m0n0 Posted October 29, 2017 Share #1 Posted October 29, 2017 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Adobe's discontinuation of Lightroom has been the last straw for me. See Richard Butler's article at dpreview and the 1608-counting comments chiming in for others who are not cheering Adobe. https://www.dpreview.com/opinion/5431017013/rip-lightroom-6-death-by-subscription-model. It's not a matter of the cost of a subscription. I am on the hunt for alternatives even if they cost more, involve a learning curve and require changing my workflow. Lightroom combines digital asset management (DAM) and photo editing functions. Of these, the DAM functions are more important to me. I don't do much post-processing and I haven't found Lightroom's RAW conversion better than CaptureOne's or DXO's in any case. It's far more important for me to be able to catalog, search, filter, tag and keyword and locate my files out of a stash of more than 150,000. I suspect others have similar requirements. Files requiring close work can always be exported to a specialised photo editor, which most of the seeming alternative out there seem to be. What's harder to find is a good DAM application. As I conduct my search I would be grateful to hear from others who could share their Lightroom-free workflows. What do you use to manage your pictures and how? I hope we can create a list here that will be useful for anyone else migrating away from Lightroom. Thank you in advance. Edited October 29, 2017 by m0n0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 29, 2017 Posted October 29, 2017 Hi m0n0, Take a look here Alternatives to Lightroom. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
david strachan Posted October 29, 2017 Share #2 Posted October 29, 2017 (edited) I agree the DAM management is excellent in LR. Being able to sort my images...from cameras, to various ISOs, and lens, etc etc...well thats just fantastic. Does any other software do that through the EXIF data? ... Edited October 29, 2017 by david strachan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted October 29, 2017 Share #3 Posted October 29, 2017 By "discontinuation of LR", I assume you mean just the perpetual license (standalone) option. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n0 Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted October 29, 2017 By "discontinuation of LR", I assume you mean just the perpetual license (standalone) option. Jeff Yes thank you I meant to write "standalone'. It's a typo. I'll try to fix it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n0 Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share #5 Posted October 29, 2017 Sorry for the typo, I meant Adobe's discontinuation of the standalone version of Lightroom 6. I agree the DAM management is excellent in LR.Being able to sort my images...from cameras, to various ISOs, and lens, etc etc...well thats just fantastic.Does any other software do that through the EXIF data?... I was wondering about that precise ability to filter using EXIF data. I think you can do it in CaptureOne, but I haven't tried. I have a long list of software to trial... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeray Posted October 29, 2017 Share #6 Posted October 29, 2017 Assuming you only use LR as a DAM application (as I do) then the Adobe changes will not effect us. I'm still on LR 4.4, standalone. Agreed LR is not for me as a processing tool. I use C1 for all my RAW processing, finish off in Photoshop (stand alone CS6) if necessary, and import to LR for locating. I have an "import" folder on my desktop for ease of use. I've been doing this for years. Works for me. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted October 29, 2017 Share #7 Posted October 29, 2017 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I use C1 for all my RAW processing, finish off in Photoshop. I do/did that too, but I find it actually a strange phenomenon that you need two applications for your end product. I abandoned Adobe last week, not so much because I fear extinction of the standalone version but more out of principle; I find their policy highly customer-hostile. An exception being that after terminating my subscription I get 60 days extra time, which is wellcome to sort out my alternatives. It means hoewever that I have to say goodbye to PS too, which is a pity but I have found Affinity which seems good enough for manipulation with sizes and formats of the files. And thanks to Luke Miller on this forum I discovered EPSON Print Layout (free) which works as easy and reliable as PS in printing. I’d rather print directly from C1, but that’s really a drag and very time-consuming. The Tiff-exports from C1 are not at all fumbled with by Epson’s print program, which is not at all the case with about six other print programs I tried. Edited October 29, 2017 by otto.f 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeray Posted October 29, 2017 Share #8 Posted October 29, 2017 I actually like having two areas for working with (and keeping) my files. I leave all RAW files in C1 and the finished PSD, Tiff, JPEG files in LR. If one goes down, I've got the other, with all backed up of course. I don't print so that's not an issue I encounter. I do like Photoshop. I've been using it from the very 1st version and it's second nature now. The actions I've created make life a lot simpler. Glad I'm on standalone software in all areas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgenper Posted October 29, 2017 Share #9 Posted October 29, 2017 ... I was wondering about that precise ability to filter using EXIF data. I think you can do it in CaptureOne, but I haven't tried. I have a long list of software to trial... Yes, you can do it in C1 as well. It´s not as smooth and polished, but it works. When contemplating the upgrade from LR 5 to LR 6 last spring, I felt I saw the reading on the wall about the future of LR standalone version, so I thought: "Must migrate to something else within a year or so, so why not right now?" And, since C1 works better with Fuji raws (I use my Fuji a lot), C1 it was. No looking back, no regrets so far. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted October 29, 2017 Share #10 Posted October 29, 2017 This is a question I'm interested in as well, although I'm sticking with the subscription for the moment. Lightroom's big selling point is that it does three in one: DAM, raw conversion and image editing, all within a non-destructive and (to me) intuitive environment. I tried C1 a couple of years ago and couldn't get used to the interface and DAM. I have hopes of Affinity, but it is not there yet in DAM and raw conversion. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgenper Posted October 29, 2017 Share #11 Posted October 29, 2017 .... I tried C1 a couple of years ago and couldn't get used to the interface and DAM..... A lot has happened in the last iterations of C1, especially on the DAM side. It´s different from LR, but now it´s quite competent. A couple of years ago, it wasn´t. I suggest trying the test version of ver 10 of C1. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted October 29, 2017 Share #12 Posted October 29, 2017 How tastes can differ, or rather how can it differ between people what you're expecting from a program. I've always found C1 the best in results, but at the moment it is better than LR. I'm not sure, but local contrast, which is working with layers, is that possible in LR?, didn't see it. It's already a long time part of C1. I don't even need Silver Efex Pro2 anymore, because C1 has it all: structure, grain etc. and a rich set of tools for tone and gradation. I don't know what DAM is but I have my RAW Archive structured in months, so I can always find it back. I'm the least interested in face recognition and other tricks of a program that suck for my attention instead of vice versa. I like to be able to find what I search and hate getting offered all kinds of sets. I'm afraid Adobe is moving into that direction with the last move. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted October 29, 2017 Share #13 Posted October 29, 2017 The more I try LR CC and photoshop fix on the iPad the more I like it. This talk from the recent Max is very good https://max.adobe.com/sessions/max-online/#19989 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitz Posted October 29, 2017 Share #14 Posted October 29, 2017 Photo Mechanic is a DAM-only program which has a loyal following. It is free to try out. I have not tried it yet; it has its own jargon with such terms as "ingest" and "export". Having ingested the replies from other members above, I will now hit send to export this message to the forum. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frame-it Posted October 29, 2017 Share #15 Posted October 29, 2017 im slowing moving to C1 as well..will keep LR till it dies. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom R Posted October 29, 2017 Share #16 Posted October 29, 2017 (edited) Photo Mechanic is a DAM-only program which has a loyal following. It is free to try out. I have not tried it yet; it has its own jargon with such terms as "ingest" and "export". Having ingested the replies from other members above, I will now hit send to export this message to the forum. I use PM at the front end of my processing chain--for both digital and scanned images. This allows me to control where images are placed, which is a blessing and a curse--depending upon how much thought has been put into the overall process. Next in the chain, I use Affinity for scratch removal (this applies to the scanned images, naturally). Finally, I import these images into Capture One (I'm using Version 9.+). I have a standalone copy of LR (6.+) that I sometimes use for preparing slide shows and marking up images for Blurb. I have also tried to use LR for some processing, but I get better results from Capture One. Perhaps the only "feature" that is specific to LR that I wish were available in Capture One is the ability to automatically cull/disallow duplicates upon importation. Of course, everyone has their own specific requirements and opinions re: post-processing. Be aware that PhotoMechanic is not free---it'll cost about $150, but that includes updates, support, etc. Again: this is one person's observations/opinions; your results may vary. Edited October 29, 2017 by Tom R 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted October 29, 2017 Share #17 Posted October 29, 2017 My concern with C1 is that it has already gone down the subscription route (at a higher price, and with no PS equivalent), while, for the moment, keeping a standalone version. I see nothing in its culture to suggest it will not follow Adobe into the cloud, just a bit later. So, as I'm happy with the LR/PS functionality and interface at a lower subscription price than C1, I see no point in jumping to C1 only to find myself with the same reservations as I have about Adobe's plans for the future. Affinity, PM and some others so far appear to see the the standalone and locally managed catalogue as their market. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n0 Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share #18 Posted October 29, 2017 (edited) I use PM at the front end of my processing chain--for both digital and scanned images. This allows me to control where images are placed, which is a blessing and a curse--depending upon how much thought has been put into the overall process. Next in the chain, I use Affinity for scratch removal (this applies to the scanned images, naturally). Finally, I import these images into Capture One (I'm using Version 9.+). I have a standalone copy of LR (6.+) that I sometimes use for preparing slide shows and marking up images for Blurb. I have also tried to use LR for some processing, but I get better results from Capture One. Perhaps the only "feature" that is specific to LR that I wish were available in Capture One is the ability to automatically cull/disallow duplicates upon importation. Of course, everyone has their own specific requirements and opinions re: post-processing. Be aware that PhotoMechanic is not free---it'll cost about $150, but that includes updates, support, etc. Again: this is one person's observations/opinions; your results may vary. I have been trying Photo Mechanic. It is blazingly fast but I haven't been able to get it to do the basic DAM tasks I need. There isn't a 'filter' coomand, for example, though I may be wrong and it has its own vocabulary for this . The rudimentary 'help' wiki points only to a Search function that operates only within what PM calls a 'contact sheet' (an open folder of pictures). PM seems to open pictures only folder by folder. There doesn't seem to be the ability to see everything within a nested set of folders. For a general search across folders you're directed to Mac OS's Spotlight search ! http://wiki.camerabits.com/en/index.php/Searching_and_Finding_Photos. I agree with LocalHero 1953 in also being concerned about PhaseOne's intentions and attitude. It isn't just that they are already also going down the subscription route. They left me in the lurch with my copy of C1 Version 7. It stopped working after a Mac OS upgrade that occured a less than a year after I bought it simply to use alongside LR, precisely to render Fuji X images. I waited a couple months hoping PhaseOne they would fix this incompatibility before they told me they were never going to. They had released version 8 and I was welcome to pay the upgrade fee or buzz off. Apparently it had been my fault for allowing an OS X upgrade without first checking if it would break this piece of professional software, permanently. Edited October 29, 2017 by m0n0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n0 Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share #19 Posted October 29, 2017 Assuming you only use LR as a DAM application (as I do) then the Adobe changes will not effect us. I'm still on LR 4.4, standalone. Agreed LR is not for me as a processing tool. I use C1 for all my RAW processing, finish off in Photoshop (stand alone CS6) if necessary, and import to LR for locating. I have an "import" folder on my desktop for ease of use. I've been doing this for years. Works for me. This is useful to know. Thank you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinross Posted October 30, 2017 Share #20 Posted October 30, 2017 I have been following this thread with interest. For some time now I have been considering moving away from LR6 due to many of the reasons given ie not wanting to go to subscription. My LR version is 6 I did mange to up date today to 6.3 only to be locked out due to running OS 10.8. I do not wish to upgrade my OS. My thoughts have turned to either capture 1 9 because of my OS version or Affinity. I am leaning towards Capture 1 as there is at least one book written about it. I like to read a book or ebook for help. The only book I can find on Affinity is in German. My main requirements are just for basic editing. My LR catalogue is not very well structured and I would like a fresh start. I would keep LR going but all new imports would go to new software and older photos would be imported as required. I assume a seperate print module is required. I imagine I can import to LR print module as needed. My cameras are m9 and m9m1. I have silver efex as plug in on LR. If any members have thoughts or hints on my proposed change of software I would like to read them. Thanks in advance. Mike. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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