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Dav3
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hi all , I have just purchased a s/h Sony NEX that had no software with it. I understand sony captive is good also lightroom. Which software do you use that gives you best results? Also being a novice ease of use would be good. Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks,

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I cannot say enough good regarding Capture1!   I used the older versions and seemed to fight them but suddenly with version 9 it just lit up with a better interface but more importantly, I am able to "see" the image details much better than anything inside Photoshop.  Lightroom is much better than Pshop for making adjustments but oh my goodness...it runs like old glue at 40 degrees below zero, completely unacceptable.  Loading even a small image collection is just horrible on all but premium machines, ridiculous by today's standards, so I pulled it off my machines - a disgrace for 150 bucks, it should be free.  

 

SEE CAPTURE ONE SCREEN SAMPLE BELOW

As an Electrical Engineer, it is CRITICAL to have tools that quickly display several key parameters.  A Histogram (audio equivalent to a spectrum analyzer) is a WONDERFUL tool and the Cap1 is far superior to Pshop and is as good or better than most Lightroom tools.  I REALLY like the ability to "tilt" the levels controls at the top so you can adjust the "net" adjustments without killing the original.  I really like to move around the cursor and you can quickly see where you are "clipping" the white colors (the image below shows the white sample area.  This is very nice since you can see if the whites are exceeding the output limits for most printing which I like to do. 

 

People do NOT understand the value to being able to push the dynamic range of a shot as high as possible but you do NOT want to get near the upper limits or color "clips" just like if you turn up a cheap radio too loud.  In audio this is called "headroom".  If your camera falls just under the very top limit this is perfect.  Now....you still would like to see the "average" levels around 50% so you have plenty of room to move them up or down without killing color in shadows or the overall dynamic range.  Again, Cap1 (and Sony cameras) have remarkable resolving power in this.  I really like my ability to setup my own "dashboard" with various controls/graphics on the left.  I can slide down and see all the camera meta info as well but the ability to see the dynamic range, luminance, and color spectrum then make tiny adjustments is just remarkable!  

 

BUY THE SONY "PRO" UPGRADE!  

Cap1 has a promo to get the $300 full pro package for $50 for Sony owners.  It is worth 10 times that!  Also, it allows a 2-setup system so you can have your main PC and a portable laptop if needed which I value greatly!  You can download the full version for 30 days so be sure to do it but I cannot say enough great things.  I have ZERO association with Cap1, paid for the upgrade, and have no other affiliations so I have zero obligations here.  Cap1 has also become very fast with their lens updates for Sony and have developed a HUGE lens database for corrections...very nice benefit.  It looks to me like Cap1 is just running away for many people and with the tethering it is FANTASTIC!  (check for your camera though, my RX10ii, HX90, A7Rii all work great). Hopefully this helps - sorry to rave but there isn't much great software like this the last few years.  

 

OlivePhoto.png

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Miran, I would agree with RawTherapee performance but the user interface is a mess.   They have a fantastic engine inside but crammed so many controls in multiple columns and then tried to create some kind of strange, "ultra-modern" interface working sideways I just get lost.  I have tried it probably a dozen times and really try to learn but but I cannot get over the constant searching for controls.  It seems like Raw was on a nice development path but went cold a couple years ago with very unfinished design.  I looked into Darktable and looks very nice but it appears one of the many "poor-man's Photoshops" and seems to be abandoned as well. Photoshop is certainly not much better being a menu-monster but I have used it so many years that I kind of have a 6th sense where to move next. 

 

Cap1 tried the "modern" interface but was just too clumsy but they really pulled it together with version 9 last year.  Once you setup your "priority" options the ability to look down the left side to see the histograms and data while at the same time making adjustments in that area are exceptional.  It reminds me a lot of Visio and other CAD programs where you need to see the data and make adjustments real time without going up and down menu paths.  The setup process is a chore but once you sort your priorities it is impressive how you have a "flow" from top to bottom.   

 

The Corel Photo program has made some big improvements but so many key functions are missing it seems like a Photoshop from 2012, not 2016.  It is certainly a great value bundled with CorelDraw but just not good enough once you become an intermediate user.  Supposedly the next Corel version is pushing hard into their photo upgrade since they did some nice improvements in Draw and their video software.  For heavy lifting thought I think we are stuck with Photoshop for another year or so.  We will see.  

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Guest Jaf-Photo

I have noticed that photo editing software per se is confusing to most novices. So, regardless of which software you choose, you'll probably have a learning curve.

 

For that reason, I recommend Capture One. It provides great results with Sony files and has most functions you'll need. It also has the affordable upgrade. Phase One does have excellent tutorial videos on their site and on YouTube. If you spend a few hours with those, youll learn the program quickly.

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Hi all,   Thanks for all your replies, Capture one express free would not download on my laptop as it is 32bit and x64 was all i could find that was free. I have managed since to get lightroom 5 at a very reasonable price so i will try that. Thanks again for all your input.

Regards,

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