Darktable
Nov 27, 2021 16:09:30 #
rwm283main
Loc: Terryville, CT
Has any member of the forum had any experience using Darktable for photo editing? I looked into a bit and thought it could be a replacement possibility for LR or Capture One. If you have used it in the past, which operating system had you used it on, Mac, Windows, Linux, etc. I appreciate any comments before attempting to download it. Thanks
Nov 27, 2021 16:28:51 #
I have looked at darktable for Mac. I'd like to recommend it more than I can, not because I don't like it, but because I went through a phase of trying every photo editing software available, and since I'd paid for Lightroom, I decided to stay with it and learn it.
My experience has been that for me, every package has a learning curve to it. Some concepts translate well from one to another, but just the location of buttons, sliders and check boxes is different for each, and that in itself slows the learning curve for me.
The good news about darktable is that it is open source (free). The web site (linked, above) has a page describing how to install it on your OS. The Mac download is only 91.1 MB, which should not be a problem for even someone on a dial-up line. Which to me, suggests that you should just go get it and take a look at it for yourself. All it will cost you is a little time, and even less bandwidth.
My experience has been that for me, every package has a learning curve to it. Some concepts translate well from one to another, but just the location of buttons, sliders and check boxes is different for each, and that in itself slows the learning curve for me.
The good news about darktable is that it is open source (free). The web site (linked, above) has a page describing how to install it on your OS. The Mac download is only 91.1 MB, which should not be a problem for even someone on a dial-up line. Which to me, suggests that you should just go get it and take a look at it for yourself. All it will cost you is a little time, and even less bandwidth.
Nov 27, 2021 16:38:47 #
There are MANY UHH threads on the topic.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search-topic-list?q=Darktable§num=0&username=
---
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search-topic-list?q=Darktable§num=0&username=
---
Nov 27, 2021 17:14:02 #
Brian in Whitby
Loc: Whitby, Ontario, Canada
I have installed it on Windows 10 but I have not got around to trying it yet. I fully intend to replace Lightroom with it. I am ditching Adobe because of their greedy subscription model.
Nov 27, 2021 19:15:42 #
rwm283main
Loc: Terryville, CT
Thanks for the feedback everyone. It sounds like Darktable is worth a try. I work with both a Mac and Windows 10 computer, so now I need to decide where to install it. I shoot mainly with a fujifilm camera so Capture One has been my preferred choice for editing. I’ve used LR for a number of years and between LR and Capture One I prefer, overall, the user interface of LR. So, my comparison using Darktable will be mainly with LR. The price already is a plus for Darktable, not that $99 a year for LR & PS is breaking the bank.
Nov 27, 2021 22:14:15 #
There is something to be said for sticking with the program you know. Switching programs is not entirely without effort. There is a learning curve to learn the new program, edits won’t translate to the new program, keywords, ratings might or might not translate (Likely not).
Nov 28, 2021 01:14:08 #
Nov 28, 2021 06:31:48 #
Nov 28, 2021 08:14:16 #
Try affinity photo. Then watch the affinity revolutions free video on how to make any photo look better. It explains all ten basic steps needed to make most photos much better quickly and it's free. You can find affinity on sale for 25 bucks a lot of the time. One time cost with free updates for at least a year. The first pic is the original. The second one is fixed and the third is after watching a couple utube videos created a crystal ball. Lol. Less than 2 hours of learning. Curve.
Nov 28, 2021 08:44:38 #
rwm283main wrote:
....not that $99 a year for LR & PS is breaking the bank.
Are you sure about that price? According to the Adobe website the annual subscription costs $119.88.
I have dabbled with Darkroom enough to know that it is fully capable, but offers no magic that ACDSee or Lightroom doesn't. It's cheaper than anything else, so well worth the time it would take to learn.
Nov 28, 2021 09:14:34 #
Nov 28, 2021 09:16:00 #
aflundi
Loc: Albuquerque, NM
I use Darktable more than any other photo-editing software, usually on Linux. It works quite well for me.
Nov 28, 2021 09:59:41 #
Bill_de wrote:
There are MANY UHH threads on the topic.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search-topic-list?q=Darktable§num=0&username=
---
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search-topic-list?q=Darktable§num=0&username=
---
Beat me to it...
Nov 28, 2021 10:04:02 #
rwm283main
Loc: Terryville, CT
Many great suggestions and comments, which I thank everyone for. So, based on what I'm seeing I think I'll take the next step forward in trying to satisfy my curiosity by downloading Darktable onto my Mac Pro computer. Like many have said, it's free (not that that is a major requirement), but, there's a number of people out there that have tried it and have positive results, so, what do I have to lose. I'll add my findings to this thread once I've had time to give Darktable a good test drive. Affinity photo might be worth looking into also. Thanks Bayou for sharing your thoughts and photos.
Nov 28, 2021 10:10:21 #
Bayou wrote:
Are you sure about that price? According to the Adobe website the annual subscription costs $119.88.
I have dabbled with Darkroom enough to know that it is fully capable, but offers no magic that ACDSee or Lightroom doesn't. It's cheaper than anything else, so well worth the time it would take to learn.
I have dabbled with Darkroom enough to know that it is fully capable, but offers no magic that ACDSee or Lightroom doesn't. It's cheaper than anything else, so well worth the time it would take to learn.
$199 is the annual amor paid monthly at $9.99. lump sum billing should be cheaper.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.