Difference Between Darktable and Lightroom
Lightroom is the software program created by Adobe, mainly for photographers. It allows users to create and complete artwork without destructing the originally built design. The wonderful thing about this software is it organizing the artwork. We can organize all the artworks to complete the full catalog and save the inside one. LRCAT file. Keywords provided with this software further helps in organizing the data. Commands like flags, stars, and colors help the user to edit the design according to the requirement. People generally use Photoshop software for doing the major design work, and Lightroom is used for small editing tasks. Exporting the data of Lightroom into Photoshop software is quite easy and comfortable.
Darktable is also a free image editing software. This is an alternative software like Lightroom. Its features are like Lightroom. This is an open-source program provided by Adobe. To edit any RAW file is difficult in all software available in the market. With Darktable software, we can edit the RAW files from over 400 cameras. Like Lightroom, we can edit any image without destructing the original design. We can edit the image and revert it back without degrading its quality. Because of almost similar features, we can use any software from Lightroom and Dark table. It has a long list of exporting its data into other software. We can export images directly into Facebook and Flickr and send them to any person directly through email. One of the differences between this two software is that we cannot automate the repetitive tasks with Lightroom software, but with Darktable, we can do it. With the automated repetitive tasks, we can speed up the process of editing any image.
Head to Head Comparisons Between Darktable and Lightroom (Infographics)
Below are the top 7 comparisons between Darktable vs Lightroom:
Key Differences between Darktable and Lightroom
Let us discuss some of the major key differences between Darktable vs Lightroom.
- Lightroom desktop interface is user-friendly. Its interface is like Photoshop. Lightroom works with the use of 7 tabs’ name as modules. All the major work will be done in the Library module, while another editing task will be done in the Develop module. All the features are well placed in the interface, which makes it is easy to navigate throughout the software. Darktable interface is almost like Lightroom.
- Darktable had many tools to use, but all the tools are clustered, making it difficult for first-time users. All the features, like colors etc., are not organized properly. The import feature is fast in this software.
- Lightroom is unbeatable to any other software in organizing its work. We can use folders, smart collections and many other ways to arrange the images. Keywords supported by this software also help users for easy searching of the images in this software. Keywords can be used during the importing of any image. This will save a lot of time and work. These keywords can be added to the library module after using them. Lightroom not only provides keyword suggestions but also allows the user to choose from keyword sets.
- In dark table software, keywords are known as “tagging”. User will use feel difficulty in using keywords if he/she uses Lightroom software more often. We use tags inside the tagging area. We can attach tags to the image instead of adding them. To do that, double click on the image to add tags directly in the image tagging area. This software does not have an obvious way of finding images with the tag. We do not find any keyword list which will take directly to the selected image.
- Lightroom processing time is excellent. We can adjust the image according to our requirements using contrast, exposure, and tone curve sliders. We can play with the colors all around the image. Balancing of white color along with the use of HSL (Hue Saturation Luminescence) area provides good contrasting images. We can find all these features in the Develop module.
- This module allows the user tweaking feature also. We can use before or after feature name as X and Y modes through which we can compare images together. Its feature creates a virtual copy option that allows us to duplicate the user’s images. Processing of Darktable is almost like Lightroom. Users will experience processing speed only when they become familiar with any software.
- Color editing in any image is better in Lightroom software to compare to Darktable. Sharpness and contrast in the image quality are also good in Lightroom software. The image made with the Dark table software is less punchy and less saturated.
- The Black and white image produced with the help of Lightroom is punchier compare with the Dark table. It has more contrast.
- With the introduction of Creative Cloud, Lightroom software is available online with monthly subscription charges.
Comparison Table of Darktable vs Lightroom
Let’s look at the top comparisons between Darktable vs Lightroom.
|
Darktable |
Lightroom |
| Darktable software is available Free for its Users. | Lightroom software is not available for Free in the market. |
| Its user interface is not so much friendly to the user. The user has to search for the commands to edit any image. | It is easy to edit any image in Lightroom as the user interface is very much friendly to the user. |
| Image produced with this software is having blurriness. | Image produced with this software is more contrasted and sharpness. |
| This is cross-platform software in which the user can change their software. It not only works in Linux based software but also in other open-source program. | Making some modification to the software is very difficult. |
| To do repetitive tasks in Darktable is easy and comfortable to the user. | Lightroom is generally used for new tasks of image editing. |
| Working with keywords in the Darktable is difficult. | Making keywords in this software is simple and easy. |
| Darktable is somewhat complicated to use. | This software is easy to use because commands are simple to use. |
Conclusion
Both the software allows users to edit the image, with each having some advantages and disadvantages. People generally like that software which is friendlier for its users. Dark table software is available free for its users, which allows more people to use this software and increase its market share. Lightroom by Adobe produced images with more contrast.
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