#Pixelmator pro upgrade update#

Incidentally, I'm also upset that Chrome removed JPEG XL, which promises to be a common format with proper HDR support.

#Pixelmator pro upgrade update#

The Pixelmator team announced today in a blog post that a new update is currently rolling out for the popular non-destructive photo editing app for Mac, officially bringing it to version 1.1. Adobe has started adding some HDR stuff this year, and that's the only thing Adobe offers that Capture One lacks that I'm even remotely interested in. Attention, photography lovers: Pixelmator Pro is back at it again.

I want to be able to edit and view my RAW photos with extended dynamic range, not be limited to viewing an 8-bit SDR image while editing, and not be limited to exporting crappy 8-bit JPEGs that are missing so much dynamic range (or gargantuan TIFF files that have limited use cases). Even the common iPhone captures HDR photos (and I don't just mean HDR processing that gets stuffed into an 8-bit JPEG, I mean an actual HDR photo in 10-bit HEIF with an HDR curve). The RAW files contain a stunning amount of dynamic range. The one thing I disliked about both Capture One and Lightroom at the time is that neither supported proper, end-to-end HDR workflows. I also strongly appreciate being able to have a perpetual license, instead of being forced to subscribe for the rest of my life if I want to be able to continue accessing all of my RAWs with the adjustments I make, and not just the exported photos. I did not consider Lightroom CC to be a valid option for various reasons. I don't remember all the details as I did this comparison about a year ago.

Capture One handled importing new batches of photos surprisingly better than Lightroom Classic, which actually locked up for long periods of time, and all sorts of other operations seemed faster, as if the underlying engine was not ancient. Even though it is more expensive for people who intend to upgrade regularly, it is worth every penny in my opinion, but I also think a lot of people will be able to get along fine on the freeware license. Regardless, I tried Capture One and Lightroom Classic side by side, and I liked Capture One a lot better.

Capture One does sell perpetual licenses, so I guess it depends on how often you upgrade.