for each ISO. While importing LrC will make those adjustments to each individual ISO.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/lightroom-classic/help/iso-adaptive-presets.html

Between those two I can produce a decent looking file in seconds. I once edited a charity shoot and processed about 500 files in just over an hour.

Is the Auto (with Sensei) new? The article you linked to was from 2017.

I use it quite a bit, to get a base level adjustment. I don't like the Vibrance/Saturation changes it makes sometimes. The rest are pretty good.

 

[Zeee]

There are two options now available with LrC. Auto is now AI and they call it Sensei. It was trained on thousands of professional edits. Vey usable and a great start point.

https://photofocus.com/photography/adobe-sensei-auto-now-in-lightroom-cc-classic/

Next is ISO Adaptive Presets. You can select t a low and high ISO and for each tweak NR, sharpening and any other thing you can think of for each ISO. While importing LrC will make those adjustments to each individual ISO.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/lightroom-classic/help/iso-adaptive-presets.html

Between those two I can produce a decent looking file in seconds. I once edited a charity shoot and processed about 500 files in just over an hour.

Ahh okay, thank you I’ll take a look at these links for sure.

One thing I do need to get my head around if I do go LR is Classic vs CC (cloud version)… it’s seems the CC version is missing things.

Just for consistency in the conversations.

Lightroom Classic - LrC. That is the desktop version that requires local file storage. It is impossible to send a file to the cloud. You can sync files to the cloud but that only sends Smart Previews which do not count towards cloud storage. You access those files with another computer or mobile device, edit and those edits will sync back. You can also sync collections to the cloud and download them to your personal website that comes with the plan. I just upload single files from mu desktop to my site.

Lightroom - Lr. That's the CC one you are talking about. CC does exits in the app name anymore. CC stands for Creative Cloud which is the app you download where you can install whatever apps you want to use. Example. There are a bunch more free apps as well.



Lr was introduced in 2018 which is also and desktop app but it automatically sent all your actual files to the cloud. Adobe surprised everyone last fall. Now Lr offers both local and cloud storage options.

The differences.

I’m not working between devices or sharing in that way, so presumably I’m better going with Classic?

--
You just need to keep the forests wet

 

[Zeee]

Lightroom cloud ecosystem vs. Lightroom Classic - which do I need? | The Lightroom Queen

Do you need the cloud-native Lightroom CC or the traditional folder-based Lightroom Classic? Detailed feature comparison and decision tree to help you decide.

www.lightroomqueen.com

 

[Zeee]

There are two options now available with LrC. Auto is now AI and they call it Sensei. It was trained on thousands of professional edits. Vey usable and a great start point.

https://photofocus.com/photography/adobe-sensei-auto-now-in-lightroom-cc-classic/

Next is ISO Adaptive Presets. You can select t a low and high ISO and for each tweak NR, sharpening and any other thing you can think of for each ISO. While importing LrC will make those adjustments to each individual ISO.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/lightroom-classic/help/iso-adaptive-presets.html

Between those two I can produce a decent looking file in seconds. I once edited a charity shoot and processed about 500 files in just over an hour.

Is the Auto (with Sensei) new? The article you linked to was from 2017.

I use it quite a bit, to get a base level adjustment. I don't like the Vibrance/Saturation changes it makes sometimes. The rest are pretty good.

No. Sensei was introduced with LrC 7. The first year of subscription and is being trained continually. I have a preset that automatically applies Auto to all my files at import. I use Adobe Neutral so the Vibrance/Sat settings may not be as intense but I tweak as needed.

--
You just need to keep the forests wet

 

[Zeee]

There are two options now available with LrC. Auto is now AI and they call it Sensei. It was trained on thousands of professional edits. Vey usable and a great start point.

https://photofocus.com/photography/adobe-sensei-auto-now-in-lightroom-cc-classic/

Next is ISO Adaptive Presets. You can select t a low and high ISO and for each tweak NR, sharpening and any other thing you can think of for each ISO. While importing LrC will make those adjustments to each individual ISO.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/lightroom-classic/help/iso-adaptive-presets.html

Between those two I can produce a decent looking file in seconds. I once edited a charity shoot and processed about 500 files in just over an hour.

Is the Auto (with Sensei) new? The article you linked to was from 2017.

I use it quite a bit, to get a base level adjustment. I don't like the Vibrance/Saturation changes it makes sometimes. The rest are pretty good.

No. Sensei was introduced with LrC 7. The first year of subscription and is being trained continually. I have a preset that automatically applies Auto to all my files at import. I use Adobe Neutral so the Vibrance/Sat settings may not be as intense but I tweak as needed.

Loading…

www.lightroomqueen.com

 

[Zeee]

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-cc-vs-classic-features/

By the way I've never installed Lr. I was never interested in cloud storage and Lr just didn't have enough features for me. Still doesn't.

 

[Joe94]

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-cc-vs-classic-features/

By the way I've never installed Lr. I was never interested in cloud storage and Lr just didn't have enough features for me. Still doesn't.

 

[Zeee]

Hello, apologies I think it me confusing matters aha.

When is say changing from a RAW file to JPG, I still would use the sliders in LR etc.. but only the ones under the basic tab, so nothing too complex.

Ideally I still would like to shoot RAW.

In addition to all the myriad of things it can do, Lightroom's AI button is extremely good. Eight sliders adjusted instantly pretty close to how an expert would do. No one else has anything like as good. Select One or Select All (each frame is individually analysed,) click on Auto and Bob's your uncle:


Underexposed to hold the snow highlights.

One click:


AI Auto

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Wow that is pretty impressive! Am I correct in saying LR has a new Denoise Ai thing??

Denoise Demystified | Adobe Blog

Get a closer look at Denoise, our latest AI-powered feature for Lightroom and Camera Raw, explained by Adobe Fellow and ACR team member, Eric Chan. “From the ACR team” is a blog series that brings you insights directly from the team that builds the imaging features for Lightroom, Lightroom...

blog.adobe.com

This a year old and different developers leap frog each other. A few months ago DXO came out with DeepPrime XD2 for PureRaw only. PL7 does not have it but PL8 will. We are all hoping for some improvements to Adobe Denoise AI in a ew months with the fall release of v14.

Two things Adobe did do. With the v13 release it out the DNG file by ⅔. Much better, With v13.4 it corrected the neural engine big that affected the Mac silicone M chip so NR processing times are faster.

I use masking to further remove background noise if needed. I'll mask the background and reduce Texture/Sharpening and add more NR. I can completely wipe out background noise if I want to. DXO might be faster but not as much fun as I have doing it myself. Steve shows that here.

--

You just need to keep the forests wet

 

[Reilly Diefenbach]

Hello, apologies I think it me confusing matters aha.

When is say changing from a RAW file to JPG, I still would use the sliders in LR etc.. but only the ones under the basic tab, so nothing too complex.

Ideally I still would like to shoot RAW.

In addition to all the myriad of things it can do, Lightroom's AI button is extremely good. Eight sliders adjusted instantly pretty close to how an expert would do. No one else has anything like as good. Select One or Select All (each frame is individually analysed,) click on Auto and Bob's your uncle:

One click:

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Wow that is pretty impressive! Am I correct in saying LR has a new Denoise Ai thing??

Many of us have been bugging Adobe for AI Noise Reduction for years. It is here and it works great:




Blacktail buck @ ISO 22800

 

[Zeee]

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-cc-vs-classic-features/

By the way I've never installed Lr. I was never interested in cloud storage and Lr just didn't have enough features for me. Still doesn't.

Thank you for the clarifications and links.

i too would not in interested in cloud or sharing across devices, so sounds like Classic would be the better option for me.

I would start there and then decide if you want to try Lr. Actually Adobe does or did not recommend to install both LrC and Lr not the same device. Both want to be the boss. That being said people do it. I don't how but I'd ask before proceeding.

Scroll down to Can I use Lr and LrC together. I may have errored on the don't install both not the same device. It's about syncing and an area I know very little about.

Loading…

helpx.adobe.com

As I said with LrC you can sync Smart Previews to the cloud. He talks about this in the first 4 minutes. Lightroom Mobile is not Lr we have been talking about that you install on your desktop. It is a specific mobile app.

 

[Zeee]

Hello, apologies I think it me confusing matters aha.

When is say changing from a RAW file to JPG, I still would use the sliders in LR etc.. but only the ones under the basic tab, so nothing too complex.

Ideally I still would like to shoot RAW.

In addition to all the myriad of things it can do, Lightroom's AI button is extremely good. Eight sliders adjusted instantly pretty close to how an expert would do. No one else has anything like as good. Select One or Select All (each frame is individually analysed,) click on Auto and Bob's your uncle:

One click:

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Wow that is pretty impressive! Am I correct in saying LR has a new Denoise Ai thing??

Many of us have been bugging Adobe for AI Noise Reduction for years. It is here and it works great:


Blacktail buck @ ISO 22800

Nice. Here is one at 51200. I did open masking, and masked the sky to get rid of more more noice.



--
You just need to keep the forests wet

 

[Zeee]

Well a lot of information from everyone. I hope all goes for you with whatever path you take.

 

[Joe94]

Well a lot of information from everyone. I hope all goes for you with whatever path you take.