How to get people to migrate from Lightroom to RapidRAW

[ast43989we23]

Timon, great project - it is something that has been missing so far in the open source space.

I thought about what is holding people back to move away from Lightroom. If I look at my own journey, Lightroom was the last application for which I still had to operate a separate Windows PC, otherwise the entire family had been running on Linux. I have since migrated to Linux also for photo processing and I am currently using RawTherapee as a raw processor and digikam for photo management. That combination works well for me now but it took significant effort to move from Lightroom to RawTherapee given how complicated the UX/UI is (and yes I also tried darktable but prefer RawTherapee). Also, I put in quite some effort to create LUTs from my LR-preset library to be able to use existing LR-presets as a basis in RawTherapee.

I assume given my own experience that people are held back by 2 things to move away from Lighroom (at least in the hobbyist space):

1. Simple efficient workflow and tools that are straight forward to use
2. Library of presets

You are currently addressing 1) with RapidRAW introducing a simple way to edit photos; e.g. simple, Lightroom comparable tools for color and great features such as AI-driven masking. It probably also requires to address 2) to get people to move. However, addressing 2) could be a game changer for open source raw processing software. What that would probably require is:

1. Being able to convert (most) LR-presets to RapidRAW sidecar files. Also it might not require to convert all settings but things that most presets use like curves (overall, RGB), color, basic exposure settings, details, ... I am probably missing a couple of settings here.
2. Being able to process/load Adobe dcp files since most presets build upon pre-loaded dcp files for the respective camera providing initial tone curves.

This comment is meant to trigger a discussion not to propose a solution or suggest a specific way/UX to implement that. If people could re-use or convert their existing LR-presets that would make migration away from LR incredibly easier for a huge number of photographers and could really push the adoption of RapidRAW in the photo community.

Cheers

[pfalkingham]

One of the biggest hurdles I've seen trying to move away from adobe is that nothing else supports applying camera profiles based on metadata.

The reason for this is it's not trivial - each camera maker has their own EXIF tags for this, and each camera needs it's own profiles. ON1 RAW can provide the profiles, but doesn't read the metadata and apply automatically.

Why this matters: I like to make artistic choices in the field about colour profile (particularly B&W vs Colour, but also vivid, neutral, etc). But I still want to work with RAW files. If the RAWs lose the colour profile that creative choice becomes a chore to pull back.

There is a way forward for something like Rapid Raw, but it's not trivial. It would involve firstly, reading the EXIF tags and finding the colour profile used when shooting. Secondly, it would involve applying a preset - these could be provided by the user (e.g. dcps sourced from the lightroom/camera raw directory of an adobe install).

[infolific]

There's no one thing. For example, the other commenters are interested in presets and camera profiles, but I don't care about either. Instead, the top of my list is that I favor applications that are portable and my current combination (digiKam + darktable) are.

That's 3 people already with 3 different interests.

[sjorge]

While I keep experimenting, it's a few things all adding up.

• No/partial Apple ProRaw or whatever it's called support (iPhone 17 Pro raw images don't load)
• AI denoise generates a TIFF intermediate, LR doesn’t, and I can easily go back and make more changes to other settings
• No integrated GPS tagging from a GPX track or manually on a map
• No timezone offset editing (at least I haven't found it)

LR(C) still overall offers me a great single app experience for my entire workflow.

Yes, using other tools like gpsbabel on the CLI could scrap two of the above. But ultimately, a large part is convenience and laziness.

I will keep revisiting every few months.

[haavardnk]

I have one blocker for my personal flow. I don't use folder based collections, I have over 30k photos which is organized in year/date/camera_filename, but everything is organized in Lightroom collections, where I have one collection for each vacation, happening, event etc.

As of now, I don't see how I can use RapidRAW to replace this, since there is no collection feature where the file stays in its original location. I am currently migrating my collections to Immich Albums, hopefully in the future RapidRAW will also support this, or even be able to sync together with Immich.

[effectsrequired]

My reasons for clinging to Adobe still:

• HDR / Panorama / HDR Pano Merge with quick workflow: (Select images from library view and Ctrl+H, modify or accept result, auto-create stack of selected images with result on top as a new image non-destructively). Davinci Resolve doesn't do this, even in 21.01! Darktable punts you to Hugin, which frankly sucks: it's an external editor, requires much more user intervention, and delivers subpar results compared to LRC's quick wham-bam integrated workflow. Tacking on external tools is a negative for me unless that tool is unbeatable.
• Aforementioned Camera-detected profiles automatically applied on import via metadeta.
• Metadata-based statistics in the form of the Library filter panel, allowing you to see a distribution of shots based on focal length, aperture, ISO, etc.—in addition to stars, color tags and other user-applied elements.
• Mask selection & Intersection just got even better in LRC 15.4 with best-in-class edge detection for complex shapes like windblown hair and tree branches. It's hard to give that up when it's so good.
• When applying those masks, after making other edits, LRC offers to update the masking selection area to account for changes. This is great.
• I'll +1 the above comment about not creating TIFF intermediates for denoise but manage it non-destructively without creating new files.
• White Balance should NOT be -100 to 100. It should reflect degrees Kelvin
• I use the GPS map feature pane to reference where shots were taken so that I can go back at different times of year and revisit under different conditions.
• SOFT PROOFING FOR PRINT: almost nobody has this. Let me apply an ICC profile, set the background shade for viewing, and preview image look with a given selected paper so that I can perform some final calibration edits before going to print. Essential for gallery work. Not everybody is shooting for social media.
• Cropping presets: Let me save more custom presets, like 8x12, 12x36, and other (un)common frame sizes.
• Support for Arch Linux, not just Ubuntu. If I'm deleting Windows and leaving Adobe, I want a native App. EDIT: Seems to be maintained on AUR at least, but it does not launch properly and fails to run, only the bin works.
• Import needs to be like LRC, selecting a connected card reader and import to RapidRaw + Copy to selected destination in one click. Selecting an existing folder is clunky.
• Unlike the first contributor to this thread, I have zero interest in presets—every image I shoot is custom-edited, everything meticulously adjusted for the best presentation when printed large and hung in a gallery. I recognize that many want presets for hobbyist work, but for professional work it's the above features that'd do it for me. Some pros (wedding, events) may benefit from presets due to the high volume of shots and fast turnaround in their clients' expectations.

[Netspider]

my current LR6 workflow (which does not work great with Wine) includes grabbing images from my camera and importing them into /base/YEAR/YEAR-MONTH-DAY/original-image-name.cr2. Then I tag every image with the persons contained in it and maybe other information. Some of these images are needed months later e.g. for a photo book of the year. I do not know at import time which images I need later on, that's why I only edit them when I need them, not on import. It is also quite difficult to use a project based folder structure, most photos are not "wedding this" or "holiday that" but just "misc"

• +1 for the camera lens profiles
• multi select on "project" folders (or a filter/search by date range): "show me all photos of personX (tag) from the last 3 months (or absolute: from:2026-05-01 to:2026-07-08)
• a way to automatically continue the session when I start the program (I can always get to the main menu with the house icon)

RapidRAW looks great! Last time I looked at it I did not see an import option, now it's there :-) The different languages are also nice. Maybe I can find a folder structure that fits my needs...

[Braintoe]

Haha, exactly this was my intention - to replace my aging Lightroom 5 :-)

I do not miss much in RapidRAW - basically my usual workflow is possible with it. The main obstacle is my small camera. A minor but a bit unnerving issue RapidRAW shares with Darktable is that I need to set the lens correction every time manually. the second, much bigger one is this one: #1277

This renders RapidRAW unusable for me... for now. But I hope for quick evolution ;-)

[effectsrequired]

I am using the current Lightroom 15.4. I have a valid, paid subscription. I don't want to give Adobe money, but until something with full feature parity arrives, I'm stubbornly refusing to compromise. I'd love to see free open source software take Adobe's lunch but we are simply not there yet, for all the reasons I outlined above.

Pano/HDR combined merge in one click, robust catalog support (not sidecar files), all the tools for preparing an image for PRINT, and top-tier masking selection & denoise tools. I don't give a damn about generative anything; just the best professional tools to edit shots for gallery shows, and none of the free softwares (and neither most of the paid ones) are good enough.

[effectsrequired]

I will ALWAYS necessitate a "dumb" remove tool, and a "dumb" version of most tools. Because using Generative tools can be disqualifying for some art shows, galleries, and contests. Also because for many reasons, I do not support generative tools at all. The only "AI" I ever want to see is in mask selection, which does not modify any pixels.

[bartkummel]

robust catalog support (not sidecar files)

I'm not sure if I agree with that. Apart from the licensing model of Adobe, one of the things that really annoys me is the huge catalog file. Especially when creating a backup, it's very annoying if another update changed the whole catalog, and the backup software needs ages to backup all the new data. With that in mind, sidecar files actually doesn't sound like a bad idea...

[Braintoe]

You can force Lightroom to create sidecar files: https://mathiashueber.com/migrate-from-lightroom-to-open-source-alternative/
There are also ways to force-create them on existing data - just search for "Lightroom create XMP"

[effectsrequired]

I prefer them all in one place vs cluttering up my folders with many small files. I dislike the sidecar solution and would like the Lightroom-style catalog as an option. This is a dealbreaker for me, which is why I listed it.

[Braintoe]

Both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. If the monolithic Lightoom database fails, you will be in serious trouble unless you have a current and working backup at hand. If a sidecar file fails, you have one picture that is messed up.

On the other hand: in Lightroom you have just one file to back up apart from your RAW files. If you use sidecar files, you basically double the amount of files to back up...

[Braintoe]

Completely forgot above: I do miss one more thing in RapidRAW, and that is auto-application of default settings on a per-camera-basis, as Lightroom and Darktable are capable of. See #1363 for a detailed explanation.

[bartkummel]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why does no one mention their existing catalog? If I would migrate away from Lightroom, I'd need a way to save all my edits. Otherwise I'll end up with a huge archive of unedited RAW files. Or I'd need to export my whole catalog to JPGs and save those alongside the RAWs. Rationale: when I need a digital copy of a photo from years ago, I often want it edited the way I edited it back then. I don't want to redo all the editing.

As a migration path, I would find it acceptable if RapidRaw would import my RAWs + high res previews together. I'd be able to either take the preview or edit the RAW from scratch. But I don't want to do double bookkeeping: keeping separate archives of RAWs and JPEGs.

[Braintoe]

Darktable for example is capable of using Lightroom sidecar files at least partially: https://darktable-org.github.io/dtdocs/en/overview/sidecar-files/sidecar-import/

BUT: All programs (Lightroom, RapidRAW, Darktable, you name it) work differently internally and have different tools to choose from.

Therefore, anything you will get is an approximation. If I were dependent on my old edits, I would
a) export the edited version out of Lightroom in the very best quality I could get,
b) accept the fact that I might need to manually re-edit the file in my new program if that "best quality" proves not to be enough for some reason, and
c) save a copy of the old database and the RAW files to be able to reopen them in Lightroom if I absolutely must. (If you use an old Lightroom version with permanent license as I do, simply put that one into a Virtual machine and save that whole VM)

But I would not rely on whatever converter might have been written for the edits - that won't work reliably enough IMHO, regardless how much work would be invested into that.

[bartkummel]

@Braintoe Thanks for adding your perspective. Mine is a bit different though. Photography is my hobby. For me, convenience is more important than a 100% accurate reproduction of past edits. An approximation would be fine in a lot of cases. And in the cases where it isn't, I would be fine re-doing the editing. My main use cases for old photos are:

• Showing an old photo quickly, just for bringing back a memory. For this, an approximation of past edits or a saved preview would suffice.
• Re-using an old photo for a new project where I do need high quality. In this case I would re-edit the photo(s) anyway.

In both cases, having old previews is important, just for browsing. I'm bad at remembering dates and location, so I often brows through my photos, identifying them visually. And I frequently make dramatic edits, so I'm not sure whether an unedited RAW would be enough to recognize the photo.

[adaster98]

For me, I want to see proper indexing for one. Opening each of my folders one by one to generate thumbnails and tag is inconvenient. I don't like waiting, so being able to pre-process every image at once would be great.

Also I want to be able to store the thumbnails generated somewhere portable so I dont have to re-do it every time I move system.

[imaginary-nl]

=== moved comment, wrong place ===

Hardcore (former) LR user here. I really appreciate RapidRAW and use it for small photo tasks.
Switched to Linux years ago, but processing a days work (freelance motorsport photographer) I still switch to LR.
Why?

I explain my LR workflow first:

• start LR
• import photos from memory cards to a specific directory
• scan through the pictures using my mousewheel for the next photo.
  I have three large monitors. One of them displays the grid with photos, the main (46") monitor displays the selected photo at high resolution. This way I can see on this first scan if the photo is really sharp. If so and to my liking for other criteria, I mark this photo with one star.
• when completing scanning all photos I filter photos with minimum 1 star and repeat the process.
  now I have a selection of photos with 2 stars, these are my photos to be processed. I narrowed the number down from 1000/2000 to about 50. This is the fastest way to do so.
• editing the photos (mouse and midi soundmixer keyboard), marking the best with 3/4/5 stars and export them for publishing.
• delete all not marked or 1/2 star photos
• move remaining photocollection to final directory

Where is the mismatch for me with RapidRAW:

• import using RR would be nice, however not really an issue
• multi monitor support as described above
• using mousewheel for next/previous would be nice instead of zooming (user preference)
• moving collections/directories from within RR
• better directory views for retrieval of stored photos (archive search for me)
• import of LR catalog, I cannot abandon my archived photos

Performance:
I like to select the storage where previews are stored. I have dedicated M2 SSDs for this, but this is not selectable in RR.
Storage is on system disk now, which is not preferred (and potential "dangerous" when filling up the system disk).
full GPU support for Linux (I understand the difficulties for that)

Used PC for reference:
Triple monitor setup, AMD 5950x, 128GB RAM, 90TB storage (HDD/SSD), Linux Mint (dualboot Windows for LR)

Just upgraded to RapidRAW 1.6.0 which adresses some of the issues for me, however still slows my down selecting a large set of photos.

Added views are nice and improved speed for previews is clearly noticable. Nice work!

Cheers,
Patrick

[lolluslollus]

I agree with several points outlined above and I am going to add one. To me, the biggest hurdle is the lack of dcp profiles. You can create one without touching Windows, starting from a calibration target (eg ColorChecker), then:

install wine with the instructions at https://linuxcapable.com/how-to-install-wine-on-linux-mint/

get hold of CameraCalibrationSetup.exe (version 2.20, newer version by calibrite make trouble)

get hold of the latest Adobe DNG Converter

shoot the color checker target as bright as possible without clipping anything

convert your test shot with

wine ./AdobeDNGConverter_x64_18_4_1.exe

generate your DCP profile with

wine ./CameraCalibrationSetup.exe

But then, I am missing the "apply dcp profile" in RapidRAW. Even better, there should be a way to attach it to a camera-dependent profile, which is applied by default when importing new images.