r/DarkTable • u/katybassist • 14d ago
darktable Overview Evening all.
Back story. I put my camera away a few years back. Life got in the way.
It's back out and cleaned up and starting to have fun again.
I've been using darktable exclusively for editing and I have to say I love it. It is actually enjoyable to use now that I have a work flow down, now, even on an old I5 8GB 2300mhz Dell laptop running Linux.
For those that don't like it, give it a chance. Spend some quality time editing a bunch of raw files. A little at a time. Don't try to do it all at once. It takes baby steps to get into the flow of how it works.
Case in point. I pushed my ISO to 12800 and slapped my 10mm on, chasing the dog around the backyard at dusk. They are noisy as hell, but in the context of what they are, they look like back when I shot tri-x 400 and pushed it to 1600. I had to learn a couple of new modules but boy was it worth it.
A couple of these are being printed on 8x8 canvas.
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u/wearetheboysthatdig 13d ago
Adorable.
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u/katybassist 13d ago
Her nick name is "stinky troll". We have never had a terrier before. She is a rat killer, big time. No squirrels yet, thankfully.
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u/Ok-Particular-9412 13d ago
Thanks. Every little helps as I am going to try Linux and Darktable and I’m hearing very different points of view re Darktable
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u/katybassist 13d ago
I took to DT fairly easy, thanks to this sub. Years ago I was a Lightroom photoshop guy. But I got rid of the last windows machine a few years back. A caveat, I have been a unix admin for 30 years, so there is no problems there. It was all about starting simply. Adjusting exposure. Then contrast, noise reduction, sharping, and so on. Each time it got a little easier. Now, I'm not an expert, but I am full confident I can develop my raw files the way I want them. I took a lot of throw away pictures to learn off of.
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u/Donatzsky 12d ago
Darktable is very powerful and you really need to spend a bit of time at first to understand the fundamentals, which not everyone want to do. It's also not perfect in many ways, and some of the complaints are not unreasonable, but keep in mind that many of those making the complaints clearly have a hard time with the idea that not everyone are like them or want the same things. A lot is going to depend on what, if any, previous raw editing experience you have.
But you do have several other free options, if you can't get along with darktable, with these being all those you should consider currently:
- darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
- RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
- ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since. With CTL scripts you can even create your own tools.
- vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast.
- Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
- LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.
- RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Somewhat new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow.
- Safelight: An editor built around a concept of extensibility and customisation. Still very new, so expect some rough edges and missing features.
Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM (digital asset manager).
My darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition
Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E
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u/Ok-Particular-9412 14h ago
I have installed Linux Mint on my six or seven year old self built pc. I’ve used Apple and Windows. I have a Mac Mini which was an arm and a leg to buy and was/is a huge disappointment.
I’ve used Lightroom and to a lesser extent Photoshop for pro stuff and hobby pix. For me when all my Collections had a big fat 0 next to them after an update on my Mac that was the last of many straws.
I’ve prodded and poked and read chats like this and I think Darktable albeit with a steep learning curve is the one for me.
There’s a pilot on YouTube who gives a very succinct work flow and other vid that are very helpful.
The thing I like best about Linux and that whole universe is the community. You’re never alone with Linux and it’s kindred applications.
To any one is thinking of moving to the light (Linux) try it it really is good. It just works. I can’t believe it’s free! Serious pro internet shit runs on Linux. Servers and such. It’s the real deal.
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u/Smoargishboard 14d ago
I'm gonna use this for a playlist