What's your best RAW converter?

[dtornabene1]

Just want to get a feel for what people think out there. What is your best RAW converter? I know what Popular Photography, Shutterbug, and other magazines have said. Now I like to hear from my pears. What do you think is the best at converting?

Do you think the manufacturers software is the best or are you a fan of third party converters? Note, not all converters are the same. So if you believe they are, then don't bother posting.

-Nick

 

[Josh66]

I used to use Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP), I thought it was pretty good at the time.

I use Lightroom now and would never go back to DPP. Lightroom blows DPP away, IMO.

I'm not just talking ease of use - my pictures done with DPP look like crap compared the ones after I started using Lightroom.

 

[JerryPH]

Depends on the brand, however my personal fav is PS CS3 (soon CS4).

 

[YoungPic]

LIGHTROOM IS BOSS

 

[tsaraleksi]

Phase One's Capture One produces a much better file than Adobe's converter in my opinion, though I'm stuck with LR for now, given that upgrading C1 to read 5D2 files means that it won't run unless I upgrade my OS .

 

[davebmck]

Lightroom 2. I used to use Camera Raw in CS3, but LR2 is a much better tool.

 

[craig]

Lightroom.

)'(

 

[dtornabene1]

Thank you everyone who responded. It seems to be an overwhelming Lightroom and Phase One response. However, has anyone used other third part software other than these two with best results?

Any a follow up question for Adobe users. Isn't the RAW converter in Photoshop the same as Lightroom? Don't they both use Adobe RAW or am I mistaken? I truly don't know and I am upgrading soon.

Currently I use Canon's DPP then Photoshop 7. I haven't needed more but feel I would benefit by upgrading. So, the question still stands, what's the best RAW workflow? What about bilbble, or DxO?

Thanks to everyone so far.

-Nick

 

[MikeBcos]

Any a follow up question for Adobe users. Isn't the RAW converter in Photoshop the same as Lightroom? Don't they both use Adobe RAW or am I mistaken? I truly don't know and I am upgrading soon.


-Nick

According to Adobe

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® software is built upon the same powerful raw processing technology that is available in the camera raw plug-in

Adobe - Adobe Photoshop CS4: Digital camera raw file support

 

[dtornabene1]

According to Adobe

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® software is built upon the same powerful raw processing technology that is available in the camera raw plug-in

Adobe - Adobe Photoshop CS4: Digital camera raw file support

Thanks MikeBcos! So, Photoshop or Lightroom are the same as far as RAW converters go, but I do understand there is a difference in user interface.

So, is everyone just using Adobe? There has to be people out there using programs other than Adobe! I'm not against using Adobe, after all I am an A.C.E. (I have CS4 used for a Printing Company. I just haven't found a reason to upgrade for my photography business).

But no one out there is using bibble, DxO, acdsee, etc.?

 

[Garbz]

CameraRAW engine. This includes Lightroom too, they are essentially the same RAW converter.

This has to be coupled with the Adobe CameraProfiles beta from Adobe Labs which addresses the lack of red with the default ACR4.3 profiles in CameraRAW and Lightroom.

 

[davebmck]

Thank you everyone who responded. It seems to be an overwhelming Lightroom and Phase One response. However, has anyone used other third part software other than these two with best results?

Any a follow up question for Adobe users. Isn't the RAW converter in Photoshop the same as Lightroom? Don't they both use Adobe RAW or am I mistaken? I truly don't know and I am upgrading soon.

Currently I use Canon's DPP then Photoshop 7. I haven't needed more but feel I would benefit by upgrading. So, the question still stands, what's the best RAW workflow? What about bilbble, or DxO?

Thanks to everyone so far.

-Nick

Camera Raw in CS4 is supposed to have the same tools as the Develop module in Lightroom2. I haven't seen it myself, so I don't know that the full functionality is actually there in CR. Lightroom is more than a raw converter, though. The Library module is a file manager that is superior to Adobe Bridge. There are also Web, Slideshow and Print modules. The advantage is that these modules are all seamlessly integrated.

If you're interested, my recommendation would be to go to the Adobe website and download the 30 free trial and get a good book on the program (I got Scott Kelby's book) so that you can see all the features without hunting for them.

 

[freeflydive]

I like Aperture 2.0...upgraded from 1.0 and still a loyal and happy customer.

Cheers,
Majdi

 

[Garbz]

Lightroom is more than a raw converter, though.

Oh most definitly. Lightroom is an entire workflow manager for working on many images quickly. I was just pointing out that Lightroom uses Adobe CameraRAW as the RAW converter engine inside it. All the settings for developing really are the same. Just in ACR you manually do one at a time or maybe import multiple from bridge or do some other nasty horrid thing to try and help you process faster, whereas Lightroom is just intuitive from the ground up.

 

[dtornabene1]

I like Aperture 2.0...upgraded from 1.0 and still a loyal and happy customer.

Cheers,
Majdi

I was waiting for this one, and can't believe it took so long for someone to come forward with it. So, this is one of the biggest choices so far.

Adobe or Apple? Why is Lightroom better than Aperture or visa versa? I wan't to make an educated purchase. A consumer can read quite a bit from the company's themselves, but I am interested in the end-users.

Please let me know why you like one over the other. Or just why you like one, period.

Please, I am less concerned about technical specifications, more about people specifications.

Thanks Folks!

-Nick

P.S. So far these comments have been very helpful. I am very appreciative of all of your time.