So if we are done with LR, whats our choices?

I have been with adobe since the early days of LR and usually buying the update every other year, currently on 5.7.

I will not be buying a subscription service I think its a sleazy greed driven move by adobe and I just wont play that game. IMO Their end game is to control your data and then charge what they want to "host" it for you.

I think "classic" by its very name alone shows they plan on ending it in the next year or two and will force people to go CC.


So for people who just use lightroom stand alone, whats our choices and the pro/cons of each? Just started researching this and would appreciate others thoughts who use/know an alternative software.

PC or Mac?

I don't use LR, but would have used the tagging feature if I could have had it 50 years ago. What I do use now is the free PSCS2

10 Free Online Photo Editors - includes Adobe Photoshop Express
10 Free Online Photo Editors

150 Best Free Online Photo Editors Alternative to Photoshop Lightroom
http://patricelaborda.​jimdo.com …hotos-editor-alternative/

Free desktop photo editors software alternative to Photoshop Lightroom
http://patricelaborda.​jimdo.com …-photo-and-image-editors/

You might want to give DPP 4++ a try. DPP has come a long way since version 4 was released. Like anything, it depends on your specific needs.

And I'd like to know which ones work with the .RW2 RAW files from my Panasonic FZ1000 - DPP won't work with those, only with my Canons. I've just got used to working with LR6 (bought the standalone version) and assume there will be no more updates.

kirkt wrote in post #18476780
PC or Mac?

PC. thanks

I'm all Capture One now, after many years of migrating back and forth through many other options.

ACDSee Ultimate is now a fully fledged RAW developer as well, but there are better RAW tools. It is an EXCELLENT "D.A.M." (digital asset manager)

I used to recommend (and use!) Bibble/Corel Aftershot, but the more Corel does to what was a wonderful tool that they bought, the more they seem to break it It won't even run on my current workstation without crashing every 5 minutes or so.

C1 has some oddities in the batch processing gui that I still find a little less than intuitive, but the other day I wanted to make 1/2 sized jpegs from a huge pile of raw files, and only do minor tweeks to a small percentage along the way, crops etc,. and the process was easier and much faster than with any other tool I have used. So once you get a handle on the output, it is FAST and fluid to use.

Plan A = Luminar 2018 when they release their DAM
Plan B = On1 photo Raw


Macphun is supposed to make Luminar/DAM tool to import Lr presets as Lookup table (LUT) files.

It is safe to say that whatever you move to, you will have to do it again in the future. Software offerings morph and change and merge and go belly up all the time.

You have choices that fall into general categories:

1) A raw converter (the Adobe equivalent would be Lightroom)
2) A hybrid raw converter with "filters" or "adjustments" and masking capabilities (no Adobe equivalent)
3) A pixel editor that also does raw conversion (the Adobe equivalent would be Photoshop/ACR).

Examples of (1)

Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) (and other vendor-specific applications that usually come with the maker's camera)
dcraw and libraw's emulator and variations
CaptureOne
DxO Optics Pro
etc.

Some of these have local edit and mask capabilities, but they are raw converters first and foremost.

Examples of (2)

Topaz Studio
MacPhun Luminar
OnOne PhotoRaw

These all pretty much started as "Lightroom Killers" and they all appeared more or less when Adobe switched to a subscription model. They have their distinctions amongst them, but they all do raw conversion and then have various interfaces for adding effects, filters, adjustments, etc. This is pretty much a one-stop shop for photographers who do not want to engage in a pixel editor like photoshop, but want to be able to control their images beyond the more simple raw conversion tools. They all have varying degrees of preserving a fully non-destructive workflow and they often integrate plug-ins and export features that make editing in their native application even more convenient.

Examples of (3)

Affinity Photo
GIMP
Photoline
etc.

These are pixel editing applications like Photoshop that also do raw conversion within the application. They can also be called by many raw converters as external editors (as can the applications in (2)).

I am a Mac user, so I am not aware of the PC-only applications that might supplement this not-exhaustive list. For Mac users, we also have four additional exemplary raw converters:

Iridient Developer
Raw Photo Processor
Picktorial
Raw Power

These all fall into category (1).

What level of software you choose is up to you and your needs. Possibly others here who use other applications will chime in and list their preferred application.

Kirk

I use CS6 Bridge - the last version you could buy standalone. My cameras are supported still, but if I update cameras they won't be. DNG converter works around that.

I'm leaning towards Capture One Pro. I tested the trial. Pretty impressive. 3 sharpening levels - capture with lens corrections, detail and export. Like LR export offers media type but you can control the amount. NR was automatically applied and did a great job I thought.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18476868
It is safe to say that whatever you move to, you will have to do it again in the future. Software offerings morph and change and merge and go belly up all the time.

That said, Capture One is going on 17 years and counting

kirkt wrote in post #18476894
You have choices that fall into general categories:

1) A raw converter (the Adobe equivalent would be Lightroom)
2) A hybrid raw converter with "filters" or "adjustments" and masking capabilities (no Adobe equivalent)
3) A pixel editor that also does raw conversion (the Adobe equivalent would be Photoshop/ACR).

Examples of (1)

Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) (and other vendor-specific applications that usually come with the maker's camera)
dcraw and libraw's emulator and variations
CaptureOne
DxO Optics Pro
etc.

Some of these have local edit and mask capabilities, but they are raw converters first and foremost.

Examples of (2)

Topaz Studio
MacPhun Luminar
OnOne PhotoRaw

These all pretty much started as "Lightroom Killers" and they all appeared more or less when Adobe switched to a subscription model. They have their distinctions amongst them, but they all do raw conversion and then have various interfaces for adding effects, filters, adjustments, etc. This is pretty much a one-stop shop for photographers who do not want to engage in a pixel editor like photoshop, but want to be able to control their images beyond the more simple raw conversion tools. They all have varying degrees of preserving a fully non-destructive workflow and they often integrate plug-ins and export features that make editing in their native application even more convenient.

Examples of (3)

Affinity Photo
GIMP
Photoline
etc.

These are pixel editing applications like Photoshop that also do raw conversion within the application. They can also be called by many raw converters as external editors (as can the applications in (2)).

I am a Mac user, so I am not aware of the PC-only applications that might supplement this not-exhaustive list. For Mac users, we also have four additional exemplary raw converters:

Iridient Developer
Raw Photo Processor
Picktorial
Raw Power

These all fall into category (1).

What level of software you choose is up to you and your needs. Possibly others here who use other applications will chime in and list their preferred application.

Kirk

Thank you Kirk, I really appreciate your in depth answer.

I'll continue to use LR6 until it doesn't support a new body. I will continue to improve my DPP abilities. Also have installed: FastStone, NoiseWare, and Picasa 3 (my wife's choice).