Promising First Effort, Not Ready For Prime Time

[drfoto]

Promising app, esp at the pricepoint. Great implementation of some wonderful features. BUT, the output, at least in my hands in this version, is nowhere near Photoshop quality. I'll keep watching and hope v2 or v3 shows major improvements in raw file rendering. (attached file is a 100% crop screenshot of tif files from a Nikon D500 nef file: AP left / PS right)

[harrym]

How many raw editors have you used?

[dmstraker]

Perhaps a bit harsh, though I'll admit I am happier with the Photo persona than the Develop persona-- I personally use Lightroom 6 (DVD version) as a front end, in particular for its browse, HDR, CA and other controls. I then pass tif through to Affinity, which I find better than PS for more detailed editing.

 

I'd be interested to hear a Serif response to this and plans for Develop, er, development.

[InfoCentral]

Have to admit the PS rendering does look considerably better.

[drfoto]

How many raw editors have you used?

Aperture and Lightroom / PS. But I teach them, professionally so have a fairly good understanding of proper technique.

[harrym]

I use three raw editors precisely because they are all different bringing different strengths to the party. Took me quite a while to get to grips with C1 but well worth the learning curve, fabulous for people. DxO great for prime not so good on some images particular backlit at times etc.

 

What particularly do you not like about the AP version? AP looks too warm to me, that's easily fixed it's also rendered softer which I prefer for a portrait rather than the over sharpened PS output. So that's one each  ;) 

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here so more than happy to be corrected but I believe that the likes of Lightroom and PS apply a default curve to raws I guess to help people along but AP doesn't OOB. If any better informed could confirm/deny this I'd be most interested.

 

Personally I think the develop persona is a bit 'crude' for want of a better word, lacking refinement in tools and flow, I don't think it's really prime time yet but I really hope dream that at some point they will have a none destructive flow from develop to photo and back again! So I do agree that it's well worth keeping an eye on it to see how it develops  :ph34r: 

[GFS]

Promising app, esp at the pricepoint. Great implementation of some wonderful features. BUT, the output, at least in my hands in this version, is nowhere near Photoshop quality. I'll keep watching and hope v2 or v3 shows major improvements in raw file rendering. (attached file is a 100% crop screenshot of tif files from a Nikon D500 nef file: AP left / PS right)

 

 

The difference is the noise reduction.  It is far more agressive in the AFP vs.  Try reducing Luminance noise in AFP and you will see the skin detail increasing significantly.

 

FWIW, I think you can get very close to the same thing with both apps.  The difference is essentially in skin tone handling.  As an Aperture user, you may want to take a look at a new raw converter being developed by the ex engineering director for Aperture, called Raw Power (produced by Gentlemen Coders).  It uses the Apple raw engine (which is excellent) but unlike Aperture, it uses the most recent vs.  It is very powerful and easy to use and produces excellent results.  Most notable in this context though, is the different skin tone treatment when compared to AFP.