mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I used Canon's DPP for years. Its very good and it's free, but it has too many limitations. I get far superior results with DXO PhotoLab Elite.

photodoc16

mwsilvers,
Are there any problems with taking the DXO PhotoLab Elite RAW product and importing it into Affinity?
Thanks,
Photodoc16

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Simply export the files to any of several formats...

(Download)

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I just reread it, you're right it does sound that way. But it's not so the intent was the edits don't go away they're stored and you can start over or continue where you left off with affinity you cannot do that they're gone.

srt101fan

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

PhotoLab can export edits to Jpegs and tiff files so I assume it would work fine. PhotoLab also has an "Export to" feature which passes files to another application although I don't know how well that would work with Affinity.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

No, I was not referring specifically to you but trying to make a general comparison between a forum dedicated to Affinity Photo (AP) and this one that has users of many different editing programs participating. The OP was asking for help and advice on certain functions of AP and I feel there would be more information that would help answer those questions by posting a query on the AP Forum.

However, since you brought it up, you may not have used the word "inadequate" but by saying:

"For most people who are either new to raw or who do not have high expectations of a raw editor's functionality, Affinity's Develop persona may be all the raw functionality they will ever need. For those of us who believe that getting the most from our raw images is important, the Develop persona falls far short of the features available in Lightroom/ACR, Capture One Pro, and DXO PhotoLab Elite.",

you are not even rising to the level of the saying "damning with faint praise." What you implied in this paragraph is that AP users are of lesser ability and knowledge than those using other programs such as the three you named, and do not care about "getting the most from our raw images."

I can plead guilty to that scenario personally as, although I do use many of AP's numerous tools there are probably as many I haven't used, at least not yet, and I'm still trying to learn photo editing in general and the use of AP. And I do use AP for processing nothing than RAW files and simply have not found the issues your raise to be a problem thus far. There must be many AP users who do not fit your description of AP users as either "new to RAW" processing or having "low expectations" of a Raw editor's functionality, and are burying their "head in the sand," since AP Has become quite popular with a now fairly large user base. Saying all of us aren't interested in getting the most from our RAW images is a put down on those of us who do have that interest and think we find it in AP.

There have been a couple of other recent threads here on this exact issue and they all have focused on supposed inadequacies of the Develop Persona. It seems to me that APs overall design has some differences from other editing programs in that it has a designated workspace, the Develop Persona, whose main function is to prepare RAW files for editing in other areas (other Personas) of AP, and that the tools in those other Personas are extensive. You state AP "falls far short of the features available in Lightroom...." In my experience, and considering overall features and performance, that's absurd. The last I knew LR has neither focus merging or layers - composites available whereas AP has both. Focus merging is a tool I use almost every time I process landscape image files and I also have a need to do composites at times.

Apparently we shall have to agree to disagree. I know you can't persuade me that AP falls "far short" of other editing programs, and least not regarding overall performance and results, and I'm sure I can't change your strongly held convictions on this issue. But I am curious - have you arrived at these perceptions through experience using AP or from reading others opinions and beliefs about AP? I don't mean this question to be disparaging, just curious on where your knowledge base on AP derives from. Btw, I have personally used LR in the past.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I'm not here to take up for MWsilvers, he's quite capable of doing that. But I did not read and statements the way you did. The way I read it he says that AP is a good program very good and compared to Adobe it's not quite as powerful. I also read in his stuff that everyone has different editing preferences what's good for one may not be good for another. And what I've said is that everyone needs to compare the pros and cons of software they're considering and make their own choice depending on their own needs. But no where have I heard him put any program down. please go back and re-read his stuff. Maybe I'm the one that is reading a wrong but I don't think so knowing him.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

Incorrect. Affinity Photo will open a jpeg (or tif, or png, etc.) and all of Affinity's editing features of its Photo Persona will be available for use. You just can't open a jpeg in Develop Persona, which would be superfluous.

My impression after using Affinity is similar to what other UHHers have said: the Develop Persona seems limited and lacking in features (compared to PhotoLab, ON1, LR or even Luminar) but the Photo Persona is quite good.

Kozan Loc: Trenton Tennessee

You can do both of those in Affinity. Work on your RAW file, then go to the Develop module. If you need to work on it there, do so, then go to File, then down to EXPORT. A window will pop up where you can choose JPEG, or TIFF, or one of 8 or 10 formats.

If you are importing a JPEG to work on, it comes up in the PHOTO module. You can edit a JPEG.

I suggest you watch all the Affinity basic videos that explain all of this. They are on the Affinity forum and can be reached through the HELP button in Affinity Photo.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I don't think I've ever said or suggested that Affinity Photo falls short of Lightroom, or that Affinity users have less ability. My comments were specifically geared to the Develop persona as a raw converter/processor, and that module does fall far short of it's competition. When I said, ""For most people who are either new to raw or who do not have high expectations of a raw editor's functionality, Affinity's Develop persona may be all the raw functionality they will ever need. , that was an accurate statement. Photographers with a lot of raw processing experience with the best raw converters available would likely not be content with the Develop persona's limitations. That in no way suggests that Affinity itself is not a worthwhile program for people with excellent post processing skills. But, quite frankly the Develop persona is a let down. I'm sure future versions will address it's limitations.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

Your are free to disagree but you misunderstand the post by the OP of this thread. He asked for help about certain functions of the photo editing program he uses, Affinity Photo (AP), NOT for comparisons of different programs or their pros and cons. He certainly did not ask for comments about supposed deficiencies in the program he uses by individuals who use other programs. My reply was simply that he would likely get more useful answers about the functioning of AP from the forum dedicated to it's use only, and not from a forum such as this one that has users of many editing programs. So if you want to disagree with that opinion you may do so but how do you get from there to accusing someone with having a closed mind?

Since you quoted my post that was in response to the OP's query, I have to assume I'm the one accused of having a closed mind - if someone is referred to rather than the quoted posts author that should be made clear and it wasn't here. And the rest of that paragraph which references how to choose an editing program, while reasonable in other contexts, is nonsensical in the context of the questions asked by the OP, that is, how to fix a problem in his program.

I don't like to be argumentative but I am provoked by being said to have a closed mind. If any persons using this forum have closed minds about subjects raised about photo-editing it's the group of Adobe product users here who are totally convinced Adobe products are superior to all others and vehemently argue that belief, putting down other programs in the process. This description appears to represent only a small percentage of Adobe users but it does happen and that is certainly not representative of an open mind. I have used LR and PSE in the past, and still use PSE occasionally, and I'm certain there are some other editing programs who are equal or superior in features and tools to LR and PSE. I would not argue that Photoshop is the standard by which all other programs are judged. I'm not certain of that but haven't seen any evidence to the contrary. But PS is often described, rightly or wrongly, as having a very steep learning curve and that intimidates some of us and makes us look elsewhere. And for that we shouldn't be described as not being interested in excellence in photo editing or having closed minds.

Accuse me of not having a high level of knowledge and competence regarding photo editing and I will not argue. But accusing me of having a closed mind is another matter. That was uncalled for.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I agree with all you have said . Keep in mind, though, that most raw processors other than the Develop persona can open and edit jpegs and Tiff's to take advantage of non-destructive editing, and one can go back at any time in the future and continue editing those same files without losing any of the previous edits, non destructively. Examples of these other programs are ON1, Lightroom, Capture One Pro, and DXO PhotoLab, to name a few

Seabastes

I certainly did not want to start a controversy when I originated this post. I just needed help, which I did receive and I figured out some things on my own.

Thanks,

Seabastes

N4646W

Affinity states that the develop module is destructive in the help menu and on the tutorials...

However, if you go into the properties of the program, you can strip out all the Affinity presets (for any or all modules) for the develop module, leaving you with the raw file as imported or as close to the original file as Affinity can interpret, as it is with any other software that you use to develop. Process the file as is and you are taken into the next module,Photo Persona. Go to layers, and duplicate the layer. Then turn off the Base layer and bring the second (new) layer into the develop module process as desired, and you are taken back into the Photo persona to continue to your hearts desire. Before you start changing things, you can switch back and forth between the layers to see if your development made the changes you anticipated. If not, turn off the Base layer, and take the new layer back to the develop module.

When you are done, "Save" the Affinity file with "all" layers, and then you can Export to your desired format. Now you can go back to the saved Affinity file and "all" your layers are there including the initial raw.

Ron