Photography Related Software For Linux

For better or worse I’ve been using Linux exclusively for a long time now. More specifically I use Ubuntu Linux as it is pretty user friendly (for Linux).

That being said, I spend a lot of time processing and editing images.

Here is a list of software I’ve been using on Linux and a little about what I think of each one:
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Yeah, I actually use my license of Photoshop on Linux through Wine. It’s thankfully around 95% there functionality wise (Bridge doesn’t work). There are little quirks to the interface here and there, but all of the functions that I’ve used work as they should. I had to tweak a setting in Linux (Gnome interface) to get tools like the clone brush to function with the alt-click:

System >> Windows >> Preferences
Change the Movement Key from Alt to Super (or “Windows logo”)

That way you will be able to Alt-click to select an area for the clone brush to use. Or use the Alt and mouse wheel with the magnification tool to zoom in and out.

Sure, I know Gimp exists and I have used it on occasion, but for various reasons I’ve stuck with Photoshop as my tool of choice.

In addition to Photoshop through Wine, I have been using the Noise Ninja Photoshop plug-in successfully. With their full license, you can also use their stand-alone Linux version.

Edit: I’ve been researching the issue with Bridge and if you dual boot with windows and have Photoshop installed on both OS, you can copy over the install.adb files and Bridge should work. I don’t have that setup so I can’t test it myself. The file should be located at “Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS2”

Rawstudio
I use this program to preview my DNG raw files as it is quite fast in that capacity. Seeing as Adobe Bridge doesn’t work in Wine, it’s a good alternative to viewing raws quickly. I still need to open the images using another method (file explorer or directly through Photoshop).

F-Spot
I use this program to sort my files. The way I have it setup is that I can feed it a directory and then it reads all of the images in there and copies them to a directory that is sorted by year, month, and day based EXIF data in the image files. This is an extremely big help when dealing with thousands of files (especially old unsorted pictures). I went from directories of say 30,000 unsorted pictures in various directories to one single directory all sorted up into dated sub-directories. It’s great. The picture browser is pretty nice as well.

Another option for sorting would be:
digiKam (showFoto for standalone image editing):
I learned about this after F-spot, but I have not really had a chance to try it out. I’m pretty sure it provides the sorting ability as well as other various things like built-in image editing through showFoto. As I said, I have not used it much but it’s nice to have multiple options out there for Linux.

Other software I’ve heard of and/or used occasionally:

DNGConverter
http://www.kipi-plugins.org

GIMP
http://gimp.org

UFRaw
http://ufraw.sourceforge.net

Picasa for Linux
http://picasa.google.com/linux/download.html

Keep in mind that a lot of the programs can be installed easily through the built-in methods of Ubuntu (or your distribution of choice). So say you can search “Ubuntu Software Center” for Rawstudio and install it in one click.

Edit Jan 30 2011:
Ubuntu 10.10 comes with a picture browser/manager application called Shotwell, which is fast and pretty much the best picture browser I’ve used so far in Ubuntu. Their website is here: http://www.yorba.org

Viltrox AF FE 28mm f/4.5 VCM ASPH ED Lens Overview

Viltrox asked me if I wanted to take a look at this unique compact autofocus full-frame prime lens with a focal length of 28mm and a fixed f/4.5 aperture for Sony E-mount cameras. Viltrox agreed to my standard collaboration terms before sending me the lens. In the video I talk about features, how it works in practice, and show photos I had taken on a photo walk with the Sony a7S as well as the APS-C a6000. Viltrox is starting this off as an Indiegogo campaign. They told me that it will eventually be sold through normal retailers: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/viltrox-af-28mm-f4-5-fe-chips-size-ultra-thin-lens They said it will be $99 USD or 109 Euros with discounts during the crowdfunding period. Check out Indiegogo for details. I am not an affiliate of that website. You can check on the status of availability through my usual affiliates: B&H Photo Video Amazon As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases! The front of the lens. K...

Camera Gear Reviews and Marketing Issues Exposed

A great overview by Gerald Undone on his experiences in the field of camera gear related videos! It is an important topic. The more open the better, I’d say. After over 13 years making photography and videography gear videos, I’ve not had a huge amount of success comparatively, but I’ve also never been especially brand safe to begin with for these companies to consider me. 🤣 I think his mentions toward the end of the video are especially important. The unwritten pressure, or worse with companies like Insta360 , shouldn’t be acceptable and should be publicly called out more often. That’s probably the only way things will actually change for the better. I created a video detailing my opinion on the topic further: More of my comments on the video… His YouTube channel. 4:30 I understand that’s what Gerald does, but are there situations where companies are paying for flights and hotel costs of other reviewers with the expectation of a video/article being produced? (EDIT: I’ve seen confirm...

First look at the Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 for Sony E-mount bought from KEH

I've use a Sony Alpha A6000 and the PZ 16–50mm F/3.5–5.6 OSS kit lens with my computer as a webcam for a long time now. It's a lower cost option that has been very consistent outputting 1080p at 30 FPS to a USB based HDMI capture device. The kit lens is generally fine, but it has a few quirks. The biggest issue is that throughout the zoom range the maximum aperture value is not fixed. This introduces technical challenges when I want to show detailed views of product or similar use cases. There are also other considerations I'll talk about later in this article. So I decided to buy the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C lens in E-mount as a replacement. Links in this article are a mix of paid and through my affiliates. I earn from each in different ways. One is a flat fee and the others I earn from qualifying purchases. Considering them for your purchasing needs helps make the creation of this information viable! I made a video unboxing the lens and trying it out with Open ...

PhotographyBanzai.com

Search This Blog