Affinity as Photoshop alternative - for B&W simple edits

[Slipperman]

Hi,

Long time user (historically) of Photoshop, though recently using an ancient G4 that I bought with Photoshop way back then. This I wheel out if I want to get some prints done etc.

Everyday computer is a 2013 MacBook Pro, operating Catalina 10.15.7
Have decided I want to use Photoshop again, but have tried Gimp and don't like it - basic things seem too complicated.
Zooming in for example, and just don't like it generally (though free!).

Have read up about alternatives.

All I want to do is replicate what I'd once done in the Darkroom - no complicated editing etc.
Lasso tool, darken skies, brightness/contrast, dodge/burn...that kind of thing.

I did see a Photoshop deal for just under £100 for the year, but appear to have missed that.

Already run Final Cut Pro X on the above laptop (via Apple store download purchase) but may soon need a newer laptop anyway.

How close is Affinity to Photoshop for the above?
Any Photoshop deals I'm not aware of?

Your thoughts welcome!

[bcr5784]

Slipperman said:

Hi,

Long time user (historically) of Photoshop, though recently using an ancient G4 that I bought with Photoshop way back then. This I wheel out if I want to get some prints done etc.

Everyday computer is a 2013 MacBook Pro, operating Catalina 10.15.7
Have decided I want to use Photoshop again, but have tried Gimp and don't like it - basic things seem too complicated.
Zooming in for example, and just don't like it generally (though free!).

Have read up about alternatives.

All I want to do is replicate what I'd once done in the Darkroom - no complicated editing etc.
Lasso tool, darken skies, brightness/contrast, dodge/burn...that kind of thing.

I did see a Photoshop deal for just under £100 for the year, but appear to have missed that.

Already run Final Cut Pro X on the above laptop (via Apple store download purchase) but may soon need a newer laptop anyway.

How close is Affinity to Photoshop for the above?
Any Photoshop deals I'm not aware of?

Your thoughts welcome!

Not a user of darkroom so I'm not sure I'm really qualified to comment. However if all you want todo is "Lasso tool, darken skies, brightness/contrast, dodge/burn...that kind of thing." it seems to me there are any number of alternatives that will do it.

If you shoot in raw and start editing from there, I would suggest that Afinity isn't the best starting point, Dxo is a better place to start - and it's interface isn't so challenging as Affinity. If raw isn't such an issue ON1 makes a case for itself and (for me) has an easier learning curve. But there are free trials of all the alternatives - so why not try all the alternatives - only you can really decide what suits your needs,

[steveatesh]

Slipperman said:

Hi,

Long time user (historically) of Photoshop, though recently using an ancient G4 that I bought with Photoshop way back then. This I wheel out if I want to get some prints done etc.

Everyday computer is a 2013 MacBook Pro, operating Catalina 10.15.7
Have decided I want to use Photoshop again, but have tried Gimp and don't like it - basic things seem too complicated.
Zooming in for example, and just don't like it generally (though free!).

Have read up about alternatives.

All I want to do is replicate what I'd once done in the Darkroom - no complicated editing etc.
Lasso tool, darken skies, brightness/contrast, dodge/burn...that kind of thing.

I did see a Photoshop deal for just under £100 for the year, but appear to have missed that.

Already run Final Cut Pro X on the above laptop (via Apple store download purchase) but may soon need a newer laptop anyway.

How close is Affinity to Photoshop for the above?
Any Photoshop deals I'm not aware of?

Your thoughts welcome!

Affinity will do all of that with ease, it is an excellent replacement for PS as a pixel editor and has a useable RAW editor built in.

In addition it is absolutely free now under the name Affinity for Desktop and you get a publisher and designer all built in too.

If they have kept the inter se the same most shortcuts tools will be the same or very similar to PS (but with no AI stuff unless you want to pay for it).

Perfect for what you suggested.

[Derek Smith]

steveatesh said:

Slipperman said:

Hi,

Long time user (historically) of Photoshop, though recently using an ancient G4 that I bought with Photoshop way back then. This I wheel out if I want to get some prints done etc.

Everyday computer is a 2013 MacBook Pro, operating Catalina 10.15.7
Have decided I want to use Photoshop again, but have tried Gimp and don't like it - basic things seem too complicated.
Zooming in for example, and just don't like it generally (though free!).

Have read up about alternatives.

All I want to do is replicate what I'd once done in the Darkroom - no complicated editing etc.
Lasso tool, darken skies, brightness/contrast, dodge/burn...that kind of thing.

I did see a Photoshop deal for just under £100 for the year, but appear to have missed that.

Already run Final Cut Pro X on the above laptop (via Apple store download purchase) but may soon need a newer laptop anyway.

How close is Affinity to Photoshop for the above?
Any Photoshop deals I'm not aware of?

Your thoughts welcome!

Affinity will do all of that with ease, it is an excellent replacement for PS as a pixel editor and has a useable RAW editor built in.

In addition it is absolutely free now under the name Affinity for Desktop and you get a publisher and designer all built in too.

If they have kept the inter se the same most shortcuts tools will be the same or very similar to PS (but with no AI stuff unless you want to pay for it).

Perfect for what you suggested.

I agree with that. I've been an Affinity Suite user since their original beta and would not return to PH, especially at current prices. I've not used the free Affinity, but according to reports, it's not noticeably inferior to the paid suite.

Affinity does everything I need apart from cataloguing. I used the free Adobe Bridge for a while, but it began to run a bit lumpily and I've changed to my own form of cataloguing.