Best editor software to learn on?

ferg007

Senior Member
Hi everyone
Just wondering if any particular software is better than others to learn on.

I'm just starting out on the whole post processing thing and while the software I've been using is fine for general things like exposure etc it has plenty of curvey type options that aren't very well explained and seem to turn it into a colour train wreck or do very little.
I'm using camera bag 2 for the Mac at the moment. Like I say, some of it is fine, some very confusing, but I also get the feeling I'm missing out on a lot of options and editing tools that the premium products would obviously offer.

I don't mind spending money on it but would prefer something don't need a monthly subscription for, and ideally with built in tutorials that explain why i'd want to use a particular tool etc.

Thank you!!


Nikon D5300

Nikon AF-S 18-55mm VR II DX
Nikon AF-S 40mm Micro f/2.8 DX G
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hi everyone
Just wondering if any particular software is better than others to learn on.

I'm just starting out on the whole post processing thing and while the software I've been using is fine for general things like exposure etc it has plenty of curvey type options that aren't very well explained and seem to turn it into a colour train wreck or do very little.
I'm using camera bag 2 for the Mac at the moment. Like I say, some of it is fine, some very confusing, but I also get the feeling I'm missing out on a lot of options and editing tools that the premium products would obviously offer.

I don't mind spending money on it but would prefer something don't need a monthly subscription for, and ideally with built in tutorials that explain why i'd want to use a particular tool etc.

Thank you!!


Nikon D5300

Nikon AF-S 18-55mm VR II DX
Nikon AF-S 40mm Micro f/2.8 DX G
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD
I don't know of any decent post processing software that comes with, "built in tutorials that explain why i'd want to use a particular tool". I would suggest you're better off getting what you think you're going to want to use in the long haul and just dive in because no two post processing applications I've use seem alike enough that knowing one is sufficient to know the other. If you don't want to use Adobe Creative Cloud, that's up to you, but for $10 a month you're ruling out the best deal on the post-processing planet, I'd say. In my opinion, there's Photoshop, (with Adobe Camera RAW and Bridge) and then there's everything else. Add NIK Tools and you're good to go.

Sticking to your criteria, you're probably looking at buying a copy of Adobe Lightroom (what most everyone will probably suggest anyway) but some of your options would be Corel Paintshop Pro (about $60), ACDSee Pro (about $90) or maybe Topaz Adjust with or without add-ons. Those would be my recommendations (in order of preference).

....
 
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FastGlass

Senior Member
If only needing to do minor exposure and localized adjustments is all you tend to do than yes, Lightroom is a non destructive software. No matter what you do to the file. You still will always have the original, untouched. I also have Elements 10. By far Lightroom is the easiest to learn.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
If only needing to do minor exposure and localized adjustments is all you tend to do than yes, Lightroom is a non destructive software. No matter what you do to the file. You still will always have the original, untouched. I also have Elements 10. By far Lightroom is the easiest to learn.

sorry but no. acdsee pro is way easier. clean interface. not tons of tiny little check squares and icons all over. hands down the easiest interface to understand and use and its faster to edit bulk pictures. LR sliders are very tiny thin lines and acdsee pro has bars where you can place the cursor on the bar and make minute adjustments by using the scroll wheel. youre hands will cramp trying to make minute adjustments with the tiny thin slider in LR. I can also choose to enter a number and adjust it in that manner.
I have both. it also processes adjustment much faster. it also has a non destructive workflow but I also have an edit as I go feature. basically like PS where if I save an adjustment, it will save it to the image in the folder and saves me from wasting time to export later. I can use either method for editing and for me, I dont need to readjust an image later on. also, when I delete an image in acdsee pro it removes it from the folder itself, saving me from dealing with removal later in export. it send it to the recycle bin later and it has happened I was quick to delete an image and just went into the RB and restored it without an issue.

there is no comparison in speed whatsoever. thmbnails are always loaded, unlike LR which always seems to be working. u can see it has delay. the transitions it does. its just too big for its bloated for its own good. acdsee pro is extremely fast. like I say there is no comparison with speed whatsoever. LR is way to bloated.
https://photographylife.com/adobes-software-bloating-performance-issues-and-bugs

I believe acdsee pro 7/8 PS CS6 and nikon NXD/NX2 is the perfect combo for ANYone needs. I use acdsee pro for 80% of the work and NX2/NXD PS for the remaining 20%

I mainly just use basic tools

exposure/contrast
lighting shadow highlight recovery
crop
sharpening
hue saturation
BW filter
rotate
dodge&burn
WB
color balance hotter/colder
advanced color control
healing brush
clone brush
distortion control
vignette

theres tons of other things. but these are the same things I will adjust over and over. not every picture needs to be adjusted though.
al;algorithm holds details extremely well in jpeg. for nef, I use nikon software. adobe is too problematic to render nikons color profiles properly.

hands down acdsee pro is faster in every way. I have both. LR is much slower. even export is faster. I adjust and save on the go so I never export but you do have that feature as well. speed wise (not features or controls) it goes in this order picassa>acdsee pro>LR>PS

acdc.jpg
LR.jpg

unless one owns and uses both extensively, you cannot really compare. I have both and use both (dont use LR anymore but have used it for a long time and its still on my desktop)
 
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J-see

Senior Member
I use LR and consider it fantastic. It's possible some programs are faster but I don't need to process 300 shots in an hour so it matters less to me. It ain't that slow I fall asleep waiting. LR can be bought as a standalone right now and the talk is, it'll remain like that. Not that "the talk = guaranteed".

It's pretty easy to learn and allows you to do quick basic editing but also enables you to take full control and go into nerd-editing when using the brush tool. There are a ton of videos out there about every function.

I'd fully recommend it to everyone.

If you want more, there's Photoshop but that'll take a bit more to learn.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
I use LR and consider it fantastic. It's possible some programs are faster but I don't need to process 300 shots in an hour so it matters less to me. It ain't that slow I fall asleep waiting. LR can be bought as a standalone right now and the talk is, it'll remain like that. Not that "the talk = guaranteed".

It's pretty easy to learn and allows you to do quick basic editing but also enables you to take full control and go into nerd-editing when using the brush tool. There are a ton of videos out there about every function.

I'd fully recommend it to everyone.

If you want more, there's Photoshop but that'll take a bit more to learn.

it has nothing to do with doing a lot of work in a certain amount of time but the workflow is so much smoother and easier on the hand when you have to do the 300 or 2000 like I do. its about a comfortable work experience. simple things like the user interface which is much easier to work with. try doing tiny adjustments for 300 images with your cursor mouse. now try doing it for 2000 images. your hand will cramp. and there is definite lag with LR. everything instant with acdsee pro. from saving adjustments to loading thumbnails. its just boom and LR is not easy to learn for newcomers. FAR from it. even navigating to your pictures to view is so much faster. press the top right buttons "develop/map/book/etc" and see how it lags. acdsee doesnt wink when I go to different editing modes. LR is juts a slow bloated software and since you never tried acdsee pro to compare youre comparing LR only.

PS will take a few good months to learn but it can do anything. speed isnt its forte.

get enough ram and HDD space though with both. a fast 256gb SSD helps a bunch.
 
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paul04

Senior Member
I to have lightroom, and find it easy to use, I did try photoshop, but went back to lightroom.

If I am not sure on how to do something, I just look on youtube, loads of "how to" videos on there to help
 

J-see

Senior Member
it has nothing to do with doing a lot of work in a certain amount of time but the workflow is so much smoother and easier on the hand when you have to do the 300 or 2000 like I do. its about a comfortable work experience. simple things like the user interface which is much easier to work with. try doing tiny adjustments for 300 images with your cursor mouse. now try doing it for 2000 images. your hand will cramp. and there is definite lag with LR. everything instant with acdsee pro. from saving adjustments to loading thumbnails. its just boom and LR is not easy to learn for newcomers. FAR from it. even navigating to your pictures to view is so much faster. press the top right buttons "develop/map/book/etc" and see how it lags. acdsee doesnt wink when I go to different editing modes. LR is juts a slow bloated software and since you never tried acdsee pro to compare youre comparing LR only.

PS will take a few good months to learn but it can do anything. speed isnt its forte.

get enough ram and HDD space though with both. a fast 256gb SSD helps a bunch.

I seldom experience lag with LR but like I said, I don't need to process a ton a images fast. I'm often busy for hours with one shot. I haven't got any issue there and LR enables me to do all I need. What it can't deliver, PS can.

There's a ton of soft out there I didn't try. There's a ton I don't care about. I prefer to stick with Adobe when possible. Even when they have flaws.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
I to have lightroom, and find it easy to use, I did try photoshop, but went back to lightroom.

If I am not sure on how to do something, I just look on youtube, loads of "how to" videos on there to help

LR and PS are not the same workflow. PS is the godfather for image editing, but for one image at a time. its slow but can do anything. LR is for a fast workflow for mass picture editing. and mostly easier basic repetitive editing. you can do bulk editing with batch adjustment and such in PS but its not efficient in doing so.

both are great. im not saying LR is bad, im saying LR has gotten to the point that its lost its core for what it was and thats speed. fast and easy workflow. it doesnt do it well anymore and its the reason I havent double clicked the icon on my desktop till today.

I paid for both and I also bought acdsee pro. ease on my hands and fingers and finishing and feeling fresh to do more vs, "god damn my fingers are hurting me from this LR" makes all the difference to me.

and the interface for a newby is not easy to learn. you will need to see many videos. I didnt need to see a single video for acdsee pro. its a very intuitive program. dont knock it till you try it for an extended amount of time. Ive tried all of them for a very extended amount and edited thousands of images. been using PS since version 3. not cs3 but 3.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
I seldom experience lag with LR but like I said, I don't need to process a ton a images fast. I'm often busy for hours with one shot. I haven't got any issue there and LR enables me to do all I need. What it can't deliver, PS can.

There's a ton of soft out there I didn't try. There's a ton I don't care about. I prefer to stick with Adobe when possible. Even when they have flaws.

every software has flaws. it seems to be the norm to send out softwaqre with bugs and patch as they go along. money first, fix later. I dont need to edit FAST. I work at a regular pace, but id rather finish it early than later. time is money. hours for one shot? you need that much editing?
 

Philnz

Senior Member
sorry but no. acdsee pro is way easier. clean interface. not tons of tiny little check squares and icons all over. hands down the easiest interface to understand and use and its faster to edit bulk pictures. LR sliders are very tiny thin lines and acdsee pro has bars where you can place the cursor on the bar and make minute adjustments by using the scroll wheel. youre hands will cramp trying to make minute adjustments with the tiny thin slider in LR. I can also choose to enter a number and adjust it in that manner.
I have both. it also processes adjustment much faster. it also has a non destructive workflow but I also have an edit as I go feature. basically like PS where if I save an adjustment, it will save it to the image in the folder and saves me from wasting time to export later. I can use either method for editing and for me, I dont need to readjust an image later on. also, when I delete an image in acdsee pro it removes it from the folder itself, saving me from dealing with removal later in export. it send it to the recycle bin later and it has happened I was quick to delete an image and just went into the RB and restored it without an issue.

there is no comparison in speed whatsoever. thmbnails are always loaded, unlike LR which always seems to be working. u can see it has delay. the transitions it does. its just too big for its bloated for its own good. acdsee pro is extremely fast. like I say there is no comparison with speed whatsoever. LR is way to bloated.
https://photographylife.com/adobes-software-bloating-performance-issues-and-bugs

I believe acdsee pro 7/8 PS CS6 and nikon NXD/NX2 is the perfect combo for ANYone needs. I use acdsee pro for 80% of the work and NX2/NXD PS for the remaining 20%

I mainly just use basic tools

exposure/contrast
lighting shadow highlight recovery
crop
sharpening
hue saturation
BW filter
rotate
dodge&burn
WB
color balance hotter/colder
advanced color control
healing brush
clone brush
distortion control
vignette

theres tons of other things. but these are the same things I will adjust over and over. not every picture needs to be adjusted though.
al;algorithm holds details extremely well in jpeg. for nef, I use nikon software. adobe is too problematic to render nikons color profiles properly.

hands down acdsee pro is faster in every way. I have both. LR is much slower. even export is faster. I adjust and save on the go so I never export but you do have that feature as well. speed wise (not features or controls) it goes in this order picassa>acdsee pro>LR>PS

View attachment 125102
View attachment 125103

unless one owns and uses both extensively, you cannot really compare. I have both and use both (dont use LR anymore but have used it for a long time and its still on my desktop)

I use and like ACD pro 8 have been with ACD since I think 5 or 6
 

J-see

Senior Member
every software has flaws. it seems to be the norm to send out softwaqre with bugs and patch as they go along. money first, fix later. I dont need to edit FAST. I work at a regular pace, but id rather finish it early than later. time is money. hours for one shot? you need that much editing?

I don't need that much editing, I just like processing and see what can be done. LR does enough for me there. If I shot a series and want all done fast, I simply edit one and apply that to all others.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
I don't need that much editing, I just like processing and see what can be done. LR does enough for me there. If I shot a series and want all done fast, I simply edit one and apply that to all others.

Ah nice. acdsee pro has auto presets as well.

have you tried this free plugin for photoshop?
Welcome to optikVerve Labs - Home of virtualPhotographer

been out for years. very nice filters and such. try it. very good.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Thanks, I have some of their filters. They even work with my ancient version of PS.

These days I mainly use PS to cut and paste different shots together, apply overlays or more rarely, sharpen. It still does a good enough job at that.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
Thanks, I have some of their filters. They even work with my ancient version of PS.

These days I mainly use PS to cut and paste different shots together, apply overlays or more rarely, sharpen. It still does a good enough job at that.

AHHHH! thts why it takes hours :)
 

FastGlass

Senior Member
sorry but no. acdsee pro is way easier. clean interface. not tons of tiny little check squares and icons all over. hands down the easiest interface to understand and use and its faster to edit bulk pictures. LR sliders are very tiny thin lines and acdsee pro has bars where you can place the cursor on the bar and make minute adjustments by using the scroll wheel. youre hands will cramp trying to make minute adjustments with the tiny thin slider in LR. I can also choose to enter a number and adjust it in that manner.
I have both. it also processes adjustment much faster. it also has a non destructive workflow but I also have an edit as I go feature. basically like PS where if I save an adjustment, it will save it to the image in the folder and saves me from wasting time to export later. I can use either method for editing and for me, I dont need to readjust an image later on. also, when I delete an image in acdsee pro it removes it from the folder itself, saving me from dealing with removal later in export. it send it to the recycle bin later and it has happened I was quick to delete an image and just went into the RB and restored it without an issue.

there is no comparison in speed whatsoever. thmbnails are always loaded, unlike LR which always seems to be working. u can see it has delay. the transitions it does. its just too big for its bloated for its own good. acdsee pro is extremely fast. like I say there is no comparison with speed whatsoever. LR is way to bloated.
https://photographylife.com/adobes-software-bloating-performance-issues-and-bugs

I believe acdsee pro 7/8 PS CS6 and nikon NXD/NX2 is the perfect combo for ANYone needs. I use acdsee pro for 80% of the work and NX2/NXD PS for the remaining 20%

I mainly just use basic tools

exposure/contrast
lighting shadow highlight recovery
crop
sharpening
hue saturation
BW filter
rotate
dodge&burn
WB
color balance hotter/colder
advanced color control
healing brush
clone brush
distortion control
vignette

theres tons of other things. but these are the same things I will adjust over and over. not every picture needs to be adjusted though.
al;algorithm holds details extremely well in jpeg. for nef, I use nikon software. adobe is too problematic to render nikons color profiles properly.

hands down acdsee pro is faster in every way. I have both. LR is much slower. even export is faster. I adjust and save on the go so I never export but you do have that feature as well. speed wise (not features or controls) it goes in this order picassa>acdsee pro>LR>PS

View attachment 125102
View attachment 125103

unless one owns and uses both extensively, you cannot really compare. I have both and use both (dont use LR anymore but have used it for a long time and its still on my desktop)
When saying the easiest to learn. I meant between Lightroom and Elements.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I'll just point out that most all of these applications have free trial versions you can download:

ACDSee free trial software

Adobe free trial software

Considering your criteria, Photoshop Elements might be your best course... I'd forgotten about Elements but it's something you might want to investigate.

PSE is like a stripped down version of Photoshop combined with a stripped down version of Lightroom; there are bits and pieces of each in there, but the application is definitely geared toward the more casual photo taker/editor. It's a standalone application like you are asking for and you will be able to find plenty of online tutorials to help you get started with it. The Adobe website is an excellent resource for this but You Tube videos and books abound for it as well.

.....
 
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STM

Senior Member
I don't think that anyone would dispute that Photoshop is the most powerful graphics editing program but it is not exactly "intuitive" in a lot of respects. The one I actually learned on was Microsoft PhotoDraw, which is no longer available but can be found used on EBAY. It was a pretty basic program but could do a pretty extensive number of things. It of course, was very basic when compared to Photoshop.

I have Lightroom but honestly find it to be more cumbersome to use than Photoshop in a lot of respects. I guess it has to do with the fact that I have used Photoshop for so long that the ways LR works don't always seem very easy.
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
theres always gimp. wow, thats cumbersome to use.

GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program seems very slow to load.

elements, picassa, nikon NXD/NX2 are great starting software. I dont think one software will satisfy a veterans needs fully. it will always be 2-3 apps that will do it all. for beginners who want simple adjustments these will suffice till theyre hungrier.


PS is at the top of the list. it can do anything, and you could probably get to your final image adjustment in more than one ways. fine tune to your hearts content. tons of free plugins, actions, brushes, whatever u want.

LR is great for fast workflow and from version to version its pushed with more and more PS features over the years. its a very complete app. but it comes at a cost of speed. speed not how many pictures I can do in an hour but its heavy and bloated for its own good. it used to be light and lightning quick. less today and u need a pretty decent computer to get it to fly. especially with batch adjustments.

for basic (exposure/color/composition adjustments) fast editing of vacation pictures/family events and such and quick things, acdsee pro will do that. thumbnails dont even load. theyre simply there. viewing from pic to pic is instant. editing and adjusting is instant. I can edit 2000 pictures in 4.5 hours. not tons of menus to navigate through. it has heavier tools but LR is better suited to the veteran photog who really needs much more complex editing. theres a lot to learn there like PS. but PS.. much more so. MUCH MORE.

picassa. simple, intuitive for the hobbyist. not much fine control or tweaking. but it has its use.
 

ferg007

Senior Member
Thanks for the feedback everyone..... I have been reading reviews online but it's so much better getting real reviews from people that use the programs daily and often use several of them like you guys.

I'm going to get the trials of PS and ACDSee as suggested and try editing the same picture in both to start with.

Really appreciate your input everyone!


Nikon D5300

Nikon AF-S 18-55mm VR II DX
Nikon AF-S 40mm Micro f/2.8 DX G
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro DG
 
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