photoman43

DXO Photo Lab 3 has Presets that may accomplish what Auto does in other programs.

cbfotos Loc: Have Camera-Will Travel

Affinity Photo has layers. There is very little that it can't do that PS does.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

If you buy a software package and don't or aren't willing to invest the time to learn it... It's about the same as buying a book you never open and store it on the shelf or in a box!

I use ACDSee since it was introduced on 3 1/2" floppy disks. This is how I initially view my raw shots and decide what shots need PP. Very easy. Very capable. One time purchase.

Speaking from experience. Spend the time to learn a package. Most software is easy to learn if you make the investment (watch youtube videos?). Photoshop is very powerful and very complicated = long learning curve (like a lifetime). But, there are some capabilities that I need in photoshop (CS6, not a subscription) as the best and most convenient software to use in final editing.

Just like learning your D850. You actually purchased a computer with a camera attached. It has tremendous capabilities, if you learn how to use it first.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

The OP asked about raw processing and specifically LR/PS versus Capture One. But if everybody want to make it about everything else....

Affinity Photo is an excellent raster editor and a terrific bargain for the price. Everybody buy a copy. But it does not compare that well with Photoshop. There's a whole lot of, in some cases very serious things, it can't do that PS does, especially if we consider that the OP specifically asked about raw file processing.

Joe

mffox Loc: Avon, CT

I would recommend Affinity. I've been using it with RAW images since it first came out. Easier to learn, does a good job, and you already have it.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Affinity is a great program at a great price. However, for many of us who are experienced with processing raw files in high end raw converters, Affinity's Develop persona is the weakest link. It lacks a very significant number of tools and features available in other raw programs including some very basic features. The list is too long to discuss in detail here. Perhaps over time Affinity will redesign things and make Develop more competitive, but for now the Develop persona is not in the same league as programs such as Lightroom, Capture One, On1 Photo Raw, PhotoLab, and many others.

I use Affinity a lot but do all my raw edits in DXO Photolab first.

pego101

I have heard that Photoshop from Adobe is very good

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Please could you quote a couple of examples of what is included in PS/LR's RAW develop tools that are missing from Affinity's Develop Persona and that are then not available in Affinity's Photo Persona? Thanks

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Affinity Photo is an excellent raster editor and a best bargain in the industry given what you get for the price.

NOTE: Raw data and RGB data are not the same. The fact that AP may have a tool available in the main raster editor that only works with RGB data does not make up for that tool being unavailable to work with raw data. For example AP has an HSL tool available in the main raster editor but no HSL tool available to work with raw data. RGB data has white balance baked-in. There's no option in the Photo Persona to undo the baked-in WB before using the HSL tool.

Your list:
1. The ability to save the editing work applied to raw data. This is huge and only AP fails to provide it. Our industry pretty universally accepts the principle of non-destructive editing -- the work done on a raw file must be saved and available to be re-edited. AP discards your work.

2. Camera input profiles that simulate those available from the camera. All of our cameras provide a selection of input profiles (picture styles, film simulations, whatever). The better raw converters/editors will offer their engineers' versions of the original camera profiles.

3. Camera input profiles supplied by the software program. If I don't want to use one of the camera matching profiles that PS/LR provides for my camera I can chose from one of the dozens that Adobe makes available.

4. Custom input profiles. Photographers with stringent color requirements will often create their own input profile to process raw files. For those of us that need it it's an essential feature that is commonly provided by the better raw converters. AP has no support for any kind of input profiles.

5. Highlight reconstruction. This function is commonly provided by the mainstream raw converters/editors but not provided by AP.

6. HSL adjustment tool.

7. Non-destructive integration between raw and raster editing which is unique to Photoshop and can be invaluable. Photoshop has the ability to pass an image from ACR (AP's Develop Persona) to Photoshop (AP's Photo Persona) as an Adobe Smart Object so that while working on the image in Photoshop it's possible to return to ACR and adjust or apply further edits there -- you can move back and forth. This feature opens up all kinds of possibilities other editors can not provide. The photo below is a snapshot of my local park with clearing storm clouds. Using this feature of Photoshop I was able to apply two different white balance settings to the raw data -- sky/foreground.

8. AP has very rudimentary ability in the Develop Persona to apply local adjustments. The assumption is clearly that the photo is headed over to Photo Persona for further processing. In the Photo Persona AP provides raster RGB data processing. As such, in a raw workflow, AP is a destructive editor. Used the same way so is Photoshop. Once you do any raster level editing in AP or PS for that matter you lose the ability to non-destructively and non-linearly re-edit your work. For a hobbyist working on photos from a trip to the park this can be no big deal. For a Pro working on hundreds of images for a client this can be huge. ACR included with PS provides much more sophisticated local adjustments i.e. select/mask a region and then apply hue/saturation changes targeting specific colors. ACR works parametrically and as such provides a raw workflow that is 100% non-destructive and non-linearly re-editable. The local adjustment features in ACR are so much better than what's provided in AP Develop Persona that they realistically present the option to complete an edit without recourse to a raster editor at all.

So, Using AP you have no choice and your raw workflow is destructive. Using Photoshop you can end up with at least a partially destructive raw workflow (not as bad as AP). However ACR's more sophisticated and capable local adjustments along with Smart Objects is a best bet for maintaining a raw workflow that is 100% non-destructive. The image below is processed 100% non-destructively. I took the photo with my Fuji XT-2. Fuji provides camera input profiles that simulate different films. When I first processed that image I opened the raw file using the Adobe version of Fuji's Provia input profile. So just now I opened the saved PSD file and via the Smart Object I went all the way back to ACR and changed the input profile to Classic Chrome. All the other processing I did in ACR and in PS instantly updated that change and I got the 2nd image posted below.

Even if AP provided input profiles it could never do that.

Joe

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Joe - thanks so much for your explanations. Your effort and time are very much appreciated.
For what I need, Affinity is A ok, and probably most suitable for me and for many in terms of learning curve as well as application.
However, I now better understand that there are apps more suited to many professional raw workflows than Affinity can provide.
Best, Del.