Table of Contents
Since 1990, when the first commercial digital camera and Photoshop 1.0 was released, we all can use digital post-processing methods on our images. At the time a started with digital image editing, which was in 1996 I had no choice. I started to use and learn photo editor Photoshop 3.0, codename Tiger Mountain, on Macintosh computer. And I still use it. Not the old version, but the present one.
Today, we have more options with professional photo editing apps such as
Let me quickly preview these photo editors, so you can decide yourself which could suit you the best. So let’s start with my favourite
Annual plan, 10 EUR/mo for Creative Cloud Photo.
The pioneer of image editing and still one of the best software. I use Photoshop for nearly 60% of my image postproduction editing and image manipulation. It’s great for detailed retouching, colour correction, collages, mockups, composition and digital montages.
It is difficult to use it as a fast, day-to-day tool, for organizing images and multiple enhancement.
With the help of Adobe Bridge app, included with Adobe Photoshop you can organize and prepare photos before editing in Photoshop.
Great work can be done with images opened from Bridge to Camera RAW, which has nearly the same functions to edit RAW files and with better results and processing than with Adobe Lightroom.
The app that is included with Photoshop in Creative Cloud Photography Collection and has all the essentials to organize, edit and share photos on your desktop and mobile devices.
This app works best when organizing, editing, processing and exporting photos. Image quality is very good, but if you want one of the best go for
from Phase One / Price: 279 EUR+VAT
This is a great professional raw converter and image editing software that import, convert, organize, and adjust images that need at least 8 GB RAM.
It built over the years the great quality processing as with 3-way sharpening, Engine 10 to improve image quality, Recipe Proofing to set the right settings.
from Zoner Software / Price: 72 EUR
This photo software covers photography workflow – from downloading to sorting, managing, editing, and processing RAW images. It even displays Adobe Photoshop files.
Great for retouching images, or creating full-blown multi-layered compositions. Best functions are HDR merge, Panorama stitching, Focus stacking, Batch processing, PSD editing, and 360° image editing.
from Affinity by company Serif (Europe) Ltd. / Price: 54.99 EUR
Professional photo editing software with a huge toolset specifically engineered for creative and photography professionals.
Zoner Photo Studio recognizes the photos in your camera and automatically sorts them into folders. If you set it up, it will also rename, tag and back them up.
Over the years I had used Adobe Photoshop for the most of photo editing and mainly for image manipulation. With help of Adobe Bridge, its Camera RAW, and Adobe Lightroom, it was somehow easier to prepare and convert RAW files from cameras.
With the professional editing and output, it was always the best to use Capture One Pro, which is perfect to prepare, process and export files with the best quality and colour accuracy possible.
Affinity Photo is loved for its speed and responsiveness but is hated for the media size it produces, and incompatibility of Photoshop add-ons.
Zoner Photo Studio PRO which I tried for some time was for me a little bit difficult to use its user interface. It has the advantage to see also PSD layered files, but ended up on my secondary PC as a back up for transferring and editing photos when Photoshop and Capture One are not available.
Which photo editor would you choose and why for your image editing? Share your opinion with me!