[DAM] Affinity Lightroom Killer Request

[paristo]

On 9/26/2017 at 6:16 PM, rafikiphoto said:

I just came across this thread. Don't reinvent the wheel! iMatch (photools.com) has it all and integrates well with Affinity Photo. Concentrate on the fantastic software you have developed and forget about a DAM. Just my two penny worth! 

 

There is always a room for a good DAM. 

The best on the industry at the moment is digiKam when it comes to manage your digital images. Search tools second to none and allows flexibility to run on all systems.

 

If Affinity would provide even half of the features that digiKam does, then Affinity would have a true jewel in their hands on Windows and iPad markets. 

[rafikiphoto]

5 minutes ago, paristo said:

 

There is always a room for a good DAM. 

The best on the industry at the moment is digiKam when it comes to manage your digital images. Search tools second to none and allows flexibility to run on all systems.. 

4

 

You reinforce my point in a way.

[paristo]

On 9/26/2017 at 9:36 PM, rafikiphoto said:

 

Perhaps we consider what a programme can do more important than how it looks. 

 

But the look (user interface) is very important to the user as it makes tool nice to use so you like to use it.

Features are important so you can use the tool for the purpose (don't try to hammer nailes on wood with a saw...) but if you can use a little more inefficient tool that is just pleasure to use, it is better.

 

 

No matter how powerful the tool is, if it is not nice to use (usability based to user interface) then it is frustrating to use such and reason to pick it over something else is lower. If it is only tool you can use to do the work, then you will use it, and hate it same time.

 

 

[rafikiphoto]

If you say so.

 

[paristo]

6 minutes ago, rafikiphoto said:

 

You reinforce my point in a way.

Yes, in a way. But you said not to do a DAM while I recommend Affinity to go a head and do a DAM, but really get it right. Affinity should do a DAM that is purely focused for managing images. Then they have their Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer for working. And what they need to do is a "raw persona" that is own separate product for raw conversion that is used with all two (DAM and Affinity Photo) as integrated unit, instead both having something. Bring the updates to the raw converter quickly and even backport for older versions if possible. 

[pszilard]

On 27/09/2017 at 1:16 AM, rafikiphoto said:

I just came across this thread. Don't reinvent the wheel! iMatch (photools.com) has it all and integrates well with Affinity Photo. Concentrate on the fantastic software you have developed and forget about a DAM. Just my two penny worth! 

iMatch is excellent and I have a license, however it is Windoze only and I have switched to Macs. So I need a good DAM for Mac, to compete with LR and be as good as iMatch!

[Rüdiger]

found this product and forum while looking for a LR replacement

just want to let you know that an integrated DAM is a must for me to switch

please provide a catalog, filters, collections and smart collections with similar featuers as in LR (e.g. and/or connected search criteria) 

thanks!

 

[Rincewind]

Any official news from Serif regarding an upcoming DAM? 

[Goughy]

This exchange showed up on Twitter this morning. 

[donka]

There is always Macphun’s alternative...

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/1288796943/macphun-responds-to-lightroom-cc-release-teases-their-own-photo-manager

 

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, Goughy said:

This exchange showed up on Twitter this morning. 

 

It would be good to have an official confirmation or refutation of this.

[ChrisChiera]

2 minutes ago, Alfred said:

 

It would be good to have an official confirmation or refutation of this.

 

Unless their official twitter account has been hacked the past couple of weeks, the recent several tweets which have now started appearing noting that Affinity is no longer currently working on the previously announced DAM is official as you can get since they are coming from the Affinity official twitter account. I assume they prefer telling people officially on a per person basis on Twitter rather than announcing via blog or forum posts to lessen the blow. So while yes, it's official, for all we know they were 90% complete and they have simply decided to stop current development and could pickup again as soon as next year. It is a bit odd since even on their website they back in 2016 they announced it was coming hopefully in 2017 (since been removed but still available on older site caches). So one would think they would simply say its coming later rather than its now its no longer being developed, but once again imagine that is because people are assuming it's right around the corner based on their previous messaging and this way it can set better timeline expectations, especially if their main focus is on Publisher. So maybe 2019?

[Alfred]

On 19/10/2017 at 9:47 PM, ChrisChiera said:

 

Unless their official twitter account has been hacked the past couple of weeks, the recent several tweets which have now started appearing noting that Affinity is no longer currently working on the previously announced DAM is official as you can get since they are coming from the Affinity official twitter account. I assume they prefer telling people officially on a per person basis on Twitter rather than announcing via blog or forum posts to lessen the blow. So while yes, it's official, for all we know they were 90% complete and they have simply decided to stop current development and could pickup again as soon as next year. It is a bit odd since even on their website they back in 2016 they announced it was coming hopefully in 2017 (since been removed but still available on older site caches). So one would think they would simply say its coming later rather than its now its no longer being developed, but once again imagine that is because people are assuming it's right around the corner based on their previous messaging and this way it can set better timeline expectations, especially if their main focus is on Publisher. So maybe 2019?

 

Thanks, Chris. When I clicked on @Goughy's link, I only saw tweets from you saying "Sounds like development has ceased in favor of other apps. Completely understand so quite a shock to all of us who have been following" and "Affinity's often mentions that the DAM was in the works but now is no longer in development. But good to know. Thanks team!". Now that I've clicked further back into the conversation, I see that there's a tweet from @AffinitybySerif saying "We aren't currently developing a DAM program, but we may in the future. :)" So it apparently hasn't been abandoned (as I inferred from your tweets) but merely postponed for an indeterminate time; to my way of thinking, there's quite a big difference between "is no longer in development" and "aren't currently developing".

[ChrisChiera]

 

On 19/10/2017 at 10:54 PM, Alfred said:

 

Thanks, Chris. When I clicked on @Goughy's link, I only saw tweets from you saying "Sounds like development has ceased in favor of other apps. Completely understand so quite a shock to all of us who have been following" and "Affinity's often mentions that the DAM was in the works but now is no longer in development. But good to know. Thanks team!". Now that I've clicked further back into the conversation, I see that there's a tweet from @AffinitybySerif saying "We aren't currently developing a DAM program, but we may in the future. :)" So it apparently hasn't been abandoned (as I inferred from your tweets) but merely postponed for an indeterminate time; to my way of thinking, there's quite a big difference between "is no longer in development" and "aren't currently developing".

 

Since the program has been being actively developed since at least 2016 and now in 2017 October to hear it's now not in developed is certainly big news. Since if it were simply going to be another 6 months or even another year, they could simply keep saying what they have been saying like there June 2017 post where they said it's something they are working on, and just simply continued to not give a definite date. But to all of the sudden this month to start switching to saying now its not being developed is big news.

 

 It wouldn't make any sense for a company to say development has stopped and they will never ever restart development, so may in the future , just means anything is possible like with any software. I haven't heard anyone say they won't someday develop it, and as noted in several threads here today, I said one likely possibility is that them saying they are now not developing it currently could really mean that the timeline is a lot longer than they expected and rather than keep saying its coming they decided to say no, so that people won't keep thinking its right around the corner, especially now with a lot of Lightroom users wanting to jump ship.

 

In my other posts mentioned I could see it coming in 2018, but only time will tell.

[Tia Lapis]

Where did you get that it was in development? All I know of was that they would like doing it after Publisher.

[ChrisChiera]

12 hours ago, Tia Lapis said:

Where did you get that it was in development? All I know of was that they would like doing it after Publisher.

 

 

They've mentioned over time including previously on their site (since has been removed). The above tweet is the most recent a few months ago where they have said the DAM in the works and that they will have more info in the future. Where is now starting this months all the new tweets to the question show its no longer currently in the works. 

 

So as noted, they could always start working on it again, but certainly a shift and assume to set expectations now that is not coming soon, which I completely understand as priorities changes often. 

[Mithferion]

Well, so no DAM in the near future.

[Tia Lapis]

It probably was in the work as was Publisher, that won't be released even in 2018 as I fear 8(

[Ganna]

Can Affinity Photo (Serif) develop a link/plugin for ON1 RAW 2018?  Surely not that hard for them

[Tooslow]

Having read the comments above, and being disappointed by the apparent dropping of a DAM tool by Serif, I have been poking around. It appears to be a crowded market place with products for Windows, Apple and Linux, often priced at either USD 100 or free. Perhaps that is why Serif has halted development. They need to get their development costs back, make a profit and then support ongoing maintenance. 

 

I reckon that a decent DAM, which often include tools such as slideshows and geotagging as well as captions, tags, albums etc would work well as a front end to AP. I haven't named any names simply because there are so many and I have no experience of any of them. Google "Photo DAM for Windows/Apple/OS/VS2" (only joking with that last one) and there are more than you can shake a stick at. Be sure to search for reviews too. Some of them seem a bit wobbly.

 

John

[KC Honie]

On October 22, 2017 at 9:23 AM, Tooslow said:

Having read the comments above, and being disappointed by the apparent dropping of a DAM tool by Serif, I have been poking around. It appears to be a crowded market place with products for Windows, Apple and Linux, often priced at either USD 100 or free. Perhaps that is why Serif has halted development. They need to get their development costs back, make a profit and then support ongoing maintenance. 

 

I reckon that a decent DAM, which often include tools such as slideshows and geotagging as well as captions, tags, albums etc would work well as a front end to AP. I haven't named any names simply because there are so many and I have no experience of any of them. Google "Photo DAM for Windows/Apple/OS/VS2" (only joking with that last one) and there are more than you can shake a stick at. Be sure to search for reviews too. Some of them seem a bit wobbly.

 

John

 

There are only a handful of viable commercial DAMs

 

Lightroom (Adobe just made a massive strategic error IMHO with Lightroom) $9.99/Month (includes photoshop)

Capture One Pro $299 or $20/Month

On1 Photo Raw $119

Luminar $69

 

There are others but they are not in the same class (as well as a number of apps)...

 

I completely understand why serif decided to work on publisher instead of their DAM but Lightroom locks photographer into Photoshop, typically forgoing the use of Affinity Photos or Pixelmator.  Photoshop is included with CC Photography for $9.99/month, both use camera raw and it is an easy roundtrip from LR to PS. 

 

The first DAM supplier that is able to read LR edits and reliably apply them will win... Unfortunately it won't be serif

 

 

[Michelangelo_]

On 10/21/2017 at 5:45 PM, Ganna said:

Can Affinity Photo (Serif) develop a link/plugin for ON1 RAW 2018?  Surely not that hard for them

 

I agree, Publisher probably will be the next. This new tool is more requested by the community, I guess is also more convenient for Affinity Team because they can sell more licenses.

A clone of lightroom is suitable for advanced users.

 

I'm going to use also the "cloud" Lightroom CC alongside my classic version, both amazing pieces of software; I think we have to wait years before a significant comparison with similar software by affinity.

[Michelangelo_]

On 10/22/2017 at 3:23 PM, Tooslow said:

I have been poking around. It appears to be a crowded market place with products for Windows, Apple and Linux, often priced at either USD 100 or free

 

I have a long list of similar softwares, capture one included.
te most convenient, in my opinion, is the Photographer Plan by adobe, 3 softwares ( LR CC IOS/mac/pc + 20gb cloud storage), LR CCclassic and Photoshop, This mean about 35€ for each software ( in EU) , the same segment of a single license of AP

[F_Kal]

FWIW, 

I'm not a professional photographer so the price point is a concern of mine: For a few weeks now, I've been using DxO OpticsPro 11, since it is  free if you download it by the the end of November. The speed and processing quality is rather good (imo much better than ACDSee, Aftershot, Darktable or Apple Photos). While it is not a fully fledged DAM/raw developer in the vains of lightroom, it's been very satisfying as a substitute for the Bridge+Adobe Camera Raw combo.

I'm only missing gradient/brush masks, and perspective corrections (that can be found if you buy some plugins or upgrade to the Elite version) but for now I can finally live with that until something better comes out (Perhaps Luminar 2018?)

 

hope this helps somebody!

 

[Doctez]

On 5/11/2017 at 2:54 AM, Michelangelo_ said:

 

I have a long list of similar softwares, capture one included.
te most convenient, in my opinion, is the Photographer Plan by adobe, 3 softwares ( LR CC IOS/mac/pc + 20gb cloud storage), LR CCclassic and Photoshop, This mean about 35€ for each software ( in EU) , the same segment of a single license of AP

Ahem... 35€ per month. Other programs want a payment for life... Where's the convenience?