Differences in editing softwares

[LukaviZ]

Good evening to all~

I'm kinda curious as to what exactly are the differences between the myriads of editing software available in the market.

What is the difference between Capture One, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Expression Media ? Isn't there like one single program that can cover every aspect from RAW to end product?

would be glad to have some light shed. thanks~~

 

[zac08]

Cost, effectiveness, user platform, etc....

all these differ. See what you need for the cost you're willing to pay. Each product has an edge over the other.

 

[rajahchindian]

Good evening to all~

I'm kinda curious as to what exactly are the differences between the myriads of editing software available in the market.

What is the difference between Capture One, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Expression Media ? Isn't there like one single program that can cover every aspect from RAW to end product?

would be glad to have some light shed. thanks~~

my BIASED opinion.

i find that Photoshop CS4 is about the most all rounded program out there.
And there is a CAMERA RAW plug-in in photoshop as well.
basically photoshop does everything i need.

however, many will agree that Photoshop does not perform optimally for HDR
so many people use Photomatix for HDR.
even so, Photoshop will still be my best choice.

 

[LukaviZ]

hmm... but what's the best for raw processing and post editing?

i mean... i read from a UK mag that capture one trumps over lightroom in terms of raw processing. as for post processing i see that most go for cs4. any views on that?

 

[Octarine]

Capture One and Adobe Lightroom are roughly the same. They are allround programs for a lot of image adjustments like exposure, saturation, colour adjustments, B&W conversion and others. In addition they have organizing function for your pictures and several output modes (web, slideshow, print). One big advantage is that the original files are never touched, all changes are kept as kind of log file. When finished the image will be exported into a new file using the original and applying all changes.
For heavy editing Photoshop is established. From Lightroom there is even an interface in the workflow so that you can switch between both programs. But PS will work directly on the file.
Since both have a price tag there are also Open Source alternatives: Gimp and UFRaw.

The question what's best cannot be answered in general. I prefer Lightroom because of its workflow. CS4 is an option for things I can't do in LR. If you are tight on budget you might want to look at the Open Source programs. Whether LR or Capture One gives better results is also depending on your computer platform and the screen. I doubt it will be obvious for the average hobby photographer.