We could use more reviews of software

bladerunner6 · 11-18-2017, 05:39 AM - **1 Like**

With a certain segment of people looking for alternatives to Adobe products, having more software reviews in the review database might be helpful.

**BarryE** · 11-18-2017, 07:33 AM

That would be interesting. Personally, I've never bothered with thinking about non-Adobe products. I started with the early Creative Suites and seamlessly moved to CC. I guess I'm intellectually trapped to be honest, as I just get on and use the products - they work so well together. Now I use mostly PS, it might be useful to have a heads-up, but I can't really think there will anything better and £10 a month seems good value to me - compare with three lattes, for instance.

**Canada_Rockies** · 11-18-2017, 10:36 AM

I have a CC subscription, but I use Classic. The Windows style interface of CC, I suggest, is more of an interference than a help. [R] to crop. [W] to white balance. Left and right panels to just click on.

SSGGeezer · 11-18-2017, 12:23 PM - **1 Like**

I am not an Adobe fan and I hate Software as a service that requires a subscription. That tells me that the provider can just say forget about support if they don't feel it is worth it. You may say that Adobe is too big to do that but there are way to many instances of companies going away due to mis-management and apathy. and as I said, I don't like Adobe or the subscription model. I quit using MS Office except where I had an older version for Educators and Students installed on my old laptop. I will learn open office before I pay a subscription.

mee · 11-18-2017, 04:48 PM

Most (or all?) of them have a trial.. so it is probably going to be more accurate if we just download the trials and see what we think individually.

But, if there is one, a review that shows several different popular processing apps compared when processing a test set of Pentax DNG files might be interesting. Which gives the most detail, most accurate representation of the actual scene, cleanest high ISO / NR processing.. anything else is going to be highly subjective. Even this test might end up really subjective too..

**csa** · 11-18-2017, 10:36 PM

I just got this software, and so far really am impressed with it.

Luminar 2018 is a Your New Alternative to Adobe Lightroom | Nature TTL

pathdoc · 11-19-2017, 05:36 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BarryE

That would be interesting. Personally, I've never bothered with thinking about non-Adobe products. I started with the early Creative Suites and seamlessly moved to CC. I guess I'm intellectually trapped to be honest, as I just get on and use the products - they work so well together. Now I use mostly PS, it might be useful to have a heads-up, but I can't really think there will anything better and £10 a month seems good value to me - compare with three lattes, for instance.

It starts with three lattes, but once they have you on the hook you are theirs - it's continue to pay what we ask or lose your software.

I know LR6 is the last stand-alone, but it should be good enough for me; does anyone know if it's available as a hard copy on a CD rather than a download? Because as the last resort, I can always put it on a computer that NEVER sees the internet and Adobe can't then do something stupid like remote-disabling it.

bladerunner6 · 11-19-2017, 06:09 AM

Originally posted by pathdoc

It starts with three lattes, but once they have you on the hook you are theirs - it's continue to pay what we ask or lose your software.

I know LR6 is the last stand-alone, but it should be good enough for me; does anyone know if it's available as a hard copy on a CD rather than a download? Because as the last resort, I can always put it on a computer that NEVER sees the internet and Adobe can't then do something stupid like remote-disabling it.

I believe so. Check eBay.

SSGGeezer · 11-19-2017, 02:11 PM

Originally posted by csa

I just got this software, and so far really am impressed with it.

Luminar 2018 is a Your New Alternative to Adobe Lightroom | Nature TTL

That is interesting as long as enough people convert their LR profiles to the LUT format to use.
I like the one pay then pay if new features are worth it to you, but I am a little concerned by the many "Coming Soon" listings in Windows machine capabilities that are already in MAC. Since The creators at Macphun I suspect that Windows could be an afterthought and that is not a good thing if I spend even 69 bucks for the software.
Digicam freezes up on me when I try to do any inpainting and I have a very strong computer so afterthoughts are not something I want to pay for. I am going to try it and compare to DxO for how it looks. DxO looks nice but without paying for the upgrade, it is just a quick fix.

**csa** · 11-20-2017, 07:46 PM

I've not had any freeze-ups at all, as of yet. A friend of mine also has this, and has reported no problems using it.

May not be for everyone, but I like it; and just thought I'd alert members to it.

**Rondec** · 11-21-2017, 03:41 AM

Originally posted by BarryE

That would be interesting. Personally, I've never bothered with thinking about non-Adobe products. I started with the early Creative Suites and seamlessly moved to CC. I guess I'm intellectually trapped to be honest, as I just get on and use the products - they work so well together. Now I use mostly PS, it might be useful to have a heads-up, but I can't really think there will anything better and £10 a month seems good value to me - compare with three lattes, for instance.

I don't particularly see Adobe as trustworthy and once they discontinue all of the free standing software items except for Photoshop Elements, my expectation would be that they will start raising the monthly fees. It still is probably worth 20 dollars a month (6 lattes?) if you shoot professionally. Just for me personally photography is a hobby and I use Lightroom and occasionally do a big clone job in an old version of Elements. I don't really want to tie myself to a monthly charge to keep shooting -- even if it helps Adobe's bottom line.

SSGGeezer · 11-22-2017, 08:17 AM

Darktable for Windows is now available, so if you wanted to try it but were not a Linux user, here is a chance to play around with it. I have not even looked at any tutorial videos yet so I am not going to mess around with it until I have done so. Should save some frustration.

pentaxfall · 11-22-2017, 12:19 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pathdoc

I can always put it on a computer that NEVER sees the internet and Adobe can't then do something stupid like remote-disabling it.

I follow similar strategy for running Adobe products. I do not use Physical machine, instead run it on Virtual Machines. If anyone is interested, roughly this is what I do.
-Create a VM using VirtualBox. I do this on laptop (i7 quadcore 32gb ram)
-Install Win7 inside the VM
-Install Adobe on newly installed Win 7 OS.
-Take the IMAGE of VM, and store it in an external hard drive for future use.
Note: -Do not keep any data(like jpegs on VM, instead store all the data on the host-machine).
-Disable network interface on VM

Adam · 12-05-2017, 04:13 PM

We're going to do a homepage series on Photoshop alternatives in the coming months. Is there any specific software you guys are interested in having reviewed?

SpecialK · 12-05-2017, 05:05 PM

Originally posted by Adam

We're going to do a homepage series on Photoshop alternatives in the coming months. Is there any specific software you guys are interested in having reviewed?

I vote a review for FastStone Image Viewer, Screen Capture, Photo Resizer ... as it is often recommended (including by me).

It's free, processes raw files, has tons of possibly-handy utilities such as lossless cropping, screen shots, contact sheets, side-by-side (or quadrants) up to 4 images at a time for chimping ease, design-and-print doodads, slide shows, batch processing, and is a nice viewer to boot. The recent versions allow multiple sessions open so you can do some easy visual drag and dropping of images between folders, and the most recent version has an embedded video player that works for most formats though I still use VLC.

That said, I use Elements 15 for raw conversions.

11-18-2017, 05:39 AM - 1 Like	#1
bladerunner6 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,080	We could use more reviews of software With a certain segment of people looking for alternatives to Adobe products, having more software reviews in the review database might be helpful.

11-19-2017, 02:11 PM	#9
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Luminar Originally posted by csa I just got this software, and so far really am impressed with it. Luminar 2018 is a Your New Alternative to Adobe Lightroom \| Nature TTL That is interesting as long as enough people convert their LR profiles to the LUT format to use. I like the one pay then pay if new features are worth it to you, but I am a little concerned by the many "Coming Soon" listings in Windows machine capabilities that are already in MAC. Since The creators at Macphun I suspect that Windows could be an afterthought and that is not a good thing if I spend even 69 bucks for the software. Digicam freezes up on me when I try to do any inpainting and I have a very strong computer so afterthoughts are not something I want to pay for. I am going to try it and compare to DxO for how it looks. DxO looks nice but without paying for the upgrade, it is just a quick fix.

12-05-2017, 04:13 PM	#14
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	We're going to do a homepage series on Photoshop alternatives in the coming months. Is there any specific software you guys are interested in having reviewed? Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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11-18-2017, 07:33 AM	#2
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653	That would be interesting. Personally, I've never bothered with thinking about non-Adobe products. I started with the early Creative Suites and seamlessly moved to CC. I guess I'm intellectually trapped to be honest, as I just get on and use the products - they work so well together. Now I use mostly PS, it might be useful to have a heads-up, but I can't really think there will anything better and £10 a month seems good value to me - compare with three lattes, for instance.

11-18-2017, 10:36 AM	#3
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	I have a CC subscription, but I use Classic. The Windows style interface of CC, I suggest, is more of an interference than a help. [R] to crop. [W] to white balance. Left and right panels to just click on.

11-18-2017, 12:23 PM - 1 Like	#4
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	I am not an Adobe fan and I hate Software as a service that requires a subscription. That tells me that the provider can just say forget about support if they don't feel it is worth it. You may say that Adobe is too big to do that but there are way to many instances of companies going away due to mis-management and apathy. and as I said, I don't like Adobe or the subscription model. I quit using MS Office except where I had an older version for Educators and Students installed on my old laptop. I will learn open office before I pay a subscription.

11-18-2017, 04:48 PM	#5
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	Most (or all?) of them have a trial.. so it is probably going to be more accurate if we just download the trials and see what we think individually. But, if there is one, a review that shows several different popular processing apps compared when processing a test set of Pentax DNG files might be interesting. Which gives the most detail, most accurate representation of the actual scene, cleanest high ISO / NR processing.. anything else is going to be highly subjective. Even this test might end up really subjective too..

11-18-2017, 10:36 PM	#6
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133	I just got this software, and so far really am impressed with it. Luminar 2018 is a Your New Alternative to Adobe Lightroom \| Nature TTL

11-19-2017, 05:36 AM - 1 Like	#7
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	Originally posted by BarryE That would be interesting. Personally, I've never bothered with thinking about non-Adobe products. I started with the early Creative Suites and seamlessly moved to CC. I guess I'm intellectually trapped to be honest, as I just get on and use the products - they work so well together. Now I use mostly PS, it might be useful to have a heads-up, but I can't really think there will anything better and £10 a month seems good value to me - compare with three lattes, for instance. It starts with three lattes, but once they have you on the hook you are theirs - it's continue to pay what we ask or lose your software. I know LR6 is the last stand-alone, but it should be good enough for me; does anyone know if it's available as a hard copy on a CD rather than a download? Because as the last resort, I can always put it on a computer that NEVER sees the internet and Adobe can't then do something stupid like remote-disabling it.

11-19-2017, 06:09 AM	#8
bladerunner6 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,080 Original Poster	Originally posted by pathdoc It starts with three lattes, but once they have you on the hook you are theirs - it's continue to pay what we ask or lose your software. I know LR6 is the last stand-alone, but it should be good enough for me; does anyone know if it's available as a hard copy on a CD rather than a download? Because as the last resort, I can always put it on a computer that NEVER sees the internet and Adobe can't then do something stupid like remote-disabling it. I believe so. Check eBay.

11-20-2017, 07:46 PM	#10
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133	I've not had any freeze-ups at all, as of yet. A friend of mine also has this, and has reported no problems using it. May not be for everyone, but I like it; and just thought I'd alert members to it.

11-21-2017, 03:41 AM	#11
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,651	Originally posted by BarryE That would be interesting. Personally, I've never bothered with thinking about non-Adobe products. I started with the early Creative Suites and seamlessly moved to CC. I guess I'm intellectually trapped to be honest, as I just get on and use the products - they work so well together. Now I use mostly PS, it might be useful to have a heads-up, but I can't really think there will anything better and £10 a month seems good value to me - compare with three lattes, for instance. I don't particularly see Adobe as trustworthy and once they discontinue all of the free standing software items except for Photoshop Elements, my expectation would be that they will start raising the monthly fees. It still is probably worth 20 dollars a month (6 lattes?) if you shoot professionally. Just for me personally photography is a hobby and I use Lightroom and occasionally do a big clone job in an old version of Elements. I don't really want to tie myself to a monthly charge to keep shooting -- even if it helps Adobe's bottom line.

11-22-2017, 08:17 AM	#12
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Darktable for Windows is now available, so if you wanted to try it but were not a Linux user, here is a chance to play around with it. I have not even looked at any tutorial videos yet so I am not going to mess around with it until I have done so. Should save some frustration.

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11-22-2017, 12:19 PM - 1 Like	#13
pentaxfall Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 581	Originally posted by pathdoc I can always put it on a computer that NEVER sees the internet and Adobe can't then do something stupid like remote-disabling it. I follow similar strategy for running Adobe products. I do not use Physical machine, instead run it on Virtual Machines. If anyone is interested, roughly this is what I do. -Create a VM using VirtualBox. I do this on laptop (i7 quadcore 32gb ram) -Install Win7 inside the VM -Install Adobe on newly installed Win 7 OS. -Take the IMAGE of VM, and store it in an external hard drive for future use. Note: -Do not keep any data(like jpegs on VM, instead store all the data on the host-machine). -Disable network interface on VM

12-05-2017, 05:05 PM	#15
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	Originally posted by Adam We're going to do a homepage series on Photoshop alternatives in the coming months. Is there any specific software you guys are interested in having reviewed? I vote a review for FastStone Image Viewer, Screen Capture, Photo Resizer ... as it is often recommended (including by me). It's free, processes raw files, has tons of possibly-handy utilities such as lossless cropping, screen shots, contact sheets, side-by-side (or quadrants) up to 4 images at a time for chimping ease, design-and-print doodads, slide shows, batch processing, and is a nice viewer to boot. The recent versions allow multiple sessions open so you can do some easy visual drag and dropping of images between folders, and the most recent version has an embedded video player that works for most formats though I still use VLC. That said, I use Elements 15 for raw conversions.