Editing software

[smoke665]

. Technology advances so quickly now!

Excellent point the AI updates in Adobe have been flying in over the last few months. So much so that I posted recently about feeling like Rip Van Winkle after taking a short break in editing.

 

[wobe]

I’m just about ready to ditch my last Windows machine (desktop) having started a Linux transition involving both my work and personal laptops (using Fedora) some time ago.
Windows proposed upcoming Recall feature was the final straw for me.

Of course this means a forced switch to Darktable but have been getting plenty of practise in for a few months on my laptop. However, in an emergency the web version of LR (accessible through your browser) is almost feature comparable with Classic now, albeit with slightly slower responsiveness.

As a hobbyist who likes tinkering this will work out fine for me but if I were a professional photographer where time was money then I am not so sure it would be viable.

 

[Ysarex]

I’m just about ready to ditch my last Windows machine (desktop) having started a Linux transition involving both my work and personal laptops (using Fedora) some time ago.
Windows proposed upcoming Recall feature was the final straw for me.

Of course this means a forced switch to Darktable but have been getting plenty of practise in for a few months on my laptop. However, in an emergency the web version of LR (accessible through your browser) is almost feature comparable with Classic now, albeit with slightly slower responsiveness.

As a hobbyist who likes tinkering this will work out fine for me but if I were a professional photographer where time was money then I am not so sure it would be viable.

Darktable is for the most part capable -- it can get the processing/editing task done and as such it's a viable option. If I had to use Darktable I could and I'd be able to complete most of my work. There are a few functions I'm accustomed to in other apps that I'd miss but I'd cope. But yes, your time is money observation applies. Darktable can make getting the job done akin to pulling teeth. For example, I rely on my raw processor to do highlight reconstruction. I push my exposures as far as possible and will occasionally nick the green channel. If the red and blue channels are fine as they most often are then the clip in the green channel can be reconstructed from the other two.

So let's do that in C1: What do I have to do? Nothing. Just open the raw file. C1 does the industry's best job of highlight reconstruction entirely on it's own without any need of input from the user. If it's needed they do it and they do it the best -- just open the file -- done.

Now let's do that in Darktable: What do I have to do? Notice that it isn't being done and take the time to do it. What if you're a Darktable beginner? You may have noted that the filmic module has a highlight reconstruction option. Let's try that. It may take you as much as 10 minutes to discover that the highlight reconstruction option in filmic can suck badly. Hopefully you'll keep looking and find the actual highlight reconstruction module. First thing you're presented with is a drop down menu. Which of the four reconstruction methods will work best for you -- you have to pick one. Each one comes with at least one adjustment slider, one of them has three sliders and another drop menu with 6 options. You have to learn to use this highlight reconstruction module. Arguably once you've learned it'll be easier next time, but it's still going to take you more time and work to do the job. How well does it ultimately work? It's fair but both Adobe and C1 do better with less effort on your part.

 

[SunriseAvenue]

My personal go-to for years has been Photoworks as it resembles Photoshop very much, but is still much easier and I'm just a hobbyist, so not looking for anything sophisticated, and Photoglory, which is a photo restoration software that lets you colorize the photos. I know both can be done in Photoshop, but I'm just too lazy to switch it all to one program.
So my advice would be to go for whatever suits your needs and skills best, and trying various free trials might be a great path to go down to.

 

[JoeW]

If you're primarily interested in just reducing noise, I suggest you take a look at Topaz. Their denoise and upscale capabilities are superb. Here are two photos. I had to shoot at a high ISO because I needed a fast shutter speed. The second photo I used Topaz Photo on to reduce the noise and grain. While Topaz Photo can do a bunch of things (Sharpen, upscale, recover a face, etc.), in this case since you'd talked about noise I used it only to "denoise" and you can see from these two screen shots, it made a very big difference.

I highly recommend Topaz Photo if you're trying to reduce noise in your photos.

 

[declanjames89]

I was curious as to what the next step up would be in editing software? I'm using Canon DPP. Is there software that I can use with DPP like a denoise program? Is it better to just go to something different altogether? I'm wanting to get more serious about editing my photos.

If you're looking to step up your editing game and move beyond Canon DPP, there are several software options available that can enhance your editing capabilities. While Canon DPP is a good starting point, you may benefit from more advanced editing features offered by other software.

One popular choice for photo editing is Adobe Lightroom. It provides a wide range of editing tools, including noise reduction features that can help improve the quality of your images. Lightroom also offers a non-destructive editing workflow, making it easy to experiment with different edits without altering your original image.

Another option is Adobe Photoshop, which is a more robust editing software that allows for detailed and intricate edits. Photoshop offers advanced noise reduction tools along with a plethora of other editing features like layers, masks, and filters.

If you prefer a software that integrates well with Canon DPP, you can consider using plugins or external programs specifically designed for denoising. Topaz DeNoise AI and DxO PhotoLab are popular choices for noise reduction and can be used alongside Canon DPP to enhance your editing capabilities.

Ultimately, the decision to switch to a different editing software depends on your editing needs and preferences. Exploring different software options can help you find the one that best suits your editing style and helps you achieve your editing goals.

 

[Thiophilos]

I use the Adobe apps, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. That suite has been the gold standard for years. I dislike the subscription model but that is needed now for Adobe. It is expensive but worth it if you use both programs.

Most of my editing is done in LrC and I think I'm pretty handy with it. But it took me years to get good at it. I'm really lousy at Photoshop and only use it when necessary (for instance for combining image parts, focus stacking, extending the image). I go to the web for instructions or to the cheat sheet that I maintain.

Besides the Adobe progs I also use Irfanview and Faststone, both very good and free. I discovered that Irfanview is really great at making exportable (MP4) slide shows, much better than LrC.

DPP4 which you use also has a very good reputation. Most folks including me find it klutzy but the results are great.

 

[tinytmp]

I resisted Adobe for a while but in the end when I wanted to advance, I found that most of the tutorials out there are Adobe centric and not using it was hindering my editing development.

Personally, I like Lightroom Classic and find it much easier to use than Photoshop. And now with the AI selections tools it is even more user friendly. Free tutorials all over YouTube. For noise reduction and sharpening, I still prefer Topaz Denoise and Topaz Sharpen.

I like the pay monthly $ Adobe model where you always have the latest updates vs buying something for $$$ that is out of date a few months later Capcut mod apk. Technology advances so quickly now!

I just downloaded CapCut, a free video editor that has versions for Mac, PC, Android, and IOS. I'm checking out a couple of YouTube videos on it, but does anyone have experiences, good or bad, that they'd want to share?

 

[PhotoHobbyist]

If all you want is denoise consider downloading totally free program fitswork4. It is made for astronomy pics but has great blur/sharpen ability. It can histogram stretch which is sort of an advanced version of constrast/brightness.

 

[dstreetphoto]

This is a can of worms! Not all of the options available will be equal and what software you choose may also be driven by the gear you use. Then you have to consider payment options: Subscription services such as Adobe or Zoner Photo Studio or one off payment options such as DXO Photolab or ON1 Photo Raw. Then there are a myriad of plugins to think about such as DXO Nik Collection and Denoising Software. To muddy the waters even further there are also free options such as Darktable and RawTherapee.

Choosing the right software gets complicated and for me personally a good place to start would be Zoner Photo Studio. It is subscription based, however it is relatively inexpensive and easy to learn and use.

 

[21limited]

I use Apple photos, free on my computer, and Topaz Photo AI. Apple photos beneifts from alot of the AI done by Apple engineers for thier phones.