Hi everyone, I am currently on day 6 of trialing PL 9.6. I have mainly been using Adobe PS & LRC which brings me to a couple questions.
When creating a composite image requiring layering and pixel editing, what do you use?
Also, have you had problems with DXO’s sidecar file approach for digital asset management? If so, what do you use?
I like some things about DXO’s PL but those things can also be done with plug-in products from Topaz. Adobe & Topaz might be a less expensive solution and I get database DAM support, pixel and layer editing, and I can still shoot at higher ISO. Yes, Adobe still sucks due to the subscription issues. Either way we have to pay $$$. That said, why switch? Why did you switch? What about DXO PL won you over?
If DAM is important to you I always advise keeping it separate from your photo editor as it allows you to use whatever editor you like without impacting DAM. DigiKam is free or IMATCH is an excellent paid option.
Affinity Photo is free, so there is no reason not to have it for panos, focus stacking etc, and is very similar to PS.
Personally I think ON1 PhotoRaw 2026 makes a good compliment to DXO. It is a full raw editor but also has basic pixel editing capabilities like layers, blend modes, Text layers, composites, etc as well as AI Noise Reduction, AI Sharpen, AI Resize and AI Restore. You can run plugins like Topaz and NIK from ON1 and it returns the processed image as a new layer so that you can blend with the original image or further post process. In the UK at the moment it is a bargain due to its mid cycle upgrade position and is available for £46 (inc 20% tax), less than the upgrade price for the NIK plugin.
Software that is doing a specific job such as panos, focus stacking, DAM, secondary editors etc don’t rely on camera support and therefore do not need to be upgraded each year if they are working for you.
My main software is Capture One but recent upgrades have focused heavily on volume / studio shooters which are irrelevant to me so I have not upgraded. If I was subscribing to C1 I would be paying for upgrades that are pointless for me.
The reality is that It’s a personal choice what software you use, and no one else cares what another person uses. Use what you like and be happy.
I don’t do Panos, composites, or focus stacking. I have licenses for the entire PhotoLab suite, PhotoLab Elite, FilmPack, and Viewpoint. I don’t use any other software because I don’t have any gaps.
I switched from C1 to the dxo suite PL/FP/VP/Nik recently. I also use Topaz, Affinity.
Excire has worked well for me as it can use the same directory structure as PL. I rely on XML files so that changes in Excire can reflect in PL and vice-versa.
As far as PhotoLab goes, it’s not yet suitable for “one for all” because it does not provide all the features I need sufficiently (notably the feature set and reliability of DAM)
PL is a good “best of breed if it is used for what it does best: optical and noise
If Adobe simply vanished, I could do with PL, but I’d not be happy with it. Those who manage their photos from memory (the one in their heads) could possibly shrug it off.
If one needs composite images, PL won’t do either, so you’ll need Ps or any other app that does what you want with the quality you need.
Consider whether de-facto-standard is something you need, e.g. for plugins vs. full DIY with either built-in or bolted-on functionality. De-facto-standards also help for transporting images and edits to other parties.
Short: Lr (DAM) - PL (o&n) - Ps (composites) … plus printing (Lr, Ps or OEM)
I was making a transition from working full time to retirement, a transition to a personal laptop for all my needs, and the need to purchase a new editing tool or stick with Photoshop and its monthly costs. At a retirement income, the Adobe pricing structure was less attractive. I say that, but then I spent quite a bit of $$$ getting PL7, then PL9, NIK, Filmpack & Viewpoint…..
The biggest draw to PL was the way it handles noise. I shoot Olympus, and it has noisy sensors (in my opinion). I was blown away by the noise reduction in PL — and that alone was what led me to make the switch.
Additionally, I have used NIK almost since it was first marketed ( a number of “owners” ago) and am quite invested in it in my workflow. So, having DXO as the developer of both PL and NIK was a big draw.
Whereas I have been known to do all three, but rarely - much preferring to work in the camera if at all possible.
Like you, Mark, I don’t perceive any gaps in my editing workflow. But I do use Topaz Photo AI for print resizing and sharpening, especially for larger (A2+) prints.
Lightroom Classic to manage (free if you only want the Library module)
PhotoLab to edit
Topaz Photo to ‘fix’ just-missed focus or slight motion blur (if the shot is worth saving)
AutoPano Giga or Hugin for stitching (both free)
I’m considering ShineStacker (free) for focus stacking, but I need to spend some time first working out how to get the shots to stack for an intended project.
I have Affinity (free), which I use for all sorts of graphics work but rarely for my ‘photos’.
Not @zkarj, but my main problem with Affinity is mostly user error: I don’t know where everything is, and so it feels cumbersome and awkward to do the things I want to do (and could do quickly in other apps like PhotoShop or, indeed, PhotoLab).
I don’t know what it’s fully capable of, and don’t know how to get the best out of it.
Apologies Fineus, I didn’t make it clear I was asking why zkarj was looking for another app to focus stack when he said he had Affinity which will do Focus Stacking.
For me there is a gap in color grading, stacking and panoramas. Also frequency separation is sth I use a lot. Now that Affinity is free I can do it all but I stil hope PL will expand it’s color grading possibilities and add curves in local adjustments for example But not just that… Anyway, PL+Film Pack + Affinity is a powerful combo.
No. I haven’t actually done any focus stacking but from what I had heard it could have problems. I have used other stacking modes and was not particularly impressed. They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great either. I’ve seen a recent review of Shinestacker that classed it as “the best”. As it is also free (and my experience with Hugin and AutoPano Giga was good), I figure it’s the one I’ll use when I get to that project.
Hi, I use Affinity for any pixel editing like pano stitching and focus stacking or composite images.
For the DAM side of things I use mainly keywording. The keywording in PL is not the best and doesn’t support import or export of keyword lists so I have been using the free Adobe Bridge. I have been looking for a replacement to Bridge and have found XNView MP a free app that is very good for keywording and DAM and am working my way towards a total switch to XNView MP so I can remove all the Adobe Bridge and Cloud from my Mac.
I recently switched to Photolab from Capture One and before that LR and have no regrets. I find the results you can get in PL are just as good if not better than C1 or LR.
I shall have to revisit that app. I tried botj Bridge and XNView MP a while back in an attempt to replace LrC. Bridge is not quite as good as LrC. I don’t recall the specifics of XNView MP but it didn’t make the grade back then.
I tried Affinity but unless I did not understand, I found it limited for pano stitching ; I did not found how to make a pano with Panini projection and it is essential for me.
You didn’t miss anything in Affinity Photo 2’s pano stitching feature; it doesn’t allow you chose the projection type. The same is true for the latest version (Affinity Studio 3.2).
