[APhoto] Best RAW companion software for massive RAW editing with Pentax and other systems

[affi.usr]

Hi Affinity Users!

 

Intro

 

I published post about mass RAW development one year ago. I wrote about what I want in Affinity Photo to make massive RAW edition easier. After year of cosideration I think about buy additional software to make RAW development workflow faster or maybe easier. I am Pentax K-3 II user. I will be appreciated if any Pentax DSLR user can join to discussion and get me advice on subject. All what I want is Lightroom with standalone licence without nightmarish Cloud price fluctuations. It's sad but standalone licence is killed by Adobe and stuck on 1st January 2018 state if I am not wrong. I want chance of update software in the future for newer lens, so this is not option. Now if Lightroom user want updates in the future only Creative Clouds is the options.

 

Affinity Photo is my favorite photo editing tools and I will not change it, but I want make faster JPG from my RAWs to use in Photo. For current state of development AP loading files slower than Lightroom and opening few RAW files is not nice. I use Thinkpad W520 laptop with i7-2710QM, 32GB RAM, SSD Samsung 850 Pro 256GB, Quadro 2000 2GB Nvidia. At this machine working with 3 PEF files and 0,5 GB HDR final image was OK. Few times only progress bar showing up, but the most time 2 sec delay it was not too anoying.

 

So in short - scenario: 30-200 RAW files and how make edition them easier.

 

Questions

 

1. What can you recommend for faster producing JPG from RAW files (especially PEF, but DNG is option too)?

2. What options are duplicated in recommended by you software which Affinity Photo has?

3. What unique feauture make working with RAW files easier and faster than Affinity Photo?

4. When do you think buying another software is only waste of money?

 

My Research

 

Before I wrote this post I started test another apps and looking informations on web. 

 

Free RawTherapee is in active development. I start RAW developing with this app. Ealier version get problems with noise reduction, but in some place I can get artistic effect from that. When I check Lightroom I switch to them, because overall picture quality was better. GUI was more intuive too. Current version are not tested very well. My earlier experience was better, because from earlier version change a lot. I think now it will be the best option in the budget.

http://rawtherapee.com/blog/screenshots

 

Alternative is LightZone. I don't test it. Screenshot suggest that interface is not intuitive and on this place RawTherapee should be I think better option, but is more my guess not field tested.

I am Windows user, so I can't say anything about DarkTable except that use dcraw like RawTherapee and LightZone. Probably nice software, but if I have Mac I can say that is true. On1 Photo Raw is on my consideration - I don't tested yet. I try last month DxO PhotoLab and more I'll write on the end.

 

A lot of people recommended Capture One Pro. I'll start test it on April 2018. Except price on the first look it has a lot of posibilities to working with RAWs and as I read specially on the field adjust colors.

Skylum Lumiar 2018 is more one picture fast filter app. On this year producer announce support multiple RAW edition. As is comming this year it could be only catalogue feature (for my small SSD drive is unusefull, because I copy files on network share).

 

Alien Skin Exposure 3 is more plugin, so I skip them. As I am not interesting photo managing software, because SSD size limatations only 500 presets in this app are more unique, but they are worth 149$?

https://www.alienskin.com/exposure/features/

 

Photo Ninja is not in active development (and I have earlier recommendation from forum) so I pass them away. Silkypix it's looking like Affinity Photo with limited adjust features. When I read on producer home page I can't get nothing atractive except batch develop.

http://www.silkypix.us/silkypix-features

 

BatchPhoto not make sense, if I have Photo. File > New Batch Job and go on, so why buy dedicated app for it? ACDSee Photo Studio Professional looks more in place, but I don't see any advanetages with comparision to others apps.

 

Corel AfterShot Pro 2

 

I use it and as I get it with my Wacom tablet. It's creepy, because interface is not intuive for me. When I started I can not in easy way loads photos. I have to looking on the web how start using them. Directory View not working as I expected. I dislike colors on menu. My old DSLR camera was supported (old Pentax K200D), but my new one is not. Probably version 3 changing this issue, but for me buying Corel AfterShot is wasting time and money. For example with curves I have to think sometimes how use them, because small triangles was in window. Loading smaller RAWs files with old K200D was OK.

 

DxO PhotoLab

 

Very intuive interface. I start using them in few minutes. Only minus is processing time. Few times app is stucking with my RAW files and I think it will be crash (but PhotoLab after "thinking" working without them). Loading PEF files from my Pentax are better than Affinity Photo. Local adjustments are sympatic for fast correction. Few times I have to think where is something in menu, but overall working with them get me after this months nice fealing that is good designed and easy to use. Help me a lot auto named here DxO SmartLighting, DxO Clear View. Few touch of pen on tablet and get nice starter image. When I have to make RAW development fast to only document photos it was very usefull. Option to correction geometry Horizon working well. Only downside is when I click on new PEF files is loading about 5 sec. It is not annoyting when you take only few shots, but with more than 6-8 files start troublesome. PhotoLab making job done, but on my hardware processing file force me to waiting to simply loading files and start adjust them. If DxO PhotoLab will be loading files faster it will be my choice, because I like this GUI, and I make first preparation to working files in Photo with pleausure. After lecture my Affinity Photo Workbook I make my first HDR with this combo DxO PhotoLab + Affinity Photo.

 

Summary

 

I hope my post start discussion how integrated other app with Affinity Photo to faster and easier workflow. I am not professional photographer and it is my hobby. I am far away from maniac of buying unnecessary staffs. I like auto correction function in software, like lens correction, but I use old lens like Helios 44 or full manual Pentax M 50/1.7 too.

 

Dear fellows,

best Easter wishes! 

[affi.usr]

Capture One 11

 

After month of testing I can day more about it. In compatision to Photo Lab if loading speed is not your favorite DxO PhotoLab will be nicer, because cheaper option. I'm looking for comfort and on this field Capture One 11 is better. Firstly files are loading faster. From start I want simply make massive RAW edition more comfortable and quicker. If someone need only edit few RAW on the time Affinity Photo is all what is need. Only disadvantege is when loading more photos and want it fast switch to next it is not comfortable. Capture One and DxO are on this field winner. For editing I use laptop and I save my files on removable device. At this place library options, rating and color tags etc. are not usefull for me. DxO for import is better, because you can simply select catalog, work on RAW files and then export. Best option for C1 workflow is simply drag and drop. It is a small difference, but I prefer select catalogue, make things done and nothing else later. NIK local adjustments in Photo Lab are very comfortable and after change software it was what I miss.

Second things with C1 are color selections. When you see this video for Capture One color selection you will see how comfortable and intuive can be. "Chart-like" color selection visualisation it is one things to consider to add to Affinity Photo. Masking by colors and changing part of picture with them making life better. When you understanding how it work you can faster than in Photo Lab make changes. From this point of view C1 is winner. You have a lot of option to change colors. Tree circles on color balance may look some cosmic way, but it's works. I think DxO Photo Lab is easier to understand and learn. C1 need some tour on menu, watch tutorial, and one of webinar to make more. For Pentax user is only one disadventage - tethering. Other system can get directly RAW file from camera to computer, but not in Pentax system. You have to work around (PK Tethered) and when you thing on more studio work it is not that comfortable like on Canon or Nikon. Some feature are marketing only. Layers, annotations maybe someone use for something, but Affinity Photo is ore advance on this field and not limited to 12 layers. When I thing about posibilities I think RAW editors now is going to be more photoshop style and it is not make sense. When have you APh why you need another app with the same options?

I found example workflow which is my favorite start with Capture One and finish with Affinity Photo what you can see on linked video. The simplest way making things together is postprocess RAW and edit jpeg or tiff in APh.

At the summary color selections on multiple may and working with them, and time of loading PEF RAW files make C1 winner. On Capture One 11.1 version I see changing few details like working with skin colors. On the basic C1 and PhotoLab have the same options like working on curves (what is my favorite for fast adjustments). DxO for me is more like Lightroom menu, but when you figure out what icons in C1 means it's really not make huge difference. In plus is for C1 that  on menu someone think and when you understand what icon mean for block fuctions I can easier find this againt. You can see some nice extra features like color adnotations (it is one which I want see in the future version of Affinity Photo) - simply click and on picture you get annotations with color values (you can simply simply view this here). But to be objective you can live without thist and in some place is not very intuitive on the beginning to interpreted and use in another app. Cons is one - price of C1 is too much for a lot of users. Best price to value and posibilities is from DxO PhotoLab.

 

I hope my small review will help someone and another users and open discusion on best RAW massive editor companion for Affinity Photo.