What are most people using for processing RAW

[RC Photos]

Lightroom 4.x its a great program and I personally find it a lot more user friendly than Photoshop

 

[symmar22]

The library concept of LR is a no-go for me. Tried it and considered the workflow horrible.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I only use Lightroom for the lens correction, which is poorly integrated in Photoshop CS5.

It feels good to know I am not the only one to have problems with the LR workflow. Not that I did not try it, I got a cheap LR2 licence updated into LR4.2. I want to understand why it's the n°1 software, but I admit I still don't get it with the workflow. With DxO, I open the folder I want to use, drop my files in the software and work on them. The import / librairies system with LR is just a useless nightmare to me, maybe is it because I am a poor Windows user, too used to organize my own folders ? :

 

[Roadtrip]

For Mac folks. A very reliable source (who I won't out) has told me that Aperture 4 is getting very close to being done.

I would expect it by the new year. He didn't say what's new, but DID say it is a MAJOR upgrade, and the price should remain the same in the App Store ($79.00)

I'll be left in the cold (again). This version will probably only work with Mountain Lion... for Aperture 3.4 update you had to have OS to 10.7 (Lion). I had too many wi-fi problems with it and moved back to 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard). Oh well....

 

[symmar22]

. The import / librairies system with LR is just a useless nightmare to me, maybe is it because I am a poor Windows user, too used to organize my own folders ? :

i guess you do no keywording?
anyway.... it is obvious that you have NO CLUE AT ALL what a library is usefull for. :

sorting you images into folders will help you nothing if you have thousands of photos and need to search for a motive.... and this is only one example when a database approach comes in handy.

try to find all images with a "ball" on a "beach" and a "sunset" in a 100000 picture collection.

takes me 5 seconds to search all my images for these keywords.

maybe you only have 1000 images than your might be happy with your folders... still your comment is just naive and thoughtless....

I am very sorry to be just naïve and thoughtless just because I don't use the same software as you. Strange how people tend to release their anger as soon as someone doesn't share their opinion on the equipment they use....

 

[Canon-F1]

I am very sorry to be just naïve and thoughtless just because I don't use the same software as you. Strange how people tend to release their anger as soon as someone doesn't share their opinion on the equipment they use....

if you read closely you will see he did not say a word about specific software.
so your polemic is wasted.

he wrote about the usefulness of a database!
a database you can quickly search and filter, something that is not possible with folders.

and in my opinion he is 100% right.
a library is very usefull when you do more with your images then to store them away.

 

[symmar22]

I am very sorry to be just naïve and thoughtless just because I don't use the same software as you. Strange how people tend to release their anger as soon as someone doesn't share their opinion on the equipment they use....

if you read closely you will see he did not say a word about specific software.
so your polemic is wasted.

he wrote about the usefulness of a database!
a database you can quickly search and filter, something that is not possible with folders.

and in my opinion he is 100% right.
a library is very usefull when you do more with your images then to store them away.

OK, I guess I was somehow misunderstood, I never denied the usefulness of a database, nor the possibilities offered by the database system in LR, I was just saying that for me the ergonomics of the software are a bit stiff (or at least a logic I am not used to), in the sense that sometimes I just want to drag a file from let's say a flash card, or an open folder to work quickly in it, and LR forces me to import the whole card or folder to deal with one picture. I am still trying it, at least no one can reproach me not to try spend time on a software I do not find very attractive by default. Since the last post I've spent hours working on LR, and I start to understand its logic... I am still very green with LR, and I admit I prefer to spend more time doing an actual picture than to stay for hours on my computer, playing with software.

I might even start thinking to migrate on it eventually; nevertheless, I still find the ergonomics a bit unfriendly, as often seen on software that claim to do all in one. I found DxO much simpler, user friendly, though it doesn't of course have the same possibilities.

I was not trying to start a polemic, my critic was pointing more at the very unfriendly (if not extremely rude) way he answered my post. Having a good understanding in some matter does not allow to assume people are simple morons just because they do not have the same knowledge as you in a specific subject.

Some people are very good at sharing knowledge (that's called pedagogy), some other lack the most basic sense of expressing their passion.

Sorry if I did not explain myself properly, and if I've hurt your feelings concerning databases.

 

[canon816]

I just want to drag a file from let's say a flash card, or an open folder to work quickly in it, and LR forces me to import the whole card or folder to deal with one picture.

I think that like any software Lightroom can take some getting used to. One of the reasons I like lightroom so much is the database aspect of it. I can easily find an image within seconds and the general editing features streamline my workflow.

If I need to do more polishing then lightroom can allow I finish it off in PS CS5.

Also, if you would like to look at one image on a memory card you can easily select only the image or images you want to import. When you open the import window just click the "uncheck all" all button and then check the boxes on the images you want.

Lightroom does have its limitations but once you get used to the interface you find that it works for most editing. I do wish that it had better selection tools and some simple layer masking for selective sharpening etc...

 

[symmar22]

Thanks 816 for the tip, I'll keep learning the software, I admit the possibilities seem endless, it's just that coming from the old film world, I find digital is sometimes distracting from photography itself, lots of time spent on learning software, even though I am introduced to digital since I bought my Coolscan 4000, 15 years ago. I'd like to keep it more simple, but it's the way it is, one must follow the progress....

 

[canon816]

Thanks 816 for the tip, I'll keep learning the software, I admit the possibilities seem endless, it's just that coming from the old film world, I find digital is sometimes distracting from photography itself, lots of time spent on learning software, even though I am introduced to digital since I bought my Coolscan 4000, 15 years ago. I'd like to keep it more simple, but it's the way it is, one must follow the progress....

No problem. The art of Photography has definitely begun to put more and more emphasis on post processing and the software has really allowed us to create images that we never could have made with film.

That said, I enjoy the "taking the photos" more then the "editing the photos" so I embrace software that streamlines my workflow and gets the job done to my satisfaction in a quick and efficient manner.

Good luck with the software and happy shooting.

 

[friedmud]

Still on Lightroom 3 on Mac OSx Lion here. Will have to get 4 once I get my D600 (apparently they are not upgrading 3 with D600 support). Might move up to Mountain Lion at the same time...

I try to do very little to my photos, preferring to do more of the work in the field (with filters, etc). Usually just saturation, contrast, sharpening, NR.

 

[Steb]

. The import / librairies system with LR is just a useless nightmare to me

i guess you do no keywording?
anyway.... it is obvious that you have NO CLUE AT ALL what a library is usefull for. :

sorting you images into folders will help you nothing if you have thousands of photos and need to search for a motive.... and this is only one example when a database approach comes in handy.

try to find all images with a "ball" on a "beach" and a "sunset" in a 100000 picture collection.

takes me 5 seconds to search all my images for these keywords.

His statement was it is a useless nightmare for him. Maybe you have no clue yourself if you think only your requirements are valid. A library does not give additional features. Everything is possible without, it just takes more time. I don't do keywording myself but it is possible. Of course a database is faster when searching 100000 pictures but that is your requirement, not that of everyone else. I have other use cases that just don't work with a library. Not uneducated or naive, just different.

 

[chasn]

Big thanks to the poster who mentioned Photo Ninja on this thread - I have been playing with it for the last two days on 'difficult' images and I am hugely impressed......