Raw Processors: Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two

iamimdoc

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

Google

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

My sense is that all of them do "basic" RAW processing but then each adds additional features like tone curves and masks for more sophisticated editing.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

I've used and been happy with Canon DPP and the Raw processing in PSP, Bob.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

If the comparison is made checking which RAW data editor is the best for Nikon cameras I will say that Nikon NX-D is the one. Other editors have many more adjustments but if you want in a calibrated monitor the true colors of your Nikon RAW data but specially the true skin colors then NX-D is the way to go.

I use View NX-2 because NX-D interferes with my Topaz software plug-ins. It is all I need to edit my NEF files. I use Affinity Photo and Photoshop to tune-in the images once converted to TIFF from original RAW data.

srt101fan

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

Good question. Looking forward to the answers.

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

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

If you are looking for a review, there are many on the internet that you can read. Asking for a paragraph or two is a bit much.

I use, or have used the following - Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom, DXO PhotoLab2, On1, NXD, Capture One. My favorite is Capture One - it's fast, great range of adjustments, good local adjustments, very high quality results. My go to is Lightroom for it's cataloging and decent editing, and the ability to easily use the Xrite Color Checker Passport to create accurate color. On1 shows promise but is hampered by lockups, slow performance, etc - I do like it's seamless integration with it's Effects and other modules. When I have a difficult high-ISO image, DXO does the trick. If I wanted results exactly like Nikon camera firmware, I'd use NXD, but I find that I usually can improve on the results from NXD with any/all of the above. That's my one paragraph.

repleo Loc: Boston

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

I think the most important consideration is which program has the most widely available resources for learning how to use them. I'm pretty sure Adobe Camera Raw wins hands down in that regard.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

I'll just say three things:

1. If I'm restricted to the list presented then I would chose DarkTable because it gives me the best chance from the apps on that list to complete an edit without having to resort to a raster editor for further work. If possible I want to avoid the need to resort to a raster editor.

2. Affinity is "totally unacceptable/unusable" for raw processing. It's a great raster editor and a terrific price but it has multiple raw processing flaws that I consider show stoppers. It does no highlight reconstruction for raw files. It lacks an HSL adjustment option. And most importantly it does not save any of the work you do with a raw file. As soon as you do the raw conversion and transfer the RGB image to the raster editor (must do) all work you did in the Develop module is discarded.

3. If I'm not restricted to the list presented then I'm using Capture One no if ands or buts.

Joe

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

Of course, each of them would have to be able to deal with that new camera you just bought. It usually takes a while for processors to catch up to cameras.

These links might help.
http://www.techradar.com/how-to/photography-video-capture/cameras/how-to-process-raw-images-the-right-way-1320866
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/photo-editing-software/
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-process-and-edit-raw-files/

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

I have not tried all those programs but I would think that they all would have 30 day free trial periods.

Ultimately it comes down to what works best for you. If you go the 30 day trial route I would advise you not to try them all at once. Maybe pick 2, compare them to each other, then another 2, etc. 30 days is really not enough time to do a complete comparison unless you really spend a lot of time with them and most people don't have several hours every day for that purpose (assuming you have a life).

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

For Mac, but only Mac, there is a niche product: RawPhotoProcessor 64
https://www.raw-photo-processor.com/RPP/Overview.html
But with a few minor adjustments, it is ONLY a raw-to-other "developer", intended to pass results to a tool such as PhotoShop.
It doesn't have a catalog.
It doesn't do much in the way of Post Processing. There is a world of difference. Take Adobe's converter for example; you would not compare it to PhotoShop (extreme example perhaps). Many products do both development and editing. This one just develops.

You will do well to define your requirements in advance. There is an amazingly long list of abilities in a lengthy list of candidates. You may want to find something easy to learn but very powerful. That's going to be a smaller list but a harder task.

I agree with the poster who suggests free trials. I also agree that although they are somewhat less user friendly - at least for me - RawTherapee and DarkTable offer huge capability at zero purchase or subscription cost.

And I agree with those who suggest that you add CaptureOne to your list. Good luck and have fun.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

You should add DxO Optics Pro to that list, which is one of the best, with individual modules for correcting camera body/lens combinations.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I've used Adobe Camera Raw for some years now. I find it to be all I need.
--Bob

iamimdoc wrote:

Could some of the experienced mavens contrast and compare RAW processing/processors of the following products (maybe just a paragraph or two - not gory detail) on the pros and cons of each (but mainly why a program might be totally unacceptable/unusable/too much trouble)

Nikon NxD
Affinity
Adobe Camera Raw
On1
Raw Therapee
Darktable

Thanks

papakatz45 Loc: South Florida-West Palm Beach

BlueMorel wrote:

Google

So your suggestion is for people to not look for help on the forum, got it.