APERTURE vs LR: I have been using Aperture for photo editing and storage for years. Apple in their infinite wisdom has stopped supporting Aperture. I cannot upgrade my Operating system...

Watchful Loc: West Virginia

I have been using Aperture for photo editing and storage for years. Apple in their infinite wisdom has stopped supporting Aperture. I cannot upgrade my Operating system without fear of losing functionality of Aperture. I was ready to convert to Lightroom when Adobe stopped selling the stand alone version. I do not want to be plagued with yet another monthly payment. My problem is what software package can I purchase that would at least do most things Aperture did. Keyword is Purchase. I chatted with ACDSee and they could not answer my questions. Could not talk to a person due to current pandemic.

I appreciate any input. Thanks in advance.📷

ricardo00

What are the key things you do with Aperture? There are many different types of software and I am by no means an expert. So maybe if you tell us what you want to do with the software, they will have their suggestions. I have switched from Lightroom to DxO Photo Lab, it allows you to buy the software and use it. I am sure others will give you their experiences. I find that DxO is very good for noise suppression. Ordinarily I am not doing that much to my photos so it might not be sufficient for you. Most software allows you to get a trial version to test out.

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

I'm an LR/PS guy. The monthly payment is smaller than what I spend on impulse purchases and I get more value from it than I get from the impulse purchases. For me, the small monthly payment is worth it, but I can't spend your money for you.

There are other programs out there but since I don't use them I can't recommend them. I expect you will get lots of suggestions from fans of the various programs. Do you just need editing or do you need organizational capability too?

Watchful Loc: West Virginia

I need storage and editing. In addition to my digital photos I scan and store old prints for genealogy and most time they are so faded I can at least bring them back to recognizable. Maybe I need to reconsider LR.

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

Here is a Fstopper video showing ACDSee in use. Looks pretty good as a LR and some PS replacement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImOQRf4LuZs&t=605s

If you want a free open-source replacement to LR, you might check out DarkTable.

https://www.darktable.org/

A 3rd option is Photoshop Express (PSE). There seems to be a lot of Hedgehoggers that use this SW.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

SalvageDiver wrote:

Here is a Fstopper video showing ACDSee in use. Looks pretty good as a LR and some PS replacement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImOQRf4LuZs&t=605s

If you want a free open-source replacement to LR, you might check out DarkTable.

https://www.darktable.org/

A 3rd option is Photoshop Express (PSE). There seems to be a lot of Hedgehoggers that use this SW.

darktable is probably the most advanced of all the open source editors with the added benefit of tagging and digital asset management. It does take a while to learn though, but there are some great tutorials on youtube that cover all the basics plus more advanced modules.

If you don't want to dedicate a lot of time learning a program, then I would discourage OP from darktable and probably look for other options. But, there is a fairly significant update (3.2) coming mid-August that has some significant additions and changes to stability on MacOS and probably to a lesser degree Windows.

I have been using it for a little over a year and absolutely love it.

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

Just a note: Purchasing a permanent license to use a program (you never actually purchase the program) will allow you to use that program as long as:

(1) your OS supports that program (including updates to your OS)
(2) you don't need to update the program (some programs will provide free updates within a version, but charge you to go up a version). You may need to update your program if you change cameras and edit raw files from that camera.

That means that although your license may be good forever, your program will probably not run forever without additional expense for updates. If you never update your camera or your computer you may get away with it for a longer period of time.

All this does not mean that the permanent license is better or worse than the subscription model. All it means is that they are different. You have to manage your expectations.

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

DirtFarmer wrote:

Just a note: Purchasing a permanent license to use... (show quote)

If you keep your SW up to date with new versions, there there may not be much difference between payment models. New versions usually come with an upgrade price.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

DirtFarmer wrote:

I'm an LR/PS guy. The monthly payment is smaller than what I spend on impulse purchases and I get more value from it than I get from the impulse purchases. For me, the small monthly payment is worth it, but I can't spend your money for you.

There are other programs out there but since I don't use them I can't recommend them. I expect you will get lots of suggestions from fans of the various programs. Do you just need editing or do you need organizational capability too?

Thank you. FOr the $10/month, if you use it daily, heavily, it is a bargain. Besides, in pre-COVID times, I always think everybody who objects to the subscription spent more on coffee than the cost of LR/PS

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Watchful wrote:

I need storage and editing. In addition to my digital photos I scan and store old prints for genealogy and most time they are so faded I can at least bring them back to recognizable. Maybe I need to reconsider LR.

Put Photoshop Elements with Adobe Organizer on your list. About a $100 or $65 on a sale. Some say they hate that it is only "8 bit" but many say that doesn't matter. As an Adobe product it has wide use and a support industry of tutorials, guides, books and teachers. Trials are free. After the trial, there is a refund period of a week or two if you buy directly from Adobe.

bleirer

Photoshop Elements might be worth looking at. Kind of like the best parts of lightroom and photoshop in one program. If you shoot raw you might care that it is only 8 bit after you convert the raw file, where lightroom/Photoshop can be 16 bit. The organizer is good and the editor is ahout 80% of Photoshop's capability.

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

I switched from Aperture to Capture One (v 10) two years ago. Except for the file creation and/or retrieval which is hideous (catalogs vs. sessions vs. God knows what) and way more complex than it needs to be, it is a superb program that allows editing of raw shots well beyond what Aperture could do. The tools and masks available opened up new possibilities. I suspect that the current version does even more. Capture One is not cheap but it will do everything you want and then some.

Millsy

Been using ON1 for a while now. I quite like the interface and there's ample functionality for me. It's a once off payment and I believe there's a free trial period if you're unsure.

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

Watchful wrote:

I have been using Aperture for photo editing and s... (show quote)

The "heavy hitters" in image processing these days seem to be Lightroom/Photoshop, Capture One, ON1 Raw, and DXO Photolab 3. These are all pro-quality tools, priced competitively, and all deliver a great editing experience. None do anything poorly, but some excel at one thing or another. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

FWIW, using how software licenses are paid for is probably not the best rationale for rejecting/accepting software. If you really don't like paying for Lightroom/Photoshop monthly, then pay it annually. It's still very reasonable, especially since you are getting a complete raw conversion/raster editing and image management solution - which none of the others offer, though On1 comes close.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Here are a lot of links. Have fun!

Affinity
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/software-review-affinity-photo-1-5-2
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/affinity-photo-1.5,review-4257.html

Others
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-lightroom-alternatives
http://digital-photography-school.com/a-beginners-guide-to-choosing-the-right-post-production-software/
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/photo-editing
https://www.reviews.com/photo-editing-software/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-photo-editing-software,review-1972.html
http://www.redmondpie.com/best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives-for-windows-and-mac-list Affinity
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
https://photographypro.com/photo-editing/

Free processing -
https://www.darktable.org/
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59324818
https://www.lightstalking.com/how-to-edit-rawtherapee/
https://www.lightstalking.com/free-photography-software/
http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-photo-editor
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-best-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free-5974500
http://lightzoneproject.org/