good editing programs

[BananaRepublic]

If want to pay $10 every month for the rest of you're life for an ancient application which every now a then is coated with a can of cynical paint and lathered with absolutely awful customer service then go with adobe.

It's more of a choice for me, as I know that over the course of several years, I will pay one way or the other. In business and personal I've spent well over $200k on software during my lifetime. I can't tell you how many times I've paid for software, only to find it didn't work right, plus I got tired of the constant need to update every time something new came out, either software or operating systems. I've had no problems with Adobe that weren't resolved quickly, professionally and successfully.

As to the "ancient application" then a question? Why do others keep aspiring to be a "clone" of Adobe products. Even you in a previous comment referred to Affinity as a "Photoshop clone". If it's so antiquated then why so many imitations?

Now that I'm retired it's not that much of an expense for me on the monthly plan, I even switched my MS Office over to the subscription. It is the way of the future as more and more switch to the subscription model. Going through it now on our personal accounting software. They just announced that effective January 2019 it will be a subscription only service.

Paying monthly for software, is the same to me as paying monthly for my alarm service, or my garbage pickup, or phone bill, it's just another monthly service expense. May not be for all, but for me it works.

Some time ago adobe was bought by a huge Indian conglomerate who's only concern seems to be to grab as much money as possible, support them if you like I wont.

 

[smoke665]

Some time ago adobe was bought by a huge Indian conglomerate who's only concern seems to be to grab as much money as possible, support them if you like I wont.

Uh, don't think that's right. Adobe is an American company based in San Jose, they are publically traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol ADBE. They are 87% owned by institutional holdings. Adobe Systems Incorporated (ADBE) Ownership Summary are you maybe confusing this with the CEO, Shantanu Narayen who was born in India but is a US citizen??? He joined Adobe in 1998 working his way up the ladder to be appointed as CEO 2007. I believe he is the one credited with shifting to the subscription model. And money is the name of the game for shareholders, kicked myself in the rear on this one. A $5000 investment in shares of Adobe 10 years ago would now be worth $29,000.

 

[KmH]

If want to pay $10 every month for the rest of you're life for an ancient application which every now a then is coated with a can of cynical paint and lathered with absolutely awful customer service then go with adobe.

Ancient?
Where do you think those that came up with Affinity got a notion of what features Affinity ought to have.
In other words, pretty much all of what Affinity can do was first available in Ps.

Today's Ps is nothing like Ps was 19 years ago when I first started using it, so it's not ancient.
Among professionals Adobe Photoshop is still the Industry standard for professional grade still image editing.
Adobe Premiere Pro is the standard for professional video production.

I don't have Affinity. Will someone that does tell how Affinity does updates or new releases?

The subscription model came to be because Adobe knew some 1/3 of all Adobe Photoshop users were using pirated Adobe software.
Thankfully the subscription model allows Adobe to stay in business, refining it's software and giving me more options and tools for image editing.

Note too that Adobe's Photography subscription is 1/2 or less the month cost compared to the subscription rates for it's other software apps, when they are subscribed to individually.

What other apps does Affinity offer?

 

[AlishaMichelle1990]

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. I will be doing my research on the ones listed and will figure out which one to use.

 

[BananaRepublic]

that does not mean it is the best and most certainly does not mean it is the most appropriate software, particularly for amateurs with limited needs for editing

Never claimed it to be, I said it was the best option for me. Frankly others may be able to get by on the free software that comes with the camera. As to better or not opinions are like noses, but I will say that one of the other issues I had with Correl was the lack of educational videos by users. If you search the internet there are literally thousands of videos on Lightroom & Photoshop.

If want to pay $10 every month for the rest of you're life for an ancient application which every now a then is coated with a can of cynical paint and lathered with absolutely awful customer service then go with adobe.

Ancient?
Where do you think those that came up with Affinity got a notion of what features Affinity ought to have.
In other words, pretty much all of what Affinity can do was first available in Ps.

Today's Ps is nothing like Ps was 19 years ago when I first started using it, so it's not ancient.
Among professionals Adobe Photoshop is still the Industry standard for professional grade still image editing.
Adobe Premiere Pro is the standard for professional video production.

I don't have Affinity. Will someone that does tell how Affinity does updates or new releases?

The subscription model came to be because Adobe knew some 1/3 of all Adobe Photoshop users were using pirated Adobe software.
Thankfully the subscription model allows Adobe to stay in business, refining it's software and giving me more options and tools for image editing.

Note too that Adobe's Photography subscription is 1/2 or less the month cost compared to the subscription rates for it's other software apps, when they are subscribed to individually.

What other apps does Affinity offer?

Instead of developing its software adobe just continually mash in new code to an old overcooked meal; thats why there are a million and one ways of doing things on photoshop. The up and coming alternatives such as affinity have striped out all the byzantine crap and are far more user friendly for it.

The problem with adobe is it has cornered the multimedia market and is only concerned now with milking the consumer cow for all its worth.

You can get affinity photo and affinity designer for both windows and mac, I dont know what the designer app is like. Im certain they eventually go down a subscription route too but the current situation of adobe having no competition is bad for everyone, except the share holders of adobe.

Because there so big adobe are continuously hacked and customers details and card numbers are widely available; whilst this isn't unusual nowadays it is aggravating especially if your peeved at them to start with.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Some time ago adobe was bought by a huge Indian conglomerate who's only concern seems to be to grab as much money as possible, support them if you like I wont.

Uh, don't think that's right. Adobe is an American company based in San Jose, they are publically traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol ADBE. They are 87% owned by institutional holdings. Adobe Systems Incorporated (ADBE) Ownership Summary are you maybe confusing this with the CEO, Shantanu Narayen who was born in India but is a US citizen??? He joined Adobe in 1998 working his way up the ladder to be appointed as CEO 2007. I believe he is the one credited with shifting to the subscription model. And money is the name of the game for shareholders, kicked myself in the rear on this one. A $5000 investment in shares of Adobe 10 years ago would now be worth $29,000.

Yes I was confusing the two.

 

[smoke665]

@BananaRepublic I'm not sure the reason for the hostility toward Adobe, and not my business, but by and large I've had a good experience with them. However, if something better comes along I'd flip in a heartbeat. As a hobbyist it's highly unlikely that without the subscription plan I wouldn't be using Photoshop. The entry price had risen to the point of being out of reach of most hobbyist like myself.

One point many overlook when they buy software. You don't actually "own" it, you buy a very restricted licence to use it.

 

[KmH]

Instead of developing its software adobe just continually mash in new code to an old overcooked meal; thats why there are a million and one ways of doing things on photoshop. The up and coming alternatives such as affinity have striped out all the byzantine crap and are far more user friendly for it.

So you have actual direct knowledge of Adobe and Affinity code? And your familiarity with Adobe code goes years and years back in time?
I suspect Adobe, being a large software company, uses coding "best practices" whenever they can.

In the 19 years I have been using Ps I've seen the the myriad ways they have improved Ps while making it more user friendly too, and that takes more code.
Which indicates to me Adobe has been constantly developing it's software - since the beginning.
To say they haven't been and that the versatility of Ps is a negative would seem to be utterly ludicrous.
How much direct experience with Ps do you have?

As I understand it, when new code is added or rewritten/updated/has features added, code no longer used hass to be removed so an app continues to perform in a timely fashion.
No doubt Ps today has a lot more code than it had 19 years ago when I first started using it. Today Ps can do way more than it could 19 years ago.

 

[smoke665]

As I understand it, when new code is added or rewritten/updated/has features added, code no longer used hass to be removed so an app continues to perform in a timely fashion.

So what do you think of the latest foray this into the realm of AI? Adobe Lightroom’s auto setting is now powered by AI from a user standpoint I am constantly being amazed at how Lightroom is seemlessly learning and adjusting to my preferences.

 

[ElNico]

Just binged this thread as I too am looking for good editing software to use, and dropping in to say:

Instead of developing its software adobe just continually mash in new code to an old overcooked meal; thats why there are a million and one ways of doing things on photoshop. The up and coming alternatives such as affinity have striped out all the byzantine crap and are far more user friendly for it.

So you have actual direct knowledge of Adobe and Affinity code? And your familiarity with Adobe code goes years and years back in time?
I suspect Adobe, being a large software company, uses coding "best practices" whenever they can.
[...]
As I understand it, when new code is added or rewritten/updated/has features added, code no longer used hass to be removed so an app continues to perform in a timely fashion.
No doubt Ps today has a lot more code than it had 19 years ago when I first started using it. Today Ps can do way more than it could 19 years ago.

I believe you are referring to this phenomenon. No idea whether it's true or not for Photoshop, but it's not as wild an accusation as KmH perhaps thinks. It's a thing that happens (at least in long-running video games, as that video illustrates).

 

[BananaRepublic]

Instead of developing its software adobe just continually mash in new code to an old overcooked meal; thats why there are a million and one ways of doing things on photoshop. The up and coming alternatives such as affinity have striped out all the byzantine crap and are far more user friendly for it.

So you have actual direct knowledge of Adobe and Affinity code? And your familiarity with Adobe code goes years and years back in time?
I suspect Adobe, being a large software company, uses coding "best practices" whenever they can.

In the 19 years I have been using Ps I've seen the the myriad ways they have improved Ps while making it more user friendly too, and that takes more code.
Which indicates to me Adobe has been constantly developing it's software - since the beginning.
To say they haven't been and that the versatility of Ps is a negative would seem to be utterly ludicrous.
How much direct experience with Ps do you have?

As I understand it, when new code is added or rewritten/updated/has features added, code no longer used hass to be removed so an app continues to perform in a timely fashion.
No doubt Ps today has a lot more code than it had 19 years ago when I first started using it. Today Ps can do way more than it could 19 years ago.

Listen if you can push a monthly subscription fee into the cost of doing business pile thats fine but if you're a amateur/hobbyist than there is no need to hand over $120 a year for ever.

 

[smoke665]

I believe you are referring to this phenomenon. No idea whether it's true or not for Photoshop, but it's not as wild an accusation as KmH perhaps thinks. It's a thing that happens (at least in long-running video games, as that video illustrates).

Software often follows two paths, one being consumer lever and the other profesional or corporate level. In our transportation company it wasn't hard to drop thousands of dollars on software, but even though there was such a high entry cost, the software publishers weren't necessarily that large, because their market was small. In Adobe's case they were dealing in a large market, but the entry price was climbing to the point that they were going to force themselves out of the consumer market and into a smaller specialized market. While that may be okay for a small company it isn't okay for a company that's already reached the point that Adobe was. Going to the subscription model not only kept them in the market, reports I've read have indicated 25-30% increases in revenue, because it made the product accessible to more people.

 

[smoke665]

but if you're a amateur/hobbyist than there is no need to hand over $120 a year for ever.

To each their own. LOL But here's another way of looking at it the monthly subscription is roughly (2) packs of cigarettes/month (I haven't smoked in years), (4) cups of coffee/month at Starbucks, (5) 20oz Cokes at the quick shop, or (12) bottled waters at the store. It's all in how you look at things, I figure I'm still way ahead of the game.

 

[Fujidave]

The best Free ones are, Rawtherapee, Gimp and Darktable. I think there is more but those three are top.

 

[Breezy85]

If want to pay $10 every month for the rest of you're life for an ancient application which every now a then is coated with a can of cynical paint and lathered with absolutely awful customer service then go with adobe.

Ancient?
Where do you think those that came up with Affinity got a notion of what features Affinity ought to have.
In other words, pretty much all of what Affinity can do was first available in Ps.

Today's Ps is nothing like Ps was 19 years ago when I first started using it, so it's not ancient.
Among professionals Adobe Photoshop is still the Industry standard for professional grade still image editing.
Adobe Premiere Pro is the standard for professional video production.

I don't have Affinity. Will someone that does tell how Affinity does updates or new releases?

The subscription model came to be because Adobe knew some 1/3 of all Adobe Photoshop users were using pirated Adobe software.
Thankfully the subscription model allows Adobe to stay in business, refining it's software and giving me more options and tools for image editing.

Note too that Adobe's Photography subscription is 1/2 or less the month cost compared to the subscription rates for it's other software apps, when they are subscribed to individually.

What other apps does Affinity offer?

Agreed. Photoshop has come a long way over the years. I remember how basic it was when I first started using it about 24 years ago. Now...I do graphic design as well along with another friend who does graphic design, and our primary program is Photoshop. It does some incredible things these days!