RapidRAW – The Lightroom (non-Classic) killer as Darktable is to LrC?
RapidRAW – The Lightroom (non-Classic) killer as Darktable is to LrC?
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/34104202
Guys, I just learned about this new FOSS editor called "RapidRAW" on GitHub, and this might well be the Lightroom (non-Classic) killer as Darktable is to Lightroom Classic. See, as much as I love Darktable for its power and feature set, most of my non-tech photographer friends have mentioned how its power comes at the cost of complexity even beyond LrC. Yes, I love DT, but I do have to agree – It can be overwhelming to a newer user not as familiar with LrC or wanting to learn a whole new program just for quick edits.
...and then I found RapidRAW! This looks like it could be it: A sleek, lightweight, elegant, comprehensive (enough) editor that seems to finally strike the balance between power and beginner-friendliness! Even better, like Darktable, it too appears to be FOSS, breaking away from the money-hungry Adobe corporate software! Now, I've only just started looking into it, but what do you think? Could this be the next piece in the essential toolkit for Ex-dobe users switching from Lightroom but not quite wanting a full LrC replacement? Check it out!
I don't know, I'd stay clear of this one. The author seems to be all about LLM-all-the-things and it's possible this was largely vibe-coded. I use Lightroom (non-Classic) because it'll sync instantly between Mac, iPhone, & iPad. I'd love to use a FOSS solution if it were available, but this doesn't seem to be the answer.
First you accuse the software author of writing heretical software, provide no evidence, then you recommend Adobe of all things, and then you say an Open Source alternative does not exist when that is in fact what this is.
You people run circles around yourself to feel good about not using some neural networks you don't even know how works.
It was vibe coded in two weeks. It doesn't have color managed. Its missing a lot of things.
In all fairness, RapidRAW still wouldn't solve this person's needs (a mobile editor with desktop sync) even if it didn't flag their suspicion, and vibe-coded programs rightfully should warrant a bit more investigation. They are still a relatively new phenomenon and malicious programs DO exist. From my (admittedly somewhat brief) research, RapidRAW's developer seems to be credible, though I understand caution.
On iOS and iPadOS, I usually resort to Snapseed, though that is also where one of Adobe's few free editors exist in the form of Lightroom mobile. I'd love it if Darktable or RapidRAW got a mobile port, but at least here in the US where sideloading is still not the most accessible and the alternative is a paid developer account to be available in the App Store, I can understand where they're coming from.
Fair point on the AI caution. The author actually shares a similarity to myself with my own "LaunchBack" Launchpad revival app which was also a good amount vibe-coded in the initial version. To quote the developer's ReadMe,
The thing is, "vibe-coded" doesn't always have to mean some terrible project stealing data with a million backdoors. From the looks of his GitHub page, he's made a fair share of programs and contributions already, and he's done a good amount of improvement and updates since the first release. Utilizing AI in development isn't necessarily a bad thing. Now, as far as programs that sync between mobile AND desktop in this category, I'm afraid those are more sparse outside of Adobe's offerings, and credit where due – Adobe does a good job of that.
I only dislike Adobe because it can be SO inaccessible for people just wanting to learn some photography, forcing them to think "I have to dedicate ##% of my salary to this program, even if I'm just learning things as a beginner." That's the primary reason I stand with FOSS and all, as any option that allows people to work without needing to subscribe to closed-source companies (that are most likely using your data ALSO to train AI models and whatnot) is a win, and you seem to understand that. I'm just suggesting that this app being largely vibe-coded doesn't have to be a bad thing, y'know?
It doesn't have to mean that... but that's what it means.