Which file processor is best

pk63015

Senior Member
Which Photo Possessor would you recommend ? I am not really looking for one with all the bells and whistles, I just need a good one to touch-up some of my photos.

Thank You
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Which Photo Possessor would you recommend ? I am not really looking for one with all the bells and whistles, I just need a good one to touch-up some of my photos.

Thank You
This isn't an easy question to answer. Nikon Capture NX-D is often suggested because it's free, Nikon-branded, free, relatively powerful and free. Did I mention it's free? Free to download but not free of frustration to learn. In fact I think it's a real pain in the a-- to learn to use effectively, but that's just my personal opinion.

If you don't want to drop any money on this, I can suggest you try something like Faststone Image Viewer which, despite the name, also does some fairly sophisticated editing and file management without the complicated interface of NX-D or GIMP.

If you can spend something like $60 to $80 on this you can get a software app that will be much easier to use, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements, ACDSee Pro or Paintshop Pro.
 
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TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
I used photoshop elements for years until I grew out of it and wanted more. Now I use photoshop lightroom and because I grew familiar with elements, the transition was smooth. Elements was nice because I got it cheap as a bundle with my computer and never had to update until I got a new camera that was not compatible with the older version of elements that I had. The only thing I dont like about lightroom is you pay by the month or year, which sucks but at least everything is up to date and current with whatever camera I shoot with.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
I used photoshop elements for years until I grew out of it and wanted more. Now I use photoshop lightroom and because I grew familiar with elements, the transition was smooth. Elements was nice because I got it cheap as a bundle with my computer and never had to update until I got a new camera that was not compatible with the older version of elements that I had. The only thing I dont like about lightroom is you pay by the month or year, which sucks but at least everything is up to date and current with whatever camera I shoot with.

^^THIS^^ I also started with Photoshop Elements learning basics of jpeg editing before switching to NEF's and using Lightroom. At the time, Lightroom was only available as a stand alone program (not the monthly subscription). Once I learned Lightroom, I migrated over to PCC (the monthly subscription to Photoshop). Now I use PCC and Camera RAW instead of LR although Camera RAW contains the same editing abilities as Lightroom (it just lacks the organization that LR offers).

The initial learning seems daunting, but as you grow in your knowledge and ability, you will want to step up to something that offers more editing capabilities. Believe it or not, I learned a lot about editing from this forum. Back in the day, this forum was filled with many experienced and knowledgeable people who knew how to edit and who shared their knowledge. If you use the search feature, there is a wealth of info here - think of it as buried treasure. ;)
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
I think I might go with Elements 2020. It is not overly expensive and it will do all I (Think) I will need to do..

I think you will be happy with PE. I started with Nikons View NX-i and Capture NX-D. I used Gimp (a very steep learning curve and difficult to use, but had lots of capabilities for manipulating photos), Raw Therapy (Never got it down and didn't like it), then purchased PE which worked well. Now I have ON1 which has lots of additional ways to adjust and have fun with your photos. I still go back to PE some and Gimp occasionally when I want to do something special that nothing else I have is capable of.

Anyway, just some wandering thougts back to my progression in processing software. Capture NX-D is also nice and free.
 

nikonbill

Senior Member
Contributor
I will toss a vote for the Nikon software coupled with Affinity for the more challenging edits.

As mentioned "learning" will make you go a little nuts but part of the "fun" CaptureNX-D and ViewNX-i are very capable and I use them all the time to "process" my RAW photos. They are non-destructive and very effective and free.

Affinity is very reasonable they give you updates when they are out. I use Affinity when I have a shot that I feel needs more attention. The neat thing I "think" I see is there are many similarities in the Nikon software and Affinity, this has really helped me. Lots of tutorials on the web as well.

I have an old version of PS elements and it worked well, it always gave me the impression of doing things on its own.

Whatever way you go just be prepared to learn a ton and get frustrated, kind of like learning to shoot photos :encouragement:
 
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bluzman

Senior Member
Another vote for Nikon's own software, Capture NX-D, for RAW processing. If I'm dealing with jpg images, I've found that FastStone Image Viewer is quite good.
 
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