which raw file editing software ( doesn't require subscription ) would you recommend

[swatch]

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Have been using Lightroom 5 which however not compatible with macOS Sonoma that I have recently updated in my MacBook.  As my needs are just basic adjustments in exposure, contrast, white balance, dust removal and distortion correction therefore monthly subscription plan from Lightroom isn't attractive as an option.  May I ask members which raw file editing software handle colour DNG well without subscription requirement?

Thanks for sharing your experience and recommendation.

[wda]

Have you searched this forum where this topic has been discussed frequently. 

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[Corius]

2 hours ago, swatch said:

Have been using Lightroom 5 which however not compatible with macOS Sonoma that I have recently updated in my MacBook.  As my needs are just basic adjustments in exposure, contrast, white balance, dust removal and distortion correction therefore monthly subscription plan from Lightroom isn't attractive as an option.  May I ask members which raw file editing software handle colour DNG well without subscription requirement?

Thanks for sharing your experience and recommendation.

Have a look at the newly released "Nitro" for MacBook and soon iPad. It is the successor to "RAW Power" and is written by the guy who developed "Aperture". It does not have a DAM, but integrates well with the Apple Photos application. It supports masking, presets, LUTs etc and best of all it is about £30 for a year's licence or about £80 for a perpetual license.

You can try it before buying and is available in the Mac App Store.

[swatch]

Thank you to Corius recommending Nitro which I download and try ... deep learning curve as I am used to Lightroom layout / button.

Here attached what I have taken today and edited with Nitro

 

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Edited April 1 by swatch
missing photos are attached by now

[LocalHero1953]

I’m a long time Lightroom user, but I know others swear by Capture One’s raw conversion for better colours. I would be interested if anyone can comment on the colours of the other raw converters, such as Raw Power, Nitro, Raw Therapee, Dark Table etc. I’d be willing to dabble in another standalone converter but I don’t want to take out another subscription, and I’m too embedded in the Adobe ecosystem to want to drop it entirely. 

[David Cantor]

I have used Affinity Photo for a number of years and it does everything I’m capable of and a lot more.  The Affinity tutorials are concise and easy to follow, Affinity Revolution on YouTube does a very good job of explaining the basics.

David

[wda]

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23 minutes ago, David Cantor said:

I have used Affinity Photo for a number of years and it does everything I’m capable of and a lot more.  The Affinity tutorials are concise and easy to follow, Affinity Revolution on YouTube does a very good job of explaining the basics.

David

I read recently that Affinity had been taken over by a bigger company. Perhaps you have obtained reassurance for the future?

[Luke_Miller]

1 hour ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I’m a long time Lightroom user, but I know others swear by Capture One’s raw conversion for better colours. I would be interested if anyone can comment on the colours of the other raw converters, such as Raw Power, Nitro, Raw Therapee, Dark Table etc. I’d be willing to dabble in another standalone converter but I don’t want to take out another subscription, and I’m too embedded in the Adobe ecosystem to want to drop it entirely. 

Big fan of Capture One.  I use Lightroom for its catalog and non-critical image processing and C1 for serious work.  Capture One is available both as a subscription and perpetual license.

[David Cantor]

3 hours ago, wda said:

I read recently that Affinity had been taken over by a bigger company. Perhaps you have obtained reassurance for the future?

Yes David, users have been assured that their existing perpetual licence will remain usable in the light of future developments that may see a different payment model.  The other thing about Affinity is that Designer and Publisher have very similar features to Photo so the learning curve is comparatively easy.

[swatch]

Below is being the colour of same raw file using Lightroom (left side ) vs. Nitro (right side).

Which colour is more pleasing to your eyes (understand it is subjective)?

Would like to bring two points to your attention:

1) Photo by Lightroom is using Adobe colour profile and not sure what colour profile in Nitro as there is no options user can choose from.

2) Nitro does not provide lens profile( i.e distortion control) and Nitro's default with Apple correction (whatever it may mean) which can be turned off.

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[hansvons]

On 4/1/2024 at 12:00 PM, LocalHero1953 said:

I’d be willing to dabble in another standalone converter but I don’t want to take out another subscription, and I’m too embedded in the Adobe ecosystem to want to drop it entirely. 

Don't do that. Another time-eater. I’d stay with Adobe. The only editor that suits your needs better might be Capture One (my photos-do-anything)—if you are deep into colour negative conversion or are a wedding photographer or do agency work, dealing with thousands of photos weekly based on single projects. Anything else handles LR just fine. The ‘better’ development is the least important factor in photo making. And frankly, I can't see much of a difference, if any.  

[Anbaric]

On 4/4/2024 at 11:43 AM, hansvons said:

Don't do that. Another time-eater. I’d stay with Adobe. The only editor that suits your needs better might be Capture One (my photos-do-anything)—if you are deep into colour negative conversion or are a wedding photographer or do agency work, dealing with thousands of photos weekly based on single projects. Anything else handles LR just fine. The ‘better’ development is the least imDo portant factor in photo making. And frankly, I can't see much of a difference, if any.  

I disagree. Do do that! One of the biggest time eaters is to use a raw converter that gives you sub-optimal results by default, so that you have to spend ages getting the image the way you want. I spent a fair bit of time comparing how well various converters worked with Nikon files back in the day, and found that the best results (for me) were with Nikon's own converters and with Capture One - I didn't rate the Adobe conversions particularly highly. To me, the differences were quite significant. I can't say which converter does best with current Leica files, and perhaps Adobe does a better job than it used to, but it is worth spending a bit of time doing some direct comparisons yourself. Of course, you also have to factor in the other properties of the software and (perhaps) the way the company operates - I'm not a fan of subscriptions, but I've also not been impressed by the way Capture One has been behaving since the private equity guys acquired it.

[NZDavid]

Try Graphic Converter from Lemkesoft: https://www.lemkesoft.de/en/products/graphicconverter/

I've used it for years and it's excellent and very affordable. Thorsten Lemke replies personally if you have any questions!

For other tweaks, don't forget the free Photos software that comes with Mac.