Software recomendations for RAW conversion

[pgk]

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I've used Photoshop since v.4 (decades ago) and am now very familiar with the RAW converter, as you might imagine, which I use for probably the majority of adjustments. I've just bought a new Mac and am wondering whether to continue to use Photoshop which will need updating (and I'm not keen on their subscription scheme having had all sorts of problems with Adobe updates in the past), or whether to look into other RAW converters. Can I have recommendations please but accepting that I am very familiar with and like the RAW converter from Adobe? Are there any other offerings offering similar control. I'd also prefer to buy software outright and am not averse to open source software if it works well. Thanks.

[danielfrimley]

Have a look at DxO Photolab. It’s not a subscription model and the lens corrections and RAW processing is outstanding as long as you use a supported camera/ lens combination (my Leica CL is).

They have a trial period so you can try before you buy, I’d strongly advise that you do and confirm that it’s a product you’d be comfortable using.

Do also please note that having a supported camera and lens is important, they list those on their website, and that the basic edition may not have some features you’d expect to be there and to get full functionality you might have to invest in the elite edition and even a couple of separately licensed plugins (Viewpoint and Filmpack) depending on your workflow/ expectations.

[David Cantor]

Maybe have a look at Affinity Photo? I have been using it for several years.

It's a one-off payment (£67.99) and you can have a free trial - https://store.serif.com/en-gb/checkout/?basket=0ef8d3b5a279e570a17d2086b0124d152110100dd8b37ea1

The tutorials are excellent.

David

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 48 Minuten schrieb danielfrimley:

Do also please note that having a supported camera and lens is important, they list those on their website,

Yep, this can be a problem and is the reason that many (including me) bite the bullet and use the Photographer package for less than 20$ per month.
Lightroom has most functions to edit photos and a useful catalog function to put order in bigger photo collections and there are many plugins and filters to add if one want them. In all the many many years i can't remeber to have problems with Adobe Updates, except the problem with incorrect mouse pointer position on my Lenovo Laptop around 2019/2020, but from then it just works as supposed and every now and then offers a new update for either Lightroom or Photoshop to download and i can't remeber to have problems lately.
Not sure what kind of RAW photos you wan't to open, my guess is the Adobe DNG Format Leica uses, if so opening the DNG should not be a problem with all/most cheaper editing software, if you have other cameras then it may be one.

A in earlier times often used and apreciated Photoshop copy was GIMP and they just released the new version, still freeware and you may have a look at it if it can open RAW files and if so, also the ones you use.

Another option would be Adobe Photoshop Elements  what i used for many years for quick and dirty editing for social media of my companies, particularly short scuba diving videos using Premiere Elements. It's a buy once limited function version and usually every year exit a new version with a discount for previous owners.

Chris

Edited April 10 by PhotoCruiser

[Simone_DF]

Affinity is the best alternative to Photoshop by a significant margin, in my opinion.

[LocalHero1953]

I've had the Adobe photographers' subscription almost from when they brought it in. I'm mainly a Lightroom user, and rarely use ACR on its own; as a result I'm not sure which issues arise from Lightroom and which from ACR (essentially LR's Develop module). I can't recall any serious bugs being introduced with the subscription updates, and despite occasional crashes (some caused by myself) I have never lost images, nor (IIRC) the latest edits. Where Adobe has a problem IMO is memory (RAM) management, which is sloppy. Over time and successive updates, it gets worse until with a new update they get a renewed grip on it. The memory problem manifests as leakage: more and more RAM being used by LR until, in the worst case, it seizes up, and the only solution is the close the app. As far as I can tell, current memory management is at the better end of the cycle, but it's still not great.

I admit I am often stress testing Lightroom to extremes: batch editing >1000 images at a time e.g. Automatic tone control, AI Denoise, or application of a preset. Occasionally I apply an AI mask across a large batch. I'm pleased Adobe can do this without corrupting the whole catalogue, but I'd still like it to do better.

I know you're asking about alternatives, Paul, but I'm just giving my experience of problems (or otherwise) with Adobe subscription updates.

[willi55]

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With Darktable, I can recommend you an excellent RAW developer, which also has good image management and because of its pronounced image editing options, does not necessarily require additional software (e.g. Photoshop or Affinity Photo), except perhaps additional software for denoise (recommended DxO PureRaw 5). Open source software with semi-annual updates, no catalogs necessary, but printing does not work under Windows. For this you would have to switch to an additional software...

[roydonian]

If all you want is a program able to convert DNGs into JPEGs, TIFs, or other format, and don't need the photo-management capabilities of programs such as Captive One, it's worth trying PictureCode's Photo Ninja. It's relatively inexpensive, fairly simple to use (I needed a 'crib sheet' in order to use Capture One), and is really good at recovering 'blown' highlights.

In an era when software is often only available via a monthly subscription, Photo Ninja is something that you simply install, then input your serial number. No activation server is involved, so you will always be able to reinstall it on a new computer.

The downside is that program updates are rare - the last one (v1.4) was in 2021, so I don't know how well it will handle DNG files from cameras introduced since then. But the company offers a free one-month evaluation serial numbers, so it costs you nothing to try the program out.  An all-new version 2 is planned, but seems to be trapped in perpetual 'development hell'.

[Jeff S]

I’ve been paying roughly 10 bucks a month for Adobe plan, using the included LR Classic (primarily) and Photoshop.  Zero problems with updating and, for me, a huge bargain.  I spend no more than I did with old LR and Photoshop, and still can cancel anytime if I should desire.  It works extremely well on my recently updated Mac Studio M2 Ultra.

Edited April 10 by Jeff S

[rogxwhit]

I sort of think that software choice can be so personal that it's up to oneself to try things out. 

Affinity Photo is a bargain as an app overall, and has a decent basic RAW processer.

I haven't tried Darktable, or what's that other one called ...?

DxO Photolab is an odd beast - its selection tools are powerful but quirky, but it's main marketing hinge seems to be its database of dedicated lens corrections, few of which are any use to me since I mostly use manual lenses on passive adapters.  Not that I'm convinced anyway that we should be de-characterising our lenses with algorithms ;-). And lastly but just as crucially, my experience is that its tone control sliders are somewhat handicapped & much inferior to the best. 

Capture One is a lovely converter regarding colour and tone - but is expensive, and though still available as a one-off purchase as well as by subscription, may not be available for ever on that basis.  Its main learning curve isn't with its processing but with its catalogue versus sessions models ...

All converters may have various flaws & bugs that come and go - there is no perfection!

Despite your qualms, I'd say that currently the Adobe package of PS & LR is as good value as you can get.

So first I'd trial Affinity, which at least is a capable replacement for PS, and if it doesn't seem to cut the mustard with your RAWs, try Darktable which is free anyway, or another open-source app.

Thereafter ...

 

 

 

Edited April 10 by rogxwhit

[250swb]

As @Jeff S has said above the Adobe plan is a massive bargain and I honestly don't know what people are looking at if they think the subscription system sucks. Regular updates instead of waiting for new versions of the software to be announced, the most comprehensive set of tools, leading Ai, and by far the most biggest knowledge base to help the photographer. I've been spending the same £9.99 a month since it started and it works out much less than the old 18 month Photoshop updates.

[pedaes]

46 minutes ago, 250swb said:

I've been spending the same £9.99 a month since it started

Yep, here also. And we have seen some great developments along the way with excellent tutorials if you need them.

[jaapv]

ACR is free and an industry- leading converter 

[marchyman]

Is Bridge still free?  It has ACR.

The 9.99 plan is gone. Old users are being converted to 14.99.  If you change to an annual plan billed annually instead of monthly you can still get the 9.99 rate by paying 119.88 for the year.  I converted my account to annual billing for that reason.

It looks like the cheapest plan for new users is Lightroom only for 11.99/month.  The Lightroom plus Photoshop plan is 19.99.

[zeitz]

Adobe Camera Raw is a raw converter.  Besides enabling selection of converter profiles to be used for the raw conversion, ACR also has a wide selection of adjustment tools to fine tune the conversion.  An Adobe profile is usually the default conversion profile.  The profiles selected in the camera can be found and selected in the profile listing in ACR.

Bridge is a Digital Asset Manager that facilitates managing image files.  If you select raw files (.dng) or image files (.jpg, .tif, etc) for management in Bridge, it will show images for the files selected even if they are raw files.  When one selects an image for processing in Photoshop:

- if the file is a raw file, the file will be opened in ACR to complete the raw conversion before going to Photoshop (there is no way to bypass ACR).  ACR is technically a Photoshop Plug-in.

- if the file is an image file such as .jpg, the file will be opened directly in Photoshop UNLESS one right clicks on the preview and selects "Open in Camera Raw".

Once in Photoshop, one can reenter ACR by selecting Filter -> Camera Raw . . .  

When one uses Lightroom, the Library Module is essentially Bridge with some differences.  Also in Bridge it is the user option to use or not use Libraries, etc. 

When one uses Lightroom, the Develop Module is ACR.

[hansvons]

On 4/10/2025 at 4:29 PM, 250swb said:

As @Jeff S has said above, the Adobe plan is a massive bargain, and I honestly don't know what people are looking at if they think the subscription system sucks. Regular updates instead of waiting for new versions of the software to be announced, the most comprehensive set of tools, leading Ai, and by far the most biggest knowledge base to help the photographer. I've been spending the same £9.99 a month since it started, and it works out much less than the old 18-month Photoshop updates.

For anyone who’s looking for a cheap, yet incredibly powerful solution that is the de facto industry standard with tons of tutorials the Adobe Photography subscription is by far the best solution.

On 4/10/2025 at 11:23 AM, pgk said:

I've just bought a new Mac and am wondering whether to continue to use Photoshop which will need updating (and I'm not keen on their subscription scheme having had all sorts of problems with Adobe updates in the past), or whether to look into other RAW converters.

Why swap a winning horse for something unknown only to safe a comparable small amount of money in a field where you are presumably passioned about and spend significant time with? The world moved on and today subscriptions are everywhere (and can annoy a lot!). However, that would not be enough to make me risk a proven workflow. There’s always a risk with updates, but its on you whether you want your tools automatically updated or stick to your current version.
If you, for some reason, can't let go and remain subscription-averse and want to buy software, there are many offerings that work for some people like Darktable, Affinity Photos, Nitro, etc.

My editor of choice is Capture One. But I use it not only for its remarkable ability to convert negatives like no other editor but also for client-supervised and tethered fashion shoots for what it was originally designed. It’s expensive (relatively) and only advisable when you want to dig deep or work in the fashion or advertising industry, or shoot weddings and other events that deal with large numbers of photos. 

[jaapv]

On 4/10/2025 at 4:29 PM, 250swb said:

As @Jeff S has said above the Adobe plan is a massive bargain and I honestly don't know what people are looking at if they think the subscription system sucks. Regular updates instead of waiting for new versions of the software to be announced, the most comprehensive set of tools, leading Ai, and by far the most biggest knowledge base to help the photographer. I've been spending the same £9.99 a month since it started and it works out much less than the old 18 month Photoshop updates.

Well, mine went up to 12.99 Euros a few years  ago but it is still a real bargain. 

[zeitz]

1 minute ago, jaapv said:

Well, mine went up to 12.99 Euros a few years  ago but it is still a real bargain. 

I recall at the time Adobe introduced the subscription model they said that users with a current license would get the subscription for $9.99 per month forever.  Does anyone else recall such a statement from Adobe?  Has anyone else had their subscription price increased recently?  As of March 18, Adobe is still charging me $9.99 per month.

[Jeff S]

At some point mine increased to $10.99, but I chose to ignore it and consider it a “donation”.  But if it goes up again, I’ll call and get it squared away.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[jaapv]

In my case it might have had to do with adding Rush.