Darktable is a free and open source raw editor that you can download and install on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It has been developed by photographers, for photographers, and because they are not interested in using gimmicks to make money, it is a very powerful, professional and capable piece of editing software.
The only downside to this opening statement is that Darktable can appear very difficult on first inspection, with a huge multitude of options and an unfamiliar user interface. However, once you understand the core principles, you can get amazing results from your raw files (or jpegs) in only a few clicks and sliders. It’s really that simple, and once you have edited a few images, you’ll understand that Darktable is not scary.
Before you go any further, you may want to visit these two YouTube videos that talk you simply through making an edit.
Having watched those videos, you can see that Darktable isn’t really difficult. As further reading, I have this article on getting a quick and easy starting point in Darktable. Those instructions should set you up nicely.
Of course, there are many good reasons why you should now start investing time and effort into Darktable, and it will make you more productive and save you money (and time from searching through paid editing software!). I’ll run through my top seven reasons:
01. Darktable is free to use editing software that is continually updated a minimum of twice a year, each update improving the experience and performance vastly.
02. Using only the quick access panel, you can get fast and good results. Digging deeper, you can venture further into the options.
03. Darktable has excellent cataloguing abilities, so you can replace Lightroom easily. Images can be tagged, have ratings attached and much more.
04. Darktables raw engine is super powerful, meaning easy recovery of highlights and shadows. It also has very good noise reduction straight out of the box!
05. DT Styles can be used as starting points for your images. You’ll find a great selection here!
06. Darktable has an amazing community, and you will get the help you need quickly and efficiently.
07. Darktable has everything you need for professional results, with no catches, no threat of having to buy into the software and is designed by photographers, for photographers.
We all know that moving to different software can be daunting on times, especially when it is something so very different like Dakrtable. However, watching the videos and looking at the tips in the articles I have supplied will make it much easier!
If you need more information, or more help then the Ultimate Darktable Resource And Guide is the place where you can find out everything you need! If you are a Fujifilm user, look at this article to see why Darktableis perfect for you!
I hope you found this article useful! I know I keep on about Darktable, but as someone who uses and reviews all the major editing packages, I can easily compare it to other experiences and more importantly to the performance of paid for software. I choose Darktable for my work over Lightroom, Photoshop, ON1 Photo Raw 2023, Luminar Neo, DXO Photolab 6 Elite and so many more, because it is awesome!
One Camera One Lens 
You have some great tutorial videos Mark !
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Thanks Marc. Just want to make them simple for people to understand, as so many people make complicated videos.
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