Please recommend me a DNG software

[THEME]

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Lightroom, Elements, Capture One... worked with all of them and others in the past.

Not really a fan of monthly subscriptions, so a one-time fee would be appreciated

Perspective control and quick n easy workflow are a must, built-in M11 profile nice to have.

Prefer to spend the time shooting, not post-processing in front of the screen.

Any recommendations?

[SrMi]

30 minutes ago, THEME said:

Lightroom, Elements, Capture One... worked with all of them and others in the past.

Not really a fan of monthly subscriptions, so a one-time fee would be appreciated

Perspective control and quick n easy workflow are a must, built-in M11 profile nice to have.

Prefer to spend the time shooting, not post-processing in front of the screen.

Any recommendations?

Perspective Control is only supported with latest Adobe software.

[Telecaster]

I like Lightroom - the Cloud Version - a lot:

• All photos are in Sync on all devices
• Support for phone, Tablet, Desktop and even Web Interface
• As I can edit my photos everywhere and anytime I get the edits done quicker. So more Time for shooting.

The subscription Model is a plus for me as I always have the latest software and dont need to sorry about upgrades, new Version etc. Again: More Timm for shooting. 

Best,

Andreas

[Photoworks]

Capture One has a license option, and now 40% off with code SPRING40

 

[Jeff S]

People tend to like the software that they spend the time to learn and gain comfort with. The M11 is not a point and shoot camera; it likewise takes time to learn and adjust, and requires an understanding of PP tools if one cares about refining and optimizing output, especially for print.  In film days, photographers either did their own processing and printing or paid someone to do it. No escape for best results.
 

Digital is no different; only the tools have changed, and these are more convenient and flexible than ever. Pick one with an interface that appeals and use it until it becomes second nature.  Changing default import settings, creating presets and profiles, etc, can greatly reduce time spent on a given pic. The hard part is not the tools or techniques; it’s always been about deciding when, where and to what degree to apply them.

I use Lightroom Classic (no cloud storage) and Photoshop, with ImagePrint for printing. The Adobe subscription is a mere 10 bucks a month for both programs; about what I spent on the licensed upgrades, but now always current with far better features and results.  I’ve re-printed photos from years ago and achieved improvements without having to spend a lot of time.  One either cares about that or not.  I wouldn’t spend $9k on each camera, and a bunch more on lenses, without caring about maximizing results. A phone camera can produce nice online pics.  YMMV.

Jeff

[erl]

Phase One C1. One payment, perpetual license, powerful software.

[THEME]

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2 hours ago, Jeff S said:

People tend to like the software that they spend the time to learn and gain comfort with. The M11 is not a point and shoot camera; it likewise takes time to learn and adjust, and requires an understanding of PP tools if one cares about refining and optimizing output, especially for print.  In film days, photographers either did their own processing and printing or paid someone to do it. No escape for best results.
 

Digital is no different; only the tools have changed, and these are more convenient and flexible than ever. Pick one with an interface that appeals and use it until it becomes second nature.  Changing default import settings, creating presets and profiles, etc, can greatly reduce time spent on a given pic. The hard part is not the tools or techniques; it’s always been about deciding when, where and to what degree to apply them.

I use Lightroom Classic (no cloud storage) and Photoshop, with ImagePrint for printing. The Adobe subscription is a mere 10 bucks a month for both programs; about what I spent on the licensed upgrades, but now always current with far better features and results.  I’ve re-printed photos from years ago and achieved improvements without having to spend a lot of time.  One either cares about that or not.  I wouldn’t spend $9k on each camera, and a bunch more on lenses, without caring about maximizing results. A phone camera can produce nice online pics.  YMMV.

Jeff

Appreciate this feedback @Jeff S, yet not sure if it's in a way condescending?

What I really love about shooting the digital M is "Das Wesentliche,", "The Essential." The no-fuss approach not only in marketing terms, but in real-world shooting. No unnecessary buttons, a clean instrument and un-cluttered menu.

To be honest, I hardly ever print large sizes. I shoot for editorial (online / small print) and move and travel a lot, so the camera shall be the loyal, reliable companion. Assuming that each Leica M file needs PP work, well, that is already contrary to my shooting philosophy. Or asked differently: Who said that a good photograph has to be sharp?

Just was at a Leica store the other day, their current photo exhibit showed smokers. None of them properly focused. Great photographs nonetheless! And now not even talking about WB, "correct" exposure, etc.

Photography can be an exact product, or at least the attempt of trying to capture a perfect rendition of reality. But that's already a subjective approach, since there's only one moment, and everyone sees that moment differently. That's probably where art starts. Clean, perfect photos are sometimes quite boring.

I aim to get the shot right in camera, not in PP.

My main aim is to capture "a" moment that looks meaningful and is aesthetic. One might even call this point-and-shoot, since what I get out of this M11 so far (OOC) is simply astonishing. The sensor is super flexible with an astonishing dynamic range. It captures so much, not to mention the detail. So yes, the M can be a pretty damn good point-and-shoot camera!

Maybe I should not have asked the question in this forum. But kind of missed the latest developments in RAW/DNG offerings. My aim is to get the right result OOC without having to fuss around much later on the computer. Currently playing around with Affinity, not too shabby, of course not in the Adobe league, but with a few exceptions perfectly sufficient for my needs. Of course, when it comes down to Perspective Control and other Leica features, one might anyways have no choice but Adobe or C1.

Not shying away from the expenditure. But for my more down-to-earth approach with only basic settings and sliders I need, for this approach the "pro" softwares might be an overkill.

[budjames]

13 hours ago, SrMi said:

Perspective Control is only supported with latest Adobe software.

The latest version of Capture One Pro 22 provides perspective control and a host of other cool features, HDR, etc. 

I switched from LR to C1P about 6 years ago because I was unhappy with the RAW conversion of Fuji X RAF files. Then, C1P was a marked improvement without fussing with the software. In 2017, I sold my Fuji gear to buy my first Leica, the M10, and a few Leica lenses. I stuck with C1P because it was way more capable than LR and eliminated my dependence on LR plug-ins from third parties. 

Now I all in on Leica and C1P just keeps on getting better and better. 

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

[Bobitybob]

Take a look at Exposure X7.

It’ none subscription, feature packed and has a version for both macOS and Windows.  However, which ever Post Processing software you use it’s ultimately up to you how complicated and time consuming you want it to be. 

[THEME]

Most impressed with Capture One 22 so far - super easy workflow. 🤩

[Jeff S]

6 hours ago, THEME said:

Appreciate this feedback @Jeff S, yet not sure if it's in a way condescending?

What I really love about shooting the digital M is "Das Wesentliche,", "The Essential." The no-fuss approach not only in marketing terms, but in real-world shooting. No unnecessary buttons, a clean instrument and un-cluttered menu.

To be honest, I hardly ever print large sizes. I shoot for editorial (online / small print) and move and travel a lot, so the camera shall be the loyal, reliable companion. Assuming that each Leica M file needs PP work, well, that is already contrary to my shooting philosophy. Or asked differently: Who said that a good photograph has to be sharp?

Just was at a Leica store the other day, their current photo exhibit showed smokers. None of them properly focused. Great photographs nonetheless! And now not even talking about WB, "correct" exposure, etc.

Photography can be an exact product, or at least the attempt of trying to capture a perfect rendition of reality. But that's already a subjective approach, since there's only one moment, and everyone sees that moment differently. That's probably where art starts. Clean, perfect photos are sometimes quite boring.

I aim to get the shot right in camera, not in PP.

My main aim is to capture "a" moment that looks meaningful and is aesthetic. One might even call this point-and-shoot, since what I get out of this M11 so far (OOC) is simply astonishing. The sensor is super flexible with an astonishing dynamic range. It captures so much, not to mention the detail. So yes, the M can be a pretty damn good point-and-shoot camera!

Maybe I should not have asked the question in this forum. But kind of missed the latest developments in RAW/DNG offerings. My aim is to get the right result OOC without having to fuss around much later on the computer. Currently playing around with Affinity, not too shabby, of course not in the Adobe league, but with a few exceptions perfectly sufficient for my needs. Of course, when it comes down to Perspective Control and other Leica features, one might anyways have no choice but Adobe or C1.

Not shying away from the expenditure. But for my more down-to-earth approach with only basic settings and sliders I need, for this approach the "pro" softwares might be an overkill.

To each his/her own; no right or wrong.  I also don’t print large, and don’t evaluate my (or others’) photos by sharpness.  Not sure how that applies to anything I wrote. High dynamic range cameras typically, though, have flat out-of-camera files (unless there is an adjusted tone curve built in… see below). The files are malleable, and that helps the photographer create a style, whatever that may be, including small, unsharp pics, or whatever floats one’s boat.
 

As I wrote, one can adjust PP settings, in advance, to achieve a look or style that comes closer to user taste. Otherwise the camera manufacturer, and the conversion software, dictates a significant part of that output.  As I wrote, one doesn’t need to labor pic by pic, once a few tweaks to settings are made in advance.  I’d rather make that determination than rely on others.  

Users complained about flat OOC files from the M10 Monochrom, and Leica/Adobe adjusted the default contrast curve to produce more contrasty files, which some prefer.  Are we all supposed to just live with that new, pre-determined rendering ‘out of camera’? Some might; not I. Thankfully, one can very simply and quickly make a different choice, in seconds with no fuss.. and even make that a permanent change that needn’t be addressed pic by pic.  More ‘point and shoot’, if you will.

None of this precludes one from creative use of a camera to create various ‘looks’.  That’s of course part of the essence of photography.  But so, too, is what happens from the camera to the viewer, and that has always been important, film or digital. The difference, ironically, is that one can now spend far less, not more, time with a computer that one used to spend in a darkroom. But to answer your initial question, any modern software can serve the purpose.  A survey will only show that we each have our preferences, usually built over time.  The usual suspects.  I gave you my choice(s), fwiw.

Jeff

[SrMi]

4 hours ago, budjames said:

The latest version of Capture One Pro 22 provides perspective control and a host of other cool features, HDR, etc. 

I switched from LR to C1P about 6 years ago because I was unhappy with the RAW conversion of Fuji X RAF files. Then, C1P was a marked improvement without fussing with the software. In 2017, I sold my Fuji gear to buy my first Leica, the M10, and a few Leica lenses. I stuck with C1P because it was way more capable than LR and eliminated my dependence on LR plug-ins from third parties. 

Now I all in on Leica and C1P just keeps on getting better and better. 

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

I assumed we were talking about Leica's in-camera Perspective Control, which is not supported by C1.

[THEME]

1 minute ago, SrMi said:

I assumed we were talking about Leica's in-camera Perspective Control, which is not supported by C1.

Right, yet C1's solution seems handy enough. 

The provided Leica solution anyways is rather a welcome approximation instead of a fool-proof final framing solution. Makes sense to control perspective in post-shooting.

[SrMi]

15 minutes ago, THEME said:

Right, yet C1's solution seems handy enough. 

The provided Leica solution anyways is rather a welcome approximation instead of a fool-proof final framing solution. Makes sense to control perspective in post-shooting.

Lightroom had Perspective Correction implemented for quite a while, and I have been using it regularly.

However, IMO, there is a big difference (convenience and accuracy) whether you use camera supplied angles to correct automatically or doing it only with a post-processor.

It is not fool-proof, but I found Leica's PC really helpful. 

[budjames]

2 hours ago, SrMi said:

I assumed we were talking about Leica's in-camera Perspective Control, which is not supported by C1.

Oh, I didn’t get that by the question. I’m don’t know as I never used the in-camera perspective control.

Regards,

Bud James

 

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

[marchyman]

Regarding Capture One...  be aware that if you do buy a perpetual license today it will be for Capture One 22.  If Capture One holds to their recent release section Capture One 23 will be out in the Nov/Dec time frame.  Your perpetual license would be for 22, not 23 or later.  If you decide you want something in the new release you will have to pay for an upgrade.

That may be OK for you (it is for me), but I see many complaints along the line of "I bought X 6 months ago and now I have to buy it again."  I simply want you to be aware of how things work.

Is Adobe Bridge still free?   With bridge you get Adobe Camera Raw and can do much of the same editing you get in Lightroom, but none of the DAM functions.

[250swb]

1 hour ago, marchyman said:

Is Adobe Bridge still free?   With bridge you get Adobe Camera Raw and can do much of the same editing you get in Lightroom, but none of the DAM functions.

Good point. Bridge is a brilliant tool and with ACR it's a dream, but not a post processing solotion. But I think the OP should reassess the dislike of subscription software, many people where sceptical at the start but it's cheaper and more seamless than the old Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom updates every 18 months.

[THEME]

1 hour ago, marchyman said:

Regarding Capture One...  be aware that if you do buy a perpetual license today it will be for Capture One 22.  If Capture One holds to their recent release section Capture One 23 will be out in the Nov/Dec time frame.  Your perpetual license would be for 22, not 23 or later.  If you decide you want something in the new release you will have to pay for an upgrade.

That may be OK for you (it is for me), but I see many complaints along the line of "I bought X 6 months ago and now I have to buy it again."  I simply want you to be aware of how things work.

Perfectly fine with me. Don't need all the latest bells and whistles, which are mostly not groundbreaking anyways, but minor improvements. More than the basics are covered by edition 22, an upgrade might be warranted in 2-3 years.

Easy of use is key.

[zeitz]

1 hour ago, marchyman said:

Is Adobe Bridge still free?   With bridge you get Adobe Camera Raw and can do much of the same editing you get in Lightroom, but none of the DAM functions.

Bridge is not free; there is a free trial version.  Bridge is part of the CC Photo Suite.  Bridge is DAM software with similar tools to the Library module of Lightroom, but you don't have to use libraries/catalogs/etc if you don't want to.  Camera Raw is not part of Bridge; Camera Raw is part of Photoshop.  Double clicking on a thumbnail in Bridge will launch Photoshop; if the file is raw, the Camera Raw page shows first; if the file is jpeg, one can "open" it directly in Photoshop or one can "open with" Camera Raw by right clicking on the thumbnail.  Camera Raw is the software behind the Lightroom Develop Module; in the latest Photoshop Camera Raw and Lightroom Develop are nearly identical in how they are used.

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[marchyman]

1 hour ago, zeitz said:

Camera Raw is not part of Bridge; Camera Raw is part of Photoshop.

I do not have photoshop installed on my machine.  I do have bridge installed.   When I installed bridge ACR came along for the ride.  Perhaps that's because I subscribe to CC even though I don't use Ps.  I don't know.  What I do know is that I can use ACR inside of Bridge.  I right click on image and select Open in Camera Raw...   when the menu option is available.  It is not always available.

And this page ==> https://prodesigntools.com/free-adobe-bridge-cc.html says Bridge 2022 is free.