# RAW processing apps



## lebeau99 (Sep 22, 2011)

Just got a Sony Alpha 6000. The package includes a free download of Capture One Express, which sounds like a light version of Capital One Pro to which you're entitled to upgrade for a price. Familiar?

Any info on Capital One. Saw a brief mention of it in a previous post to the very interesting RAW vs JPEG thread.

Or is Photos now able to handle the task? Or is some other app like Aperture or Lightroom better?


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Capital One has been a pretty good credit card for me. 

Aperture is on its way out the door, so while it previously would have been my recommendation, I can't recommend it anymore.

I haven't worked with Capture One, since I'm not a Nikon guy and it was developed for them originally IIRC, but certainly you should give that a spin, it is well-regarded. I was using Lightroom for a while because I use Photoshop CC and LR is included in the $10/month "photographer's bundle." It's fine and has some very advanced controls, but I'm just not fond of the interface (whereas I have no problem with PS).

Photos can handle RAW just fine, and if your editing needs are light it may be sufficient for you.

I played around with the AccuRaw beta and liked it, but $80 is a bit steep -- if you see it on sale, you might want to take a look at it. Of the free ones, RAW Photo Processor and Darktable are probably the best ones I've seen, but you still need programs like PS and Lightroom or Photos for management and final post-processing.


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## lebeau99 (Sep 22, 2011)

Thanks. I wondered this aft whether I had written Capital One. 
I'll try it anyway I think, and Photos . Then make a decision.


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## smcf (Jul 30, 2010)

hi, I've played with a lot of raw processing software Darktable, Aperture, Lr, Capture-NX, Capture One, iPhoto/Photos, etc. Recently I've heard several reputable photographers maintain that to get the most out of your raw files (meaning doing the least amt of damage) it's advisable to use the raw processing software that comes from your camera manufacturer. For you I guess that would be Capture One.
If you'd rather not use Capture One, I'd recommend giving Photos a fair shake. It's free of course and I personally find it quite a powerful editor (not on par with Aperture but quite good). I'm not a huge fan of its image mgmt capabilities but as an editor it's pretty good.


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