Sombra - new raw processing app (Not Free)

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Graham
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EDIT: I misread the details of this. Paying the early access price doesn't give you access to the program.

You still only get access to it when released in January. It's just that paying up now saves you $90. The "carrot" of being a founder user is that you will be kept up to date with the development and have an opportunity to contribute to how features are prioritised and developed. I'm still happy enough to have spent my £30, but I was also rather looking forward to trying out the current reduced feature version.


This is interesting.

It's a new raw processing app from Gavin Seim of Seimeffects.


Gavin has a background in professional photography and has been writing "high end" presets/styles and Actions for Capture One, Lightroom and Photoshop for decades. He has an in depth understanding of using these programs and annually compares their raw processing capabilities with the competition and whether they have the tools to allow him to port his styles/presets and actions across. This, year, he has managed to port some of his style-sets across to Luminar, and for those who already own these style sets for C1 and LR (they come as bundle for both programs) you can download the Luminar version for free.

I have had several of his style sets and actions for a decade or so, and I have found them to be very good (rather obviously they work with the new app). He has also always been very helpful when approached for help.

It isn't due for release until next year, but can be bought for the next eight days at $39 (full price $129). But it's feature-incomplete. There is a web demo, which works on Linux, but it is a desktop app (Windows and Mac). I don't know if it will fully work online as well.

Although, I doubt I am going to give up Capture One, I will still be buying a copy to try.
 
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Given the advent of Vibe-Coding we are seeing a slew of new photo editing applications, I wonder if we should have a mega-thread of new apps with links out to review threads etc?
Yes I suspect there is indeed going to be a slew of vibe-coded apps, so this might be a good idea.

It's unfortunate timing on the part of Gavin, as his app is probably the opposite of being a vibe app, but risks being lumped in with them because of the timing.
 
I wonder how many folks will be caught out by switching to some of these new Ai programmes only to see them fade before too long - or maybe I'm just being pessimistic. :thinking:
Indeed and it's why I thought it worthwhile posting about this one. As I said to Chris, it's unfortunate timing for Gavin, but at least we know it's coming from in-depth processing expertise and decades of using C1, LR and PS,
 
I've now had a bit of a play with the Web preview.

It looks very similar to Lightroom Classic. Maybe a bit too similar for Adobe to be happy with.

At the moment the only two tools worth mentioning are the Zone System panel, which works similarly to his zone system/luminosity range actions for Photoshop, and a "Highlight Restore" panel, which isn't like anything I have seen before.

Gavin is very critical of the way raw processors handle highlights, but without some instructions, I have no idea how this is meant to work.

It's labelled as an AI tool. which is interesting because he regularly rants about his dislike of AI.

At the moment, there is also no masking tools, nor any AI denoising, tools (or any denoising of any kind or any ability to read raw files: so it's got a bit to go yet)
 
Not a criticism.......

He ignores the fact that DxO Photolab is non subscription and doesn't require the importation of images.

His reference to it being based on the "zone structure" has echoes of 'LightZone' of which I was an early adopter (with akin promises of the future development and commitments to those who paid into the program etc) but sadly that failed though IIRC it was released(?) as Open Source by its founder developers and still exists today in some form.

So, yes it looks interesting and time will tell........could I be tempted to indulge £30 before the 'founder period' expires :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:
 
Not a criticism.......

He ignores the fact that DxO Photolab is non subscription and doesn't require the importation of images.
He does an annual review of DXO and I know he is aware of this, but he is also very critical of the HSL control in DXO Photolab and doesn't consider it good enough for professional work.

He tends to draw the same conclusion every year, that only LR and C1 (both plus PS) are serious contenders for professional work. But he was a bit more complementary about Luminar this year, for the first time.
His reference to it being based on the "zone structure" has echoes of 'LightZone' of which I was an early adopter (with akin promises of the future development and commitments to those who paid into the program etc) but sadly that failed though IIRC it was released(?) as Open Source by its founder developers and still exists today in some form.
I remember using LightZone ;-)

Gavin has had a zone system/luminosity range action set for PS for years, and the zone tools in Sombra are obviously based on this


He has a few long standing "bees in his bonnet" and one of them is using the zone system with digital.
So, yes it looks interesting and time will tell........could I be tempted to indulge £30 before the 'founder period' expires :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:
I can't answer that one :)

I can't see me giving up on C1, but I'm also confident that given Gavin's history, this is going to be something worth looking at, and £30 now, to give it a proper trial later sounds a lot better than £100 at a later date.

edit: my concern is given how fussy he is about raw processing quality, is how he is going to be able to match the quality of C1 or LR in the basic demosaicing process.
 
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