Post Processing Software - Are you married to it like a camera brand?

I'm interested in purchasing a new RAW editing software package, but I don't really know much about HOW to use them other than very basic stuff I've been doing in DPP. I don't do a TON of fancy post processing, and I feel like I'm shorting myself by not having an advanced RAW software package (I want to learn it). I'm not really well versed in Photoshop, nor am I creative enough to take advantage of what Photoshop can do. I don't think at this point I'm interested in doing crazy editing, more just color correction etc.

I'm curious if buying a package, is much like marrying into a camera brand. Are they all basically the same, and the power is knowing how to use them? Or are they quirky?

I'm leaning toward Lightroom simply because it seems to be the most popular, and I will have the most access to knowledge. The same reason I chose a Canon camera, accessories more readily available, most popular, and the broadest wealth of knowledge on the web.

Knowing what you know now, what would you recommend to someone just getting into it both in software, and educating myself? Going through tutorials on LYNDA.com right now!

I started with PhaseOne before LR was around, and there was a bit of learning curve since LR does so much more than just raw development. Now that I'm familiar with it and it's integrated into my workflow, it would be pretty hard to change. Of course I"m always open to reviewing the latest and greatest, but LR+Photoshop is all I need presently, and for the foreseeable future.

Keep your DPP updated to the latest version, and Head over to can for some toot's

http://www.usa.canon.c​om …ArticleAct&arti​cleID=1228

DPP will do a great more than one might think.

LR3, CS5, PS they all have a learning curve.

You have to decide what you want for yourself as far as it pertains to a workflow. If you are only interested in furthering your capabilities in RAW conversions you have everything that you probably need right now in Photoshop, assuming that it can see and read your CR2 files. Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) is included with Photoshop and is the same RAW engine that Lightroom would use. If you want to have a workflow that has a database of your images for easy searching later on then Lightroom is one of the options that is available to you.

I started my serious RAW editing with Phase one when it was on version 3.x. Lightroom came along and I got free licenses for it so thought that I would give that a try. It worked fine but it seemed to get really slow with large catalogs. I ended going back to Capture One Pro from Phase One and Expression Media 2 (EM2) for my catalog. Phase One just released version 6 of Capture One and imo it is the best converter out there. Its finite controls on color exceeds anything else that I have tried. EM2 was bought by Phase One a few months ago and they are working on integrating this into Capture One so they will have an integrated product with exactly what I want. Lightroom has many other functions that I don't have a use for. Lightroom is certainly worth a look as are many other programs.

One is "married" to their software only if they don't wish to invest in others and take the time to master it. I wouldn't have a problem changing software applications and the purchase price is not what bothers me. The cost of the learning curve to really getting to know its capabilities and get very efficient at it is what concerns me. If I am making a change to get effectively the same end result it is time not well spent. Just like making a change in camera brands I stay married to Canon because at the end of the day I know I can get output that is equal to that from Nikon. If I could afford to go to digital medium format I would as that seems to be a justifiable divorce from Canon. There has to be a big upside for me to make a change.

There are plenty of online tutorials that explain the various functions of the currently available RAW converters. Adobe TV is an excellent resource for Lightroom and Peter Eastway has released a series of videos on Capture One Pro V6.0. It doesn't matter what you chose there is time involved in learning them but I would recommend that you make sure that you aren't getting what you want from DPP, it is a good converter and they make it better all the time. You also need to decide (and only you can do this one) what you want for a workflow. Are you prepared to put the time into rating your images and applying keywords.

I've been a Lightroom user for several years, since its early days, and prefer it for a number of reasons, but I've spent a lot of time playing with DPP over the past year as well. I'm not a "two-timer", hey, I just like to have fun! Actually, DPP is great to have on hand for quick conversions.

Lightroom, though, is good for me for "serious" editing projects and also it is my workflow organizer -- it has a great toolset and interface to do everything that I as a photographer need to do.

If you have Photoshop CS5, you have the latest Adobe Camera Raw and don't need Lightroom for Raw processing. But Lightroom does have some very cool features.

I've never used Capture One and have heard it has some great stuff. So, if you can nail down your workflow and organization to a good place, you have a number of good toys to play with!

I thought LR was the best thing to happen to my digital photography. I used to just use PS and yeah, it's great for tweaking a single image or two and getting it just right, but you can blast through hundreds of images in LR and get them into great shape quickly. It's really set up the way photographers "think", unlike PS.

It's up to you, you can always download the trial for 30 days and give it a rip.

Whichever software you decide to go with check out the lynda.com tutorials for it and that will help you with your learning curve. I'm about halfway through the lynda.com tuts for lightroom (been about 5 weeks since I last had time to do one) and they're very helpful.

Buchinger wrote in post #11431001
I'm not really well versed in Photoshop, nor am I creative enough to take advantage of what Photoshop can do. I don't think at this point I'm interested in doing crazy editing, more just color correction etc.

Basic goals require only basic software. You've answered your own question. Don't spend a lot of money on software you don't need to achieve your goals.

Buy CS5 and save money, by not buying other software and then up-grading to CS5 or higher later.

Every time you buy software and then up-grade to something else, you waste time and money. Buy the one software solution and be done with it.

If you are looking at a tool solely for raw processing, nothing beats capture one. I've been using it for years, since version 3, and it has consistently delivered better detail, more accurate color and an overall better looking image than any of the others (Adobe LR, bibble, DPP, etc).

When Adobe or the others come out with new releases I usually try them, but inevitably go back to Capture one for the superior output. Thing with C1 is that if you spend a little time to set up your workflow properly, you rarely need any subsequent post processing. I haven't opened photoshop in ages now.

Capture one recently upgraded to version 6, but I haven't tried that. Waiting for them to support the G12 files and I'll upgrade.