apolloshep

I am at the point of buying software for processing photos. I do not think I will go with Lightroom cause of the monthly fee. I may not process files for a month or more so it seems like paying monthly fees would be a waste of money. I am at the crossroad at this point. The three programs I am considering are Luminar, Affinity and On1. I know this topic has been discussed many time and do not want to waste to much time on it. I like the fact that Luminar is intuitive and easy to work with and there are a lot of reviews that say it is a good program and will be a competitor to Lightroom at some point. It has a ton of filters and they are going to have the dam feature in it probably have it now. Affinity seems like a good app too. On1 now is selling their app for 69 dollars right now and seems like a good app from the reviews on line as well. The other question I have is the HDR feature that lets you use raw files my camera only supports jpeg images only for HDR. I see that luminar has a program called Aurora HDR but it is 100 bucks. Do any one of the three apps I mention have HDR built in that does a good job? My gut is leaning towards Luminar since I am new to processing raw photos and the reviews say for new eyes this is a great program to work with. Anyone that uses any of these programs could you reply why you like one over the other.

Thanks

apolloshep

Also want to mention that I am downloading the trial version as well to work with.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I am biased because I have been using Adobe products for more than a decade, but I don't consider the subscription price a large expenditure. Any hobby costs something. Like you, there are months that I don't even pick up the camera, so the software goes unused, but when I need it, it's there for me. And I consider that I get value for my money. The $9.99/month (plus sales tax) is dwarfed by the impulse purchases I make, and they rarely have any lasting value.

bmike101 Loc: Gainesville, Florida

why pay anything. Donate (if you are so inclined) and run with darktable. If you decide to try this you only really need to play with 11 modules. I do it in this order as well:
- lens correction
- perspective correction
- crop and rotate image
- spot removal
- white balance
- shadows and hilights (start with just turning on) (radius)(3D)
- contrast brig...ss saturation
- color zones
- local contrast = sharpen image (detail) (3D)
- defringe
- denoise (profiled) (must do)

some of these modules I use at one time and others at another time. For instance, perspective and 'crop and rotate' do the same thing

bmike101 Loc: Gainesville, Florida

here's an example of what you can do. I'm just a beginner. I'm sure someone with a lot of experiance..... the possibilities are endless!

original

(Download)

modified

(Download)

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

Lightroom could still be an option. You can still buy the stand alone version, it just won’t be updated in the future but if it does what you need and supports your camera, it can be viable for several years into the future. I realize you asked about other options but thought i’d just mention it.

Walt

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

So following your logic, it doesn't make sense to buy a program for $70 or $100 or any price, because the price is higher than the $10 subscription and it will sit idle for months at a time, which would be a bigger waste of money. And you need to upgrade whatever you choose, and those upgrades are not free.

Lightroom and Photoshop is the least expensive suite that can handle ALL post processing tasks with uncompromising results. Lightroom and Photoshop has a great HDR merge feature for raw images, and they give you a raw file to edit at the end of the process. I am not sure other HDR programs can do this, so you have to do all of the initial processing before you merge. I use Photomatix Pro but with the new cameras, the dynamic range is usually sufficient to handle all but the most difficult contrast situations, diminishing the need for HDR in many cases.

bmike101 Loc: Gainesville, Florida

ohhhh..... you want HDR? Try Luminance HDR. Also free. I do not have any samples (my current camera won't bracket).

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Great answer

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

So, you'll pass on using the most popular and advanced photo editing software in the world for a paltry $10 per month. Photoshop and LR have the most extensive free training videos available. YouTube had literally thousands of free training clips for almost any event or issue you can come across. I am not again the other programs in the least. Most all of them will work as "plugins" with Lightroom or Photoshop. Duh! Wonder why? If you develop any serious skill in photography you will regret not having developed your skill in LR and PSCC.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

I use Luminar and Aurora HDR on a Mac and am quite happy with it. I also am not a fan of paying Adobe a subscription fee ad infinitum to use their software. Lightroom seems capable enough but from what I've seen from YouTube videos is that Photoshop is hopelessly complex to use and I just don't have the patience or the inclination to learn how to use it properly. Luminar doesn't have a Digital Asset Manager yet but that is supposed to be coming this year and the other thing that it doesn't handle yet is focus stacking. Aurora HDR takes care of bracketed photos quite nicely. Good luck.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Following Gene's response:
I think you can "rent" the Adobe subscription plan a month at a time. If you imbibe, (beer, wine, ...) you'll probably spend 20 - 30 times as much in a year as the Adobe subscription.
Good luck in making your choice(s)

Mark

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

If you do not think you will ever want to go Adobe (if you might then do it from the start to avoid a second or third learning curve), do not plan to upgrade the product you buy more than every other year (that would wipe out the cost savings), do not plan to buy a new camera body (Adobe will update their programs for new bodies) and do not care about the availability of free and incredibly deep training that exists for Adobe products (not so much for Luminar, Affinity and On1)

Then go for it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

There is a lot available. To prove it, here are a lot of links.

Affinity
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/software-review-affinity-photo-1-5-2
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/affinity-photo-1.5,review-4257.htmlOthers

Others
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-lightroom-alternatives
http://digital-photography-school.com/a-beginners-guide-to-choosing-the-right-post-production-software/
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/photo-editing
https://www.reviews.com/photo-editing-software/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-photo-editing-software,review-1972.html
http://www.redmondpie.com/best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives-for-windows-and-mac-list Affinity
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/

bmike101 Loc: Gainesville, Florida

never mind about Luninance. You can create hdr with darktable