Recommendation needed for post production program

[rushabpmore]

I   assumed this has caused endless discussion but could not find on this site.

I'm a beginner w/ A6000 and only shooting jpeg but want to start capture Raw and start learning about post production.  What program would you recommend based on ease-of-use and performance/output?  My only experience is editing photos on PhotoShop.  I'm sure there are lots of options, so to help guide, I'd be willing to trade-off performance for ease-of use.  So, if there's a program that rates a 10/10 for performance but difficulty is also a 10 and another that is a 7/10 performance and 7 for difficulty, I'd rather have the latter.  Of course, I'd like the 10 performance, 1 difficulty option, but I'm assuming that may not exist.

[LiveShots]

CaptureOne

[Chrissie]

30 minutes ago, LiveShots said:

CaptureOne

I'll second on that.

[GrahamR]

Serif Affinity. Almost Photoshop and massively cheaper.  Lots of video tutorials.  

[bwana]

Lightroom would be my first choice.  Affinity Photo is an excellent alternative to Photoshop.

bwa

[EchoAlpha]

First Lr it is fast and easy to learn/has camera profiles now and all other programs follow its path and has the most lens correction. And the major programs have Plugins so you can go from Lr to them and back.

That being said Capture One is best price if you have a Sony $50 and every new version best of the best for the least BUT wants to control your whole library of photos (there is a way to just do single images at a time). PlayMemories Home to import from SD cards and see what you got where and choose a photo to work, do not import all your photos into Lr  (no need for a bloated other directory) just one at a time play and delete after exporting to a computer directory (you are not going to re edit anyway). So Luminar 2018 and Aurora HDR 2019 (both under $100) for dust spots and object removal in Aurora you link to Luminar edit and go back to Aurora. The reason I mention these is 1. you get more MP's in final tiff and jpeg than Lr (how, I do not know) 2. you process an image or images only no library to mess with and do things you would do in PS!!!! ON1 Photo Raw 2018/2019 single/HDR no library to mess with and so many things that you would do in PS without a monthly cost.  DxO PhotoLab 2018 but also get DxO ViewPoint to correct lines in a photo (Capture One has this) all the same as above. Example of lens correction is Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 if shooting at the sea it will have some rolling only Lr has the fix also if you use the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye  no one else has the fix. There are new lenses everyday and only Lr keeps up first. But like Luminar has a Sunburst where a dull sunless day turns bright and sunny. Noise correction all have different ways some better for your shot. ON 1 has a resize (better than Lr) function that will take a 12MP and cropped image and you can get a 50MP for that large frame you want. I like to do Milky Ways and have found more stars when processed with Capture One without looking like noise But will import a tiff to other programs to get better noise control....

Oh last but not least DxO has the old Nik Collection that cost $500 a module at first then Google bought it and offered all 7 for $150 then free but stopped support but now for all $69 well, well worth it good at everything so many things copied in other programs.

[synthesaur]

Exposure x4