Alternatives to Lightroom?

Playdohh said:
Unfortunately GIMP only replaces Photoshop from my experience. From what I remember GIMP has never offered any RAW editing capabilities.
Click to expand...
Aaahh OK, my camera only saves .JPG, so I've never worried about .RAW ;)
 
PaulButler said:
Seems I was wrong :) The latest version of CaptureOne has some sort of LR catalogue import facility
https://blog.phaseone.com/fast-track-guide-lightroom-capture-one-pro/
Click to expand...

I actually just made the switch to Capture. In my case, I didn’t import the old catalogue; If I go back to old work I’ll build a new session from scratch.

I hate the cataloguing in Capture One but the RAW conversions from Fuji files are gorgeous.

I tried Luminar and think that this may become the new standard but that they are two years from a finished product. The cataloguing is a huge step that they need to take. They also need to get to the point where a user can build a standard desktop consisting of the elements that he most often uses rather than having to do so much menu work. It will get there but until then It’s Capture One for me.
 
jerry12953 said:
There is obviously a very high level of unhappiness about the direction that Adobe is taking with Lightroom, and not only the ending of the perpetual licence, They clearly see mobile as the future and also seem determined to move everything into the cloud. I know this is being discussed in other threads but my point here is slightly different.

It seems likely that many people will be looking into alternatives to Lightroom in the short/medium term. As far as I'm aware there is as yet no alternative. I'm just wondering what the chances are of other developers coming up with what Lightroom users will be looking for? Importantly any new software will need to compatible with users' present catalogues. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

And I don't mean take up stamp collecting.
Click to expand...
I am currently using capture one and in many ways find it superior to
Lightroom. Not got all the bells and whistles but I find it easier to work with.
 
i've been using Lightroom since the beginning, but stopped upgrading after LR5.

I've downloaded the trial of Capture One before but never really got on with it. Seemed like I just need to have patience.

The more I play with it, the more I could never go back to Lightroom..yes it's a bit more fiddly than Lightroom, but the results are more than worth it - I can't believe the difference, colours just look less "lumpy" and more smooth.

When I look at how much better the RAW processing is in Capture One, it's almost as though Adobe pretty much gave up with Lightroom (there were very few differences between LR4-6) and knowing people weren't upgrading for a handful of features pulled the rug from everyone and made it subscription only (same argument applies to Photoshop for photo editing, anyway)
 
Last edited:
jerry12953 said:
There is obviously a very high level of unhappiness about the direction that Adobe is taking with Lightroom, and not only the ending of the perpetual licence, They clearly see mobile as the future and also seem determined to move everything into the cloud. I know this is being discussed in other threads but my point here is slightly different.

It seems likely that many people will be looking into alternatives to Lightroom in the short/medium term. As far as I'm aware there is as yet no alternative. I'm just wondering what the chances are of other developers coming up with what Lightroom users will be looking for? Importantly any new software will need to compatible with users' present catalogues. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

And I don't mean take up stamp collecting.
Click to expand...
Why so negative about Lightroom SO they have added a new version alongside the Lightroom 6 now called classic. it still the same program
 
davej593939 - I agree, actually really love the tones that come out of the raw engine, i can't explain it - really impressed so far.. looks like i'm going to be £250 lighter in 30 days....

The other slight hassle is of course taking the time to rebuild all my presets I've created over the years..
 
Last edited:
Chaz Photos said:
Why so negative about Lightroom SO they have added a new version alongside the Lightroom 6 now called classic. it still the same program
Click to expand...


Lightroom 7 is only available on subscription at £10 p.m. Not only is that a very expensive way of doing it, you are then locked into Adobe's payment model for ever and a day. The thinking is that before too long you will only be able to store your own images in Adobe's servers in the cloud.

Lightroom is great software, i love it, and I'm only very reluctantly starting to look at alternatves. But there are enough disatisfied users around to make it worthwhile for other software designers to come up with a like-for-like alternative.
 
I am finding this thread interesting in regard to what possible alternatives there are and the potentialities of those available.

I have liked Lightroom but as a perpetual license user on version 6 I do not like the cc route it is now going.

I now rely on the DAM function but note for example Luminar mentions being used as a plugin for LR for the image editing.

Approx 90+%of my editing is done in LR with some final sharpening in PS........ therefore if an/any LR alternative offers me a good way to do my KISS approach to editing then so much the better. Cropping, noise reduction/control, contrast, levels, dynamic range 'control', capture sharpening, output sharpening (I really like PS Smart Sharpening:) ), lens corrections.......

Though overcooked fancy filters are of limited interest, that is why On1 software has never had much appeal because IMO that seems to be it's main selling point!

I suppose it is just a case of finding one with a good to great raw processor with the controls I list above.......plus any that make sense to bring out the best of the latent image such 'old style' dodging & burning :) but sticking with LR for the DAM it gives me.
 
Last edited:
Box Brownie said:
I am finding this thread interesting in regard to what possible alternatives there are and the potentialities of those available.

I have liked Lightroom but as a perpetual license user on version 6 I do like the cc route it is now going.

I now rely on the DAM function but note for example Luminar mentions being used as a plugin for LR for the image editing.

Approx 90+%of my editing is done in LR with some final sharpening in PS........ therefore if an/any LR alternative offers me a good way to do my KISS approach to editing then so much the better. Cropping, noise reduction/control, contrast, levels, dynamic range 'control', capture sharpening, output sharpening (I really like PS Smart Sharpening:) ), lens corrections.......

Though overcooked fancy filters are of limited interest, that is why On1 software has never had much appeal because IMO that seems to be it's main selling point!

I suppose it is just a case of finding one with a good to great raw processor with the controls I list above.......plus any that make sense to bring out the best of the latent image such 'old style' dodging & burning :) but sticking with LR for the DAM it gives me.
Click to expand...


I'm with you there, but there's just one query I have about your post:

Have you omitted the word "NOT" in the second sentence? As in "I do NOT like......"
 
jerry12953 said:
I'm with you there, but there's just one query I have about your post:

Have you omitted the word "NOT" in the second sentence? As in "I do NOT like......"
Click to expand...

Ah! I see where & what you mean.......such is typing on a smartphone ;) :(

Editing next :)
 
Photo Ninja was very promising when it first appeared a few years ago then everything went silent from them after they stated a new version was on the horizon. That must be over two years ago now. I see they keep updating camera profiles.

Giblets said:
A friend of mine who is a serious hobby photographer uses Photo Ninja which he says is very good indeed only lacking the cataloging facility.

http://www.picturecode.com/index.php
Click to expand...
 
Playdohh said:
I've heard a lot of noise coming from the capture one users in recent months but I must admit not not tried it myself. From what i can see though it's become a very comprehensive piece of software.
Click to expand...

I still use Aperture 3 and Nik suits but will be moving to Capture One at some stage. I won't have LR if I cannot have it as a stand alone.
 
Box Brownie said:
Though overcooked fancy filters are of limited interest, that is why On1 software has never had much appeal because IMO that seems to be it's main selling point!
Click to expand...

A little like guitar effects, the advertising tells you how wild they are, but the wise user makes it tasteful. If photoshop were advertised demonstrating all the bizarre things it can do then you might have the same impression or worse. There are times it is useful for doing things that LR cannot do, and I wish they would get a DAM module sorted so that the suite could be a real replacement instead of remaining just a plugin.
 
Have been a Photoshop user for 20 years (since version 4) and a Lightroom user for the past four years or so. Having just picked up a Sony A77ii I decided to download Capture One Pro for Sony and after a few head scratching moments I'm starting to enjoy using it. Main advantage is not having to switch between Library and Develop and, as others have mentioned, the RAW processing just seems a little better. It now interfaces well with Photoshop and the variations using PSD files are very clever. Tethered shooting is a bonus as is the £50 price tag for the Sony version. Have to say that I've been using it more and more in preference to Lightroom.
Also gave Affinity Photo a try but after 20 years Photoshop is just too familiar to make a quick change although I do like the effects layers.
Yes the CC subscription is not cheap but I also use Audition, Premier Pro and InDesign from the suite so it is still reasonable cost effective even without using Lightroom. Also there appears to be more regular updates with the subscription model than when the purchase option was available. Now whether the updates are useful or not is another matter....
 
LancsLee said:
Have been a Photoshop user for 20 years (since version 4) and a Lightroom user for the past four years or so. Having just picked up a Sony A77ii I decided to download Capture One Pro for Sony and after a few head scratching moments I'm starting to enjoy using it. Main advantage is not having to switch between Library and Develop and, as others have mentioned, the RAW processing just seems a little better. It now interfaces well with Photoshop and the variations using PSD files are very clever. Tethered shooting is a bonus as is the £50 price tag for the Sony version. Have to say that I've been using it more and more in preference to Lightroom.
Also gave Affinity Photo a try but after 20 years Photoshop is just too familiar to make a quick change although I do like the effects layers.
Yes the CC subscription is not cheap but I also use Audition, Premier Pro and InDesign from the suite so it is still reasonable cost effective even without using Lightroom. Also there appears to be more regular updates with the subscription model than when the purchase option was available. Now whether the updates are useful or not is another matter....
Click to expand...
As I see it, the main reason for Adobe adopting the subscription model is that they have simply run out of ideas on how to "improve" Photoshop and Lightroom, the same probably applies to other products in the CC suite.
In the days when Photoshop was being developed, Adobe could add significant features and issue a new software edition, CS2, 3, 4, 5 & 6.
Photoshop became a fully mature product with CS6 and since then there have been very few significant enhancements, more like "bells and whistles" and polishing the edges, than fundamental improvements.
In the past users would willingly pay for a significant upgrade, even if many people only upgraded every other edition, or sometimes less frequently.
Quite a few people have said that CS6 does everything they want, and will not move to CC.
Recent "improvements" since going CC have hardly been significant and certainly not enough to call it a new version.
They are merely a token to create the illusion that subscribers think they are getting more for their money.
A similar situation exists for Lightroom.
Other than provision for raw files from new cameras, recent improvements have not been significant.

By adopting CC Adobe can keep a steady flow of income without spending much on developing new software.
 
I've only played with the trial versions of LR, and never got round to making the commitment. That's not going to happen now, unless I can find an older stand alone version that can still be registered.
 
Seen ON1 get a mention, might give the free trial a go https://www.on1.com

chipbutty said:
Photo Ninja was very promising when it first appeared a few years ago then everything went silent from them after they stated a new version was on the horizon. That must be over two years ago now. I see they keep updating camera profiles.
Click to expand...

I have PN and yes they have promised a new version for ages, do like it for processing Fuji X-Trans files, but as you say no catalogue
 
jerry12953 said:
I think you can still buy LR6, but it won't be updated to be compatible with new camera models. It's still great software but the risk would be that you might update your camera to something incompatible.
Click to expand...
You've always got the option of using the DNG convertor.
 
jerry12953 said:
Can someone confirm for me what happens if you subscribe to LR Classic and then cancel your subscription?

What are you left with?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
You can do basic editing and library sorting .not sure what else.you also get a certain amount of cloud storage
 
I was a little skeptical at the recent changes to LR purchasing model but I have to say I'm really appreciating the cloud side of it. I like the ease with which I can download and/or edit images anywhere on anything and still end up with the changes saved in my main catalgoue, and raws stored exactly where I want them on my desktop when I get home. I don't love the feeling of being a little tied in to the Adobe suite but for now at least it's working well for me and I don't think it is actually bad value when you consider just how capable photoshop is. My concern probably comes from the cynical assumption that the price will just creep up and up but we'll see.

I do have a curious question though for all those making the transition. My catalogue (about 20,000 images) is all key-worded and all raw edits stored within the lightroom catalogue itself. I have lots of collections set up and smart collections to find my images. I never output jpegs until I need them for something and then usually delete them once they're used. I believe this is quite a typical work flow but maybe I'm about to find out otherwise. Anyway,i f I were to move on to something like Capture 1, how much of this information could be carried over and how much of it would be starting again?
 
jerry12953 said:
Can someone confirm for me what happens if you subscribe to LR Classic and then cancel your subscription?
Click to expand...
Don't forget that (excepting the 14 days legal right to cancelation) you are signing up for a 12 month commitment with Adobe. You can't just cancel after a few months.

In other words its a yearly subscription; you're just paying for it monthly.
 
gad-westy said:
I Anyway,i f I were to move on to something like Capture 1, how much of this information could be carried over and how much of it would be starting again?
Click to expand...

You might find this useful https://blog.phaseone.com/jumping-ship-to-capture-one-pro-from-lightroom/ But you will need to scroll through several pages to the dialogue box that shows you what C1 imports. It does not import smart collections.

As an aside, I export my final edited images as TIFFs, and then generate JPEGs or prints from those TIFFs. The TIFFs are then stored as "master final copies". If I want to revisit the editing, I normally prefer starting from scratch, even though I may use the Master TIFF as a reference.
 
Eloise said:
Don't forget that (excepting the 14 days legal right to cancelation) you are signing up for a 12 month commitment with Adobe. You can't just cancel after a few months.

In other words its a yearly subscription; you're just paying for it monthly.
Click to expand...
You can cancel at anytime but have to pay something like `40`%
 
myotis said:
You might find this useful https://blog.phaseone.com/jumping-ship-to-capture-one-pro-from-lightroom/ But you will need to scroll through several pages to the dialogue box that shows you what C1 imports. It does not import smart collections.

As an aside, I export my final edited images as TIFFs, and then generate JPEGs or prints from those TIFFs. The TIFFs are then stored as "master final copies". If I want to revisit the editing, I normally prefer starting from scratch, even though I may use the Master TIFF as a reference.
Click to expand...

Cheers. Will have a nosey.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
You can do basic editing and library sorting .not sure what else.you also get a certain amount of cloud storage
Click to expand...

I've just made the same enquiry elsewhere, and discovered that if you cancel your subs to Classic and go back to LR6, you lose all the edits you made in Classic because its catalogue is incompatible with LR6. Talk about short and curlies........

Eloise said:
Don't forget that (excepting the 14 days legal right to cancelation) you are signing up for a 12 month commitment with Adobe. You can't just cancel after a few months.

In other words its a yearly subscription; you're just paying for it monthly.
Click to expand...

I think there is a cancellation fee - you don't lose everything. But talk about short and curlies.......

mickledore said:
You've always got the option of using the DNG convertor.
Click to expand...

How easy is that procedure, I wonder......
 
I am a long time user of LR and PS and have invested years in learning both .........right from the start of both

I have standalone LR 5,7 and PS ............. I have gone through what to do next when I tried tethering my D810 with LR 5,7 with no joy............in the end I succumbed to the £9,99 + tax per month package for LR Classic CC, Lightroom Classic, (which is neither use or ornament to me), and PS ........... I looked at and tried other stuff, but in the end I just gave in,..................... but other consequences of the change have followed .. as they always do

LR Classic cc, (the one with the functionality of the standalone LR version), will NOT now work with OS X Yosemite ..... I had to upgrade to Sierra .......... you may say well Sierra is a (good) upgrade to Yosemite ......... but I use Parallels..(the windows emulator for the Mac), to run certain Windows programs and every time I upgrade the Mac OS ...... it means another upgrade to Parallels, which is another £50

So it is not just the move to subscription from "ownership" ..... that I have to contend with, but it can also have other £ consequences which stem from any change.

As I said I just cannot see a use for LR CC . the cut down version with cloud storage .. in my case ......... my internet connection which I would use for such are too slow to benefit from Cloud storage ...... and the cut down version of LR is just too simplistic

so I think that if you want Adobe because you have built up user knowledge over the years ............Adobe subscription will eventually get you whether you like it or not .............. I am now just waiting for Adobe to increase their prices once they have got all the fish in their net.!!!!
 
sk66 said:
I just ran across Exposure X3 which looks to be very good... but the cost is equiv to 15-20 months w/ Adobe, and the upgrades cost ~$100 and seem to be about every year. I.e. to stay up to date w/ latest version wouldn't be much cheaper...
Click to expand...
I have seen a few and at the moment this looks the best, not tried it as am happy with what I have. LR5 and Affinity.
 
sk66 said:
I just ran across Exposure X3 which looks to be very good... but the cost is equiv to 15-20 months w/ Adobe, and the upgrades cost ~$100 and seem to be about every year. I.e. to stay up to date w/ latest version wouldn't be much cheaper...
Click to expand...
I'm nearing the end of the 30-day trial of X3 and, in my opinion, it's definitely a candidate for a Lightroom replacement.
However, it's not without it's problems, the lens corrections leave a lot to be desired and there are issues with it's demosaicing of raw files.
It does have layers and layer masks and an "Edit In" command for plug-ins, but overall I still feel that Lightroom provides better results more quickly.
Pricewise, I would say it's comparable to the "stand alone" versions of Lightroom (149 dollars.).
 
Brian G said:
Very much a biassed opinion with a very limited number of options.
Click to expand...

He gives his selection criteria at the end. Yes, there are some key contenders missing, but still a useful perspective, even if you don't agree with all he says (e.g. I have no intention of upgrading every year).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top