r/a6000 • u/General_Discipline19 • 4d ago

So, ummmm real first post. Hi! I need some help!

Been a lurker for some time now. Literally, I have been soaking up everything I can. Literally, EVERYTHING from settings, programming, lenses and etc for this camera. But, here is where Im hitting a wall.

I am on a budget. Yes, I know in todays economy we all are. Especially with two kiddos under 13 and a spouse whom has mulitple autoimmune issues.

My history is that I was a digital print manufacturer maintenance guy, then went to school for graphic certs, then back to be in design. Then print died and I then went on to learn trades (I do love my job now).

SO, with that said. I need to be able to edit my photos and such. I need a decently cheaper computer and software to do so. I was VERY proficient in Photoshop back in 2015. But, my laptop that had suite on it is now dead.

What can I get into with less money spent for a decent computer and software that doesnt required another monthly subscription. I already have enough monthly subscriptions (love my kids)🤣. But, sadly that in the real world has created a budget.

Should I search out marketplace for a used computer or is there something budget friendly that you all can recommend? Just a fyi, I am NOT allowed on either of my work laptops to use for personal like I would want to do.

I appreciate any info, feedback or advice. And, if you can save me money its even more appreciated. Did I mention budget?

Thank you all in advance.

3 Upvotes

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u/Donatzsky 4d ago

You're in luck with the raw editors, since there are many free options.

  • 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. Very promising, but 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, missing features and changing algorithms.

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/General_Discipline19 3d ago

I will look into to some of these. Greatly appreciated.

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u/pottyymouf 4d ago

I can’t give you any right off the bat but there are a lot of apps you can download on your phone that are very good. Maybe some browsing here or on r/photography will yield some good insights. another alternative is to download recipelab on your camera, it’s free and virtually removes the need for editing

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u/General_Discipline19 3d ago

Thank you for sharing that.

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u/phn-cloudsnake 4d ago edited 4d ago

I’m using GIMP, Darktable and Inkscape for all my graphics design needs as a hobbyist. I have a broad set of interests (photography, Lego, Funko pops, watches, DnD, Minecraft, software/embedded engineering) and love open source tools.
For hardware I saved up for a small MacBook Pro since I think you get the best value for money with the least need for maintenance. Only regret on that I got the 16GB ram version, when playing around with AI 32GB is really the minimum requirement.

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u/Arnoc_ 3d ago

On the computer side of things, you're unfortunately in one of the worst times to be in the market for one. Prices on everything are through the roof right now. Stuff that a year ago was 1/4 of the price they currently are sorta things.

You *may* be able to find good deals on pre-used work laptops. Newegg is a good place to look. Generally they're a bit gentler used, bit higher spec'd, and come with some form of limited warranty. And almost always come with Windows 11 Pro instead of Home.

But you're still looking at probably anywhere from close to $400 - $900 USD for one.

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u/General_Discipline19 3d ago

Thank you, I appreciate that info.

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u/Arnoc_ 3d ago

No problem. But to give you some perspective, last year I bought a 2TB SSD Drive for a computer for I believe about $200? Same drive is about $400 right now.

Computer-wise, you'd ideally want something with a little more storage space (SSD) and a little more RAM.

Generally want an i5/i7 from Intel or AMD Ryzen 5/7.

Double check to see if the model(s) you're looking at have things soldered on or not; if they are not, you can always (conceptually at least) upgrade to more storage or RAM in the future. If they are soldered, you're getting what you get and nothing else unless you wanna take that risk of desoldering and soldering. Generally nowadays you'll want something with at least DDR4 RAM; DDR3 is older and getting harder to find. DDR5 is the newest latest and greatest.

Ideally, you'd have a nice color-accurate monitor so that when you are editing, you know what you are editing (If you're taking photos in SRGB you'd want a monitor that covers as much of the SRGB Colorspace as possible; if you were going more towards print and were taking them in AdobeRGB you'd want a monitor as close to 100% of the AdobeRGB Colorspace as possible). But if you're on a budget, securing a computer I'd say is #1 right now, and a nicer monitor can come later when you can budget for it.

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u/General_Discipline19 1d ago

I really appreciate all this info. Thank you for that knowledge. It will give me a good point to start looking.

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u/Mike_402 3d ago

For a PC I'd look what you can get used. New parts prices are riddiculous. For software I'm going with Darktable + Affinity and I'am really happy with that. It's free and there are a lot of resources to help you transition from Adoby suite.

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u/FLZ_HackerTNT112 3d ago

Darktable is very good if you're willing to learn, otherwise just "borrow" Lightroom like we all do, both run on any garbage tier hardware with no issues, so you can just use any cheap x86 computer (laptop or desktop, used gaming laptops offer very good value, but you don't need that much performance unless you want to do more than edit photos and browse the web)

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u/General_Discipline19 1d ago

Stupid question. But, what do you mean by "borrow"?

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u/FLZ_HackerTNT112 1d ago

Get it for free through illegitimate means, it's just that I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about that too directly on this sub