Luminar 2018: I was reading up on Luminar 2018 and watched its’ use on YouTube. Right now I use Picassa and have dabbled with elements 15. I’m looking for a post production process...

Jackie_Thomas

I was reading up on Luminar 2018 and watched its’ use on YouTube. Right now I use Picassa and have dabbled with elements 15. I’m looking for a post production process that is user friendly. What are your thoughts on Luminar 2018.

miked46 Loc: Winter Springs, Florida

I have Luminar 2018 and also the newer version Luminar 3. I prefer the older version for cropping, as it is a usable tool similar to LightRoom. The newer version loads all the libraries and can be confusing if you have 1,000's of photo's.

I am still looking at the differences, and find it a viable solution to the iCloud version of Lightroom, but I am not a pro, just a guy who loves taking photo's.

howardberliner

I've used both Luminar 2018 and Luminar 3 (latest release) as a plungin to Lightroom. I find it provides excellent finishing touches as 2018 and have determined that the newest version also enhances those touches; however, the DAM is not ready for prime time yet. So far other than trying a few photos with the DAM I've has little success and lots of issues. Tech support has been good and they notified me that the issues I am experiencing are being worked on for a future release (no timeline).

All said, I will recommend 2018 as a plugin and suggest 3 as a plugin also as long as you are not considering the DAM. Lightroom CC (desktop) is the way I would go and the $9 a month charge when you consider Photoshop, possibly Bridge part of the subscription is inexpensive and a complete solution. Luminar is a great addition when you consider it as an add-on.

cedymock Loc: Irmo, South Carolina

Most of the PP software have free trials, it may be a little time consuming but best way to see what works for you.

joseph premanandan

what Is DAM?

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Jackie_Thomas wrote:

I was reading up on Luminar 2018 and watched its’ use on YouTube. Right now I use Picassa and have dabbled with elements 15. I’m looking for a post production process that is user friendly. What are your thoughts on Luminar 2018.

What was your evaluation in watching the tutorials on YouTube?? In watching those videos you should be in a greater position to make your mind up. Did you find it "user-friendly"?? That is a question only you can answer.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

Jackie_Thomas wrote:

I was reading up on Luminar 2018 and watched its’ use on YouTube. Right now I use Picassa and have dabbled with elements 15. I’m looking for a post production process that is user friendly. What are your thoughts on Luminar 2018.

I use Luminar 2018 and have recently migrated to Luminar 3 with its Digital Asset Manager (DAM) tool. I really liked Luminar 2018 and its processing power and options. I found it easy to learn and forgiving. Luminar 3 has the same processing power but is a little buggy especially using the DAM feature which has caused numerous crashes. But aside from that, it is just as good as Luminar 2018. By the way I'm on a Mac.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

I've used Luminar as a plugin since it was released for Windows. Aside from the initial release being buggy (which they quickly fixed), I've found it to be very user-friendly and powerful. The DAM still needs work, but otherwise I love it. Download the trial, and see how you like it.

eadler

I'm using Luminar 3. The libraries feature is great for managing your photos but you need to do the pre-work by setting up folders to group your photos. My problem is that the program runs slowly. Luminar is supposed to release a new update at the end of January which they say will correct this.

kdogg Loc: Gallipolis Ferry WV

I have both Luminar 2018 and Luminar 3. Really like using 2018, Luminar 3 is still a little buggy. Luminar 2018 for Windows was a little buggy at first but was corrected with several updates rather quickly. I'm sure this will be the same for Luminar 3. Windows users are a little behind Mac users because Luminar was first developed for the Mac platform. All in all I think it is great software and I use it as a stand alone program. Be sure to check out the tutorials on the Skylum website.

LarryFitz Loc: Beacon NY

joseph premanandan wrote:

what Is DAM?

Data Asset Management

It helps manage your photos, by using key words and dates.

PAB20 Loc: From Louisiana, but now live in Florida

I use and like Luminar 2018. I did not download Luminar 3 as I've read it's "buggy." But, sometimes Luminar 2018 is a little buggy, but not too bad. I use Lightroom for the library feature. Luminar's support team does indeed respond to any issue or question(s) you may have.

johnbhome2 Loc: Wyoming, Michigan

I have used Luminar 2018 as well as Luminar 3. I recommend it if your computer is a MAC. I don't recommend it for Windows 10. A load of problems on Windows as well as a lack of parity with the MAC version. Good luck with whatever you decide to use!

xt2 Loc: British Columbia, Canada

Jackie_Thomas wrote:

I was reading up on Luminar 2018 and watched its’ use on YouTube. Right now I use Picassa and have dabbled with elements 15. I’m looking for a post production process that is user friendly. What are your thoughts on Luminar 2018.

This has been discussed several times previously "Jackie." Search those conversations for some experiences users have had. I use it in a Mac environment and it is wonderful.

Cheers!

lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

I am enjoying Luminar 3. There are lots of tutorials to assist in the learning process. It is a bit slow, which will hopefully be addressed in updates, but the results I have gotten are very satisfying.