Which is the BEST Photo EDITOR?

[@AnthonyMorganti]

In this video, I do my best to help you determine which photo editor is best for you. I've taken a RAW file and edited it in Capture One ver 20, Exposure X5, Lightroom Classic, Luminar 4, and On1 Photo RAW 2020. You can download the RAW file and all those edits here: go.aws/3c8MKCL Let us know in the comments which you think is best and why. Also, you Fuji shooters, which software do you think is best and what do you use? Here are the links to the manufacturers listed where you can download their free trial: Capture One: captureone.sjv.io/rqEnj Exposure X5: bit.ly/2lqqmQx *Discount Code Available: AnthonyMorganti Lightroom: bit.ly/2zwQ0nW Luminar: bit.ly/2JTmUXd *Discount Code Available: AM16 On1 Photo RAW 2020: bit.ly/2kVFGnT *Discount Code Available: AM17 *Discount Codes may not work when the product is on sale. Gear & Settings used to capture image in video: Fujifilm X-T3: amzn.to/2YNhYso Fujifilm 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 Lens: amzn.to/31S9z8u Fujifilm 1.4x Teleconverter: amzn.to/2TYaTUP 1/1000, F8.0, iso: 400 at 560mm My recommended gear list: www.amazon.com/shop/anthonymorganti I use this software to record my screen: Screenflow: telestream.pxf.io/DMrW2 Unsure of how to price your photography? Check the 2019 Guide to Pricing Your Photography: amzn.to/2S1CiU7 All links shown are my affiliate links. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement: onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/ Thank you!!

[@dianesardes5609]

Lightroom.

[@reginaldwalton]

Personally, the right software for any person is going to be the one they can best understand and master. Most, if not all of these brands allow the user to download a trial version. So that would b my recommendation - just download them and see which one you feel is best for you. Or at the very least, watch a few videos from unbiased sources (if you can find one) and then decide if that particular program is one you feel you can work with. Either way, you're going to have to do some leg work (or should I say some hand work).

[@graham_T]

Thank you . I have viewed these images in a Mac The Adobe subscription model includes , LR Classic, Photoshop CC , Bridge, Full versions of Adobe LR and PS tablet / phone apps C1 , On1 , L4 are all a one time purchase ..for that year only . If you want the following years version then there is an upgrade cost equivalent to about 2/3 of the original cost . C1 does have a subscription model to. You provided us with a Fuji Raw file . Often mentioned is how LR processes with resultant worms . Not so latest version of LR Classic. There are no worms in the LR edit you have sent . My observations C1 the colours of the heron are natural , good detail in the highlights, sharp . The background looks artificial . Exposure X5 . Background is good. The heron looks on the soft side and flat . Loss of details in the highlights on the top of the head . Top of beak loses detail too. Lightroom . No worms , very slight softness at the furthest side towards the rear of the heron's back Natural looking colours throughout and a good overall balance . Loss of detail in highlights on top of birds head Luminar . Too vivid throughout ...which is often the case with L4 images . Loss of detail in highlights on top of birds head ON1 . Sharp throughout . Good detail retained in lights and darks. Let down by the background yellowness My order of preference would be C1, On1, LR, L4 , Exposure X5 When considering which is the 'best ' everyone will have different preference . It will also depend on what set up you are viewing on , calibration etc etc . Also need to take in to account the entirety of what the package offers eg Adobe subscription components. I would have liked to have seen Affinity in this comparison

[@NakedInSeattle]

This is like asking, "What's the best exercise?" The answer...the one you'll do! What's the best photo editor? The answer...the one you like!

[@branchau]

They all look good to me, none distinctly "better" than all others to my eyes, just slightly different. To finish it off, I would have applied ON1 Photo RAW's Dynamic Contrast filter on the feathers to make them pop a little bit. Other applications may be able to do that, but I find that effect is intuitive, dead easy and fast to apply in ON1 Photo RAW 2020. Thank you very much Anthony for taking the time to make that comparison.

[@mkaplan519]

Hey Anthony, Great to see the differences but it really doesn't say much as all of the minor differences can be adjusted in all the programs. Like with the Lightroom version, the detail in the white on its head is lacking detail. It almost looks blown out a bit. This is of course easily fixed but what is happening with the Luminar version? Definitely not sharpened and looks like bad smoothing from noise reduction? Also, looking at the eye, it is the least sharp of all of them.

[@Mousyfox]

Hi Anthony. Thank you so much for this series. It's helped to understand a lot more about Lightroom in relation to the other applications. So much so that I had to end up asking myself, what do I want to achieve with my photos? Do I want a 100% perfect image with everything super crispy? Or am I just trying to improve the overall look so that when I show them to friends on the web they don't look half bad? The latter was the answer for me. I have four of the five applications and have had for some years now. I've just realised that one of them is superfluous because I can achieve the same results, almost, in the other apps. I'm not a pro, I'm a keen amateur, but I think that with watching too many videos I've been trying to think like a pro. So now I see that Lightroom is better for me because I can achieve good results and I can post images direct to Flickr without leaving the application. I can edit in Luminar and ON1 without the fiddly mess of having to save a different file and reimport it. And to be fair, with just Luminar and Lightroom I can achieve the results I want. The best thing about ON1 is it's ability to see images that aren't catalogued. I learnt all this from your tutorials. Thank you so much. I can get on with being a better amateur photographer now. Nigel Crooks (UK)

[@adamaj74]

Looks like Capture One does the best to my eye. Especially noticeable when zoomed in and also when printed (I assume). I edited the raw file in Lightroom and it looks pretty good on my screen sized to 1080 pixels short side, but when I export original size and zoom 100% it looks kind of bad compared to C1. Thanks for the video!

[@godofhope]

adamaj Lightroom doesn’t like Fiji files. That’s it. Look up the Worm Effect ;)

[@adamaj74]

@@godofhope Yeah, you can pretty much eliminate that by turning "Details" all the way down to zero. But yeah, you're right, Lightroom doesn't seem to handle Fuji files well.

[@richardbedford3244]

I have LR and PS, but the editing program I use mostly is DXO Photolab3.

[@romiemiller3093]

I've had a lot of problems with ON1. A lot of aps don't work well and they don't fix those. The main problem is that the sequence of the images in the folders. They're mixed up, and I have to hunt for the one I want. If they load in sequence they scatter when I click on the first one I got rid of this problem by uninstalling the 2019 version before installing 2020, but it came back this week. I may uninstall ON1 and use something else.

[@joshmoody9666]

Your Capture One file is 1000x sharper what did you do different?

[@cyrilcalmes4208]

Dear Anthony, that's an interesting test to do. I downloaded your Fuji RAW File (I personnally use a X-T20), and worked with Luminar 4, One Photo RAW 2021.5 and Capture One Pro 21 Fuji. And to me, Capture One Pro still gives the best result interm of sharpness, detail and noise. I love On1 Photo RAW but with RAF files, the sharpness is not there. And Luminar 4 is to slow on my machine... At the end, I put the RAF file in the latest Affinity Photo, and to be honest, I've been very impressed by the result... The latest version really improved its skills on RAF files. The result is closed to Capture One Pro Fuji. Can I use this specific RAW file to make a video comparison ?

[@MarkNF1]

Hi Anthony. I'm wondering if the results are effected by which program the photos are viewed in. That is, would they look the same in C1 or any of the others as they do in LR? Or is a jpeg a jpeg no matter the viewing software? Thanks.

[@inmouchar]

I see many people like the look of Luminar. I think it's the worst of the bunch. To my eye, Luminar's version looks overprocessed, has excessively sharp edges, seems to have too much clarity and saturation. As a Capture One user, I was a bit disappointed with the CO version, especially the green background.

[@edwardcorrado2541]

I had the same take on the Luminar photo but I often find that I often think photos are over-processed that other people seem to like.

[@AsharSiddiqui79]

I'd agree with you... for me ON1 looks real and more balanced out of the lot!

[@zenghaowu113]

I have to give the credit to capture one. I printed picture of a motorcycle in blue background at 24 inches. The background have a lot of noise when using Lightroom or Photoshop, only capture one absolutely clean.

[@Steve-dr7rr]

I’m new to all this would I just be looking for better one

[@eccotecc7499]

Hi Anthony, Have you ever considered using ACDSee processing software? If so, what are your thoughts?

[@Peter-io2xs]

I think Capture One looks the best IF that result is what you're going for. Aren't all of these results achievable working from LR or Camera Raw-- depending on how they are sharpened, toned, saturated, etc? Thanks for all you do Tony.

[@philipzwick]

I just updated ACDSee PHOTO STUDIO ULTIMATE 2020 and used it on your raw image. I had forgotten how good it is. Have you tried it because it should be in any comparison like this one.

[@niftytwo]

Sorry Anthony.. I'd like to download the zip files but I can't see where the files are and so I'm unable to download them... There was only one or two of the photos that showed any differences in the video... Hopefully I'll find out how to download the files... Neville J....

[@garyhunt8455]

I'm still an On1 advocate. All very similar but I felt the Luminar was oversaturated which I think is how the product works with considerably more saturation than the others.

[@terjegrnli6259]

I think for an image to compere editors it will be more interesting to pick a landscape photo with skies and clouds - to see highlight and shadows recovery.

[@ZteveW]

I just want a software that allows m to do what MS Picture It used to. I was able to cut, paste, resize, add text/images/lines/shapes, etc. I'm not a professional. I just want something simple.

[@bosmanka]

The link to the files does not work. Too bad.

[@kevins8575]

Did you use a reference photo?

[@vinnyg2619]

I use ON1 and have for a few years; it's good enough for me. It can do a lot of what I want it to do and I'm comfortable with it. I also have DXO and it is very good but transitioning from DXO to another program is slow. I have Affinity as well and use it for panos and stacking and bought it before ON1 had it in the program; it seems to do a better job at stacking then ON1. Affinity can also handle things that ON1 can't but with that said I very rarely use it. I agree with the person who said the best is the one you like.

[@MOAB-UT]

I am about to buy my first software- casual user but want pano stitching and HDR. What program would you recommend? Don't want to spend a ton or get a subscription. Looking at Affinity and NEO.

[@vinnyg2619]

@@MOAB-UT my initial response was removed by someone or something . Affinity is a great inexpensive program with a steep learning curve but plenty of instruction on it. I use ON1 and like it. Luminar IMO is a little sketchy.

[@MOAB-UT]

@@vinnyg2619 Thanks Vinny- so if my budget is say $250 or less, what program(s) would you recommend? HDR and Pano is needed.

[@vinnyg2619]

@@MOAB-UT my 3rd attempt to answer, try Affinity or ON1.

[@MOAB-UT]

@@vinnyg2619 No need to get testy Vinny. I appreciate that your trying to help me. I was just trying to explain my specific needs.. I did download affinity it's working OK but crashes a lot. I ordered more memory for the PC. I just mentioned I have a little bit of a budget in case you had any other thoughts but I'll probably stick with affinity and neo for now I do want pano and HDR. Thanks again.

[@gilm1534]

Nice work done here, but you forgot Affinity Photo 1.8; I think it's the best software of all, although not very handy to use. Anyway, thank you for your explanations always useful in our practice. In the series, the result you obtained from Exposure X5 is the most convincing (personally, I'm fully satisfied by Exposure X5).

[@gosman949]

It doesn't matter to me. I want it all and that's what I get when I use Lightroom for my main editor and all the others for my add-ons when needed!

[@ItsWillLee]

I have used DXO PhotoLab, Nik Collection, Affinity Photo, and Nikon's Capture NX-D & View NX-i. I shoot with a D850 and find Nikon's software to be one of the best but kind of slow. Affinity has come a long way and does a good job, but still lacking some features, I also use the Nik Collection as a plug-in with it. Recently, DXO PhotoLab has become my "go to", the u-point/control point feature is the main reason plus how fast & easier it makes processing..and the Film Simulations are the best in the industry, imo :) *edit* I "HAD" PS/LR as well, but like a lot of others, not a fan of their monthly scambership..err, membership, ;-p

[@marcpilon4585]

Did you Enhanced detail new function in Lightroom?

[@Leptospirosi]

IMO, the file that looks best is Capture One 20: it seems less oversharpened, keeping the background natural and yet brings out most of the details. I cannot say how much is due to the "hand" of the user or to the program capabilities. I own Luminar 4 (total crap in windows but decente in OSX) ON1 (which I use most of the times) and a free Capture One for Fuji license and stopped paying for LR a year sgo

[@Anarki2U]

As a Sony user it is easy and fast to get an exellent finish result with Capture One !

[@richardpockat5125]

Each different and there are things to like or dislike on each of these images. No clear winner based on these single images IMO. It looks like the brushing was a little heavier on the Lightroom example. I'm REALLY enjoy learning from your videos and am currently using Lightroom with Luminar as a plugin for special effects (like sky replacement, sunbursts, etc.) and also using Topaz DeNoise AI as a LR plugin which I think is fantastic for removing noise and increasing sharpness. Just be careful not to over sharpen when using DeNoisel

[@DigiDriftZone]

One key bit of info that would be useful is to know how long it took to edit in each software?

[@mdturnerinoz]

Suggest a follow-on video discussing other criteria such as cost (initial and ongoing (i.e. subscriptions)), ease-of-use, general power for complicated editing situations (this one could be left out), and features. I would still like to see Topaz Studio added here and maybe even DXO Photo Lab as both of those are quite good as well (Topaz best for artistic usages I aver). Just my $A.02! PS Note too that maybe you want to add Photoshop since it would come with Lightroom CC as part of the sub. PS2 Photolemur is the easiest to use for almost Luminar 4 results with one button (it's owned by the Luminar 4 folks anyway).

[@voyagersquaremuzika]

Hi! They are all ok but still Lightroom is the best for me because it has the best options, for example no program has the "Photo merge HDR or panorama" option and the Transform option in Lightroom is great. It is very important to me that Lightroom has an automatic horizon leveling option, only DXO Photolab has this option except Lightroom. Thanks! :)

[@jaroslavtacheci232]

On1 Photo RAW has Photo merge HDR, Panorama, Focus Stacking, Layers, Resize ....

[@keithpinn152]

Hi Anthony: This was an interesting video as I have been trying to determine if I need to be looking beyond LR as my RAW editor. I liked the version from LR best, followed closely by Capture One Pro 20 and my least favourite version was from Exposure X5, but in saying that all images were so close. In my mind there is not a hands down superior product which brings us back to the entire question of workflow, and features within an integrated experience. For my money that is the Adobe Creative bundle for photographers. Cheers, Keith

[@ezpzjeez]

There is flaw in quality of jpegs. Capture One & Lighroom files are in 300 dpi whilst On1 file is merely at 72 dpi. It means On1 has already lost lot of details and can't be use for true comparison. To my eyes, Lightroom is either the same or just an edge over Capture One.

[@metalmick99]

Very interesting comparison. I was less impressed with some results than others. I came here from Rico Richardson's channel, where I was very impressed with Darktable's results - and even more so at Rico's depth of knowledge of DT - and since I prefer to work in Linux,DT and RawTherapee are my go-to applications, with DT edging ahead due to its masking tools, although RT has a fork now that has added masks. For a long time, DT had no interest in Fuji RAW, but since adding support for this format, I suspect it has gained popularity significantly.

[@gharrop1]

Very interesting test...I have not yet downloaded the jpgs, but will...but from your video most of the major differences seem to come from the treatment of the background ..thanks as always , .

[@ronyzmiri]

For me Capture One is the best, after trying all of them!

[@GaryParris]

Darktable is better, GIMP is powerful both are free and give you the same results

[@philipzwick]

All pretty close and acceptable except for Luminar, which I found garish. I used On1 Raw with a Fuji preset I developed for my X100F camera and got a much better image than any, IMO. Shame I cannot show you how good it is, especially with a brightened eye and Dynamic Contrast. In the end, it comes down more to the workflow you enjoy using, doesn't it.

[@garyniederpruem7583]

Luminar 4 is equally as good as all the others and takes way less time. For 99% of us we want to take photos not spend hours post processing and luminar does that for me. Having said that Lightroom’s catalog system is hands down the best so the combination of Lightroom and luminar 4 as a plug in is my winner

[@inmouchar]

I guess we all have different experiences. Don't know about the post processing sliders and options, but I tried Luminar 4 and it was excruciatingly slow to load photos, apply changes, navigate between photos, etc. I was looking for an alternative to Lightroom, which was equally slow. Granted, I don't have a powerful computer (Surface Laptop 1st gen). Still, I now use Capture One and things are MUCH faster. I can apply many layers, remove dust spots, etc., and it never slows down. In my experience, Capture One has been considerably faster than Luminar. EDIT: And no, I don't "work" for CO. It's not perfect, but as far as speed is concerned, it has been much better than the other options I have tried.

[@garyniederpruem7583]

I guess I should quantify my opinion that Luminar 4 takes less time. I absolutely agree with you that the latency factor is slow in luminary 4. I do have a new MAC with a very fast processor etc so its not too bad but still slower even in lightroom. My comments were more directed to getting my photo to where I like them with fewer sliders. Also if you do any sky replacement or layers it is much faster than lightroom or in the case of layers, photoshop. I have never tried Capture One so I am sure it is also very good. I really don't see how I could change from Lightroom right now as my main post processes as they still have the best catalog (sorting, filing, rating, keyboarding etc.). I don't know if any other processes that comes close. Again just my opinion

[@buddha9987]

Where is Affinity ??

[@GallicGarlic]

DxO not on your list? I see you shoot Fuji, which explains the omission

[@tonygreenwoodN10]

Hmmmm...tricky exercise. Clearly, they're all very competent software tools because if your aim is to make all the jpgs look the same, that can be done (on this base image anyway - assuming sufficient skill of the editor - which very clearly Anthony has) - IMO there really is very little real difference between the jpgs. I'm a Fuji shooter and own both C1 and ON1, use both - they each have their strengths and weaknesses (I also have Affinity). I guess it's all down to personal preference re usability, workflow and performance in producing images you like.

[@jimmitchell8244]

Making them all look the same seems like a big waste of time. Capture one 20 (with a lot of learning) has been doing a superb job on my fuji files. Much cleaner and sharper than Lightroom.

[@marcpilon4585]

Jim Mitchell have you tried Enhanced detail new function in Lightroom?

[@jimmitchell8244]

@@marcpilon4585 Yes. It does a good job but makes the photo really really large.

[@insanecuckooman8342]

you could have made a comparison of features at least.

[@blueelegy8570]

Capture One

[@on_joe_lee_]

I personally prefer Lightroom. Whatever I can’t do on there, I use Photoshop.

[@Nonduality]

I use Lightroom in some detail, thanks to Tony's lessons, and Photolemur to punch up and finish my Lr work. Luminar 4 looks interesting.

[@edwardcorrado2541]

They all look good to me but I like the Capture One the best and the On1 the next best. But as I said they all are good, just a bit different and it is very subjective.

[@justmythought7658]

Sorry, this is not a good comparison. You didn't even mention some very good converters. And to compare programs like RAW converter, you really have to know how to use them and that takes a lot of time. And don't forget the money. I always liked Capture one for example. But the price is insane. I rather buy a good lense for that money.

[@skydj100]

Lightroom

[@ZappaBlues]

I use Lightroom because it fits the way my brain works.

[@jasonng3239]

Luminar

[@chiuyuenkwan833]

You Have missed out Topaz Studio!

[@johncrighton4738]

Dude, fuji ... really. Most people won't use that camera

[@ernestrex5264]

Luminar 4 for my eye. Thanks for the comparison.

[@rhiwderinraytube]

As you say the use of editing software is down to personal taste. Basically, it boils down to how effective the software is for the majority of your photos AND how easy it is to use. Another factor is Cost. I used to use Photoshop and hated Lightroom. Eventually, I got used to the differences and now I prefer Lightroom for most things also I still use Photoshop occasionally. I also prefer to use the NIK Software plugins for things like noise reduction.

[@BinnieB81]

Which one is free? That’s the one I will like.

[@behramcooper3691]

Provided you have used the same or similar filters with the same strength: 1) Luminar has the least noisy output. Capture, Exposure and On1 are relatively noisy. 2) Except for On1, all others have equally good clarity. 3) The foreground (bird) stands out best against the background (bokeh) in Lightroom and Capture. 4) The eye of the bird stands out the best in Exposure and On1. 5) The overall impression is best with Luminar 4. 6) I use Luminar 4, so I win 😀. 7) I then tried an experiment: I opened the RAW file with Irfanview (freeware), edited it with built-in filters, a few free Photoshop (.8bf) filters and a little bit of an older version of Nik Collection (also free), and I think I got a reasonably acceptable but much clearer and sharper result without spending a cent. I win again 😀.

[@zootropo]

Could you post your edit to compare, Behram? Thank you

[@bjrn-einarnilsen687]

I use Luminar 4, and in my opinion it had the best result in this test too.

[@christaylor8410]

Personally, I think this approach to comparing programs is useless. I never edit a photo to get it to look like another photo. I think most photo editors CAN make a photo look almost any way. The question is - how easily can it do it. How easy is it to mask. How natural does the resulting mask (and treatment to a masked area) look? How good is it at noise reduction? How much control do you have over feathering? How easy is it to do sharpening? Do the results typically have more/less artifacts? How effective (natural looking) is content-aware erasing? Does content-aware erasing allow you to control where the "similar" pixels to be used for replacement come from? Do you have brushes with shapes other than round? This can make a big difference when trying to mask something like a window frame and get right into a corner. In some cases (such as applying a slight blur or sharpening), it really won't make a noticeable difference. But if you are doing something like a colour swap, it can make a big difference. I am not saying it would be easy to make a video doing those sorts of comparisons. Far from it. It is all still very subjective. And although programs have 30-day trials and such, I think that is a very short amount of time to really get to know how to use a program and discover its true power. "Which is the best photo-editing program for me?" A very hard question for me to figure out. Twice as difficult for someone ELSE to say.

[@AllenMaestas]

The best is Capture One, the worst is Luminar 4. For fun I'm going to try processing it with DxO Photolab 3

[@BurkenProductions]

Deluxe Paint is the best (if you run DOS that is).

[@MrTriumphST]

No on a Amiga 1000

[@harshbiozone]

ADOBE Softwares are best.

[@mae2309]

Luminar looks amazin.. lightroom is there as well. The others look great but it lack on color exposure.. But luminar was the best one.. follow by lightroom

[@bazwillrun]

Capture1 looked "best" to my eye, but IMHO they all looked awful, far too much sharpening, made them all look unnatural....

[@actualfactual8737]

Annoying

[@tyroneshoelace4872]

Well, this was a waste of my time.