[W.j.christy]

What issues are you having with AfterShotPro 3?

I downloaded the Trial version but rejected it because the highlight recovery slider would sometimes turn blown highlights pink/magenta. I heard that this was fixed, but my trial version expired so I couldn't ensure this was corrected without buying it. I'm just curious what would have changed in AfterShotPro that gave you problems.

I get "image not found" when there is an image. I also have lost the histogram and catalogue features. They have defeatured it as well as some of the fine adjustment tabs have been removed that were once in after shot 2

[aleonx3]

I use SilkyPix Pro 7.

I too use Silkypix Pro 7. It is IMO the best RAW processing software I have used (use LR before). Two things I like best are the WB fix tools especially in low light/flash situation; the second best is noise reduction applied in RAW instead of JPG file which makes a huge difference.

[Barry Pearson]

I don't want to go to Adobe as i don't like the subscription model

I like the subscription model (and I subscribe to full CC, not just Photography CC), so I can't help!

(The only reason I'm posting is to register that there are some people who actually like the subscription model!)

[W.j.christy]

I like the subscription model (and I subscribe to full CC, not just Photography CC), so I can't help!

(The only reason I'm posting is to register that there are some people who actually like the subscription model!)

Fair enough. Perhaps it is a good deal and maybe I am old fashioned but I tend to not trust the "Cloud" Just yet. It bothers me a little to give so much control over my content (my created content) to someone else.

[Tas]

As Jatrax has mentioned already, there is a program called On1 Photo RAW. It is going into Beta testing around October so it will be a couple of months before it's released.

I've been using the On1 Photo Suite for several years now and it has gotten better and better over that time. The current program is On1 Photo 10 and is a great tool to work on photos. It has a module called browse that allows you to see DNG files but to work on them it creates a PSD. The new program will work on the RAW file. They've got a list of compatible file formats from cameras including all but the K-1 at the moment but I expect that will be added for the release or get picked up in Beta.

You do have to pay, but you pay once and you own the program. They have the opportunity for upgrades and discounts but if you don't want that after buying the program initially that's up to you. The details are here: Photo Raw Offer – ON1, Inc.

Tas

[Dmoran]

I have been very pleased with DxO Optics Pro 10 and I just upgraded to OP11. If I am doing pixel shift images with the K3 II, I pre process the PS images in PDCU to 16 bit TIFFs and then finish them in OP11.

[lsimpkins]

Fair enough. Perhaps it is a good deal and maybe I am old fashioned but I tend to not trust the "Cloud" Just yet. It bothers me a little to give so much control over my content (my created content) to someone else.

No one controls your images but you. The only thing the cloud has to do with Adobe's software offerings is that you download them from the cloud. Then you install them on your computer. About once a month, you need to be connected to the internet so that the CC ap can verify that your account is paid up. Adobe does offer cloud storage, but it does not have to be used and I don't.

"Creative Cloud" may be one of the most misleading (although catchy) names for a product line ever.

---------- Post added 09-02-16 at 06:00 PM ----------

Lightroom is available standalone if you have an issue with subscriptions. But LR is far more than just a RAW editor. If that's all you need then there are a number of other options including the free software that comes from Pentax.

But Lightrrom is the best I've tried (for how I work). I suggest you try the free trial and see if you would use it's features.
Otherwise:
On1 Photo RAW
RAWTherapee
Dxo Optics Pro
Capture One Pro
Exposure X
Photoshop Elements
MACPhun
GIMP

On1 Photo Raw is not out yet. They have stated it will be out in the Fall.

[Oakland Rob]

There's Darktable too. Or even dcraw, but it doesn't have a GUI.

Maybe you should give the sub model a shot, since both freeware and paid perpetual licenses haven't worked. Can't really get worse, and it's a great bargain. Or download the trial. You can basically use the organizational modules of Lr forever even if you don't pay; it's the developing, Lr Mobile and few other features that cease working after the trial period.

[stevebrot]

I like the subscription model (and I subscribe to full CC, not just Photography CC), so I can't help!

(The only reason I'm posting is to register that there are some people who actually like the subscription model!)

I know many happy CC users, but those folk are also strongly wedded to Photoshop and the yearly subscription is a bargain compared to keeping current under the purchase model.

For those of us who upgrade Lightroom when driven by feature or new camera purchase and/or who are not heavy Photoshop users, the subscription model has poor value.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Does light room place nice with corel paint shop pro? Also how is light room 5 versus 6? I believe I have a copy of lightroom 5 hanging around that I tried and wasn't thrilled with at first. I am thinking I may try to reload it and have a second go.

They play as well together as LR and Photoshop. Lightroom works with external editors by means of an intermediary image file. How it works is hard to describe, but when used properly is very cool.* I use LR in conjunction with Paintshop Pro and as long as both programs (and the user) are on the same page in regards to color space, they work very well together.

I think I have a copy of light room 5 so i will try that this weekend if i can find it.

If you have a copy of LR 5, then the answer is obvious. Updates from Adobe are free and if you want the features of LR 6, the cost to upgrade is quite reasonable. I have been using LR 5 since Spring of 2014 and have no particular need or desire to upgrade to LR 6.


Steve

* Therein is the hard part. How to leverage the feature is not (IMHO) well-described in the help files and documentation. I should probably write up a simple guide and post it up on this site as a sticky.

[Rimfiredude]

I too use Silkypix Pro 7. It is IMO the best RAW processing software I have used (use LR before). Two things I like best are the WB fix tools especially in low light/flash situation; the second best is noise reduction applied in RAW instead of JPG file which makes a huge difference.

I also like the HDR slider. It does not make you image look like hdr but brings out a lot of detail. The black level is also very handy.

[Joe Dusel]

I had been using Aftershot and Paintshop Pro, but it seemed like every year I was doing a new update for around $100. So, I decided that the Lightroom/Photoshop package for $9.99 a month was not a bad deal, especially since it is automatically updated. Aftershot has some nice features with it like the adjustment layers and having Perfectly Clear included is nice, but I think I can do a better job with Lightroom and Photoshop.

[wildman]

I use PS but I also have ACDSee Pro 8 and you might want to consider that. It's only 30 bucks right now with a lifetime license.

Manage, Edit, Present & Share - ACDSee Pro 9

[BigDave]

Remote access sounds scary, but when done by the techs for the SW company, it really is a great tool. I use it with some companies I work with and you are watching everything they are doing. They cannot see your desktop, only the application. And as you watch them do their thing, you can learn what they are doing (watch closely, take notes even faster) and hopefully repeat it. I use PSP and find it great, having some things PS does not have (White Point recovery when importing the RAW file is GREAT!).

Good luck!

[Oakland Rob]

Fair enough. Perhaps it is a good deal and maybe I am old fashioned but I tend to not trust the "Cloud" Just yet. It bothers me a little to give so much control over my content (my created content) to someone else.

You don't give any control to anyone. You don't have to use "the cloud" at all with Adobe's Photography plan. It just requires a checkin via internet every 90 days to verify the subscription. Even with many perpetual licenses you'll find software doing that to verify installation and insure that you are only using the software on the licensed number of computers. Capture One, eg, does that. Most Mac software purchased in their store does that. Your system software might even do that.

And your creations? Which software you use to edit them shouldn't change your ownership. Adobe's products don't; after all they the overwhelming leader in business and I'm pretty sure Time magazine, countless web sites, pro photographers, lawyers, etc wouldn't stand for any claim that because you edited an image in Lr or Ps that Adobe owned a part of it, or that creating a PDF gave Adobe rights in the content. And again, Adobe never even possesses any of your content unless you choose to take advantage of say Lr Mobile to synch with mobile devices, or store stuff in the included 2GB storage, or create a site for Adobe Portfolio, also included. In that way it's the same as say the storage that MS or Apple gives you, or Dropbox, etc.

Where you should be concerned is use of software that can lock you into a proprietary scheme that doesn't play well with others, and can result in headaches if the software product or company goes POOF! For example, all the Aperture users who were left with a defunct product and their adjustments stored in a proprietary format that will eventually be unusable. Far less likely to happen with Adobe's stuff since they developed things like XML for photo metadata and are pretty much the standard everyone else conforms to, for better or worse. It's not a control issue per se, in that the developer doesn't control your stuff directly, but you can lose a degree of control if you rely on data storage in places or formats or databases that get deprecated.