What software do you suggest for ...

I'm coming directly from films - I've never used any photo software
( any help is gratefully received)

Focus Stacking?

I'm testing Helicon Trial > Lite 28$/year Pro 56$/year
Opened it and started to Stack without the need of a tutorial or help.
On a second thought, I checked the options and set them fast as in 3 minutes
So far it gives quite good results and it's fast even on a 150 pics stack.
It allows option for pics alignment and do it in one pass.

I'll test in a few days Picolay <FREE>
unless somebody has already tested it and can tell me something.
I've just checked opening it and the first impression? I find it quite confusing, but there are tutorials online I've not yet checked

Edit & retouching?

Other then Fastone that has some basic features ...
... I have No idea !

Photoshop, Adobe, Lightroom...
from what I've seen they ask for a nice sum upfront or monthly, and there is a very steep learning curve. Disheartening for an amateur like me.

What other needs have to be covered by software ?

BTW I'm computer savvy - history starts from z80 and assembler - a real Dyno -

EDIT:
I forgot to mention that Nikon NXstudio works for me only in Icon mode.
If I try to open and see a specific image it says "processing" for a few seconds and then it crashes and disappears.
Removed and re-installed three times. nothing avail

No idea why it landed in Migration > I went to OS > Software and I hit "new thread" :-(

I'm a little confused :-/

Alain

There's been a bit of shuffling lately ... Sigma Cameras ended up under L-mount from where it was (fixed now, thanks to Alan).

That used to be the case. For a few years now, they basically won't take your money up front even if you want them to. The only option they provide for current versions of any of their software is a monthly subscription-style fee. There's an option for photographers (Photoshop and Lightroom bundle) that is more affordable than their regular subscription rates (slightly).

That's not going to help with the learning curve, but there are lots of resources online (including 3rd party videos on YouTube and the like) that make it a bit less painful.

BTW I've mostly done focus stacking in Photoshop and have been able to get acceptable results. Might be faster/easier in something like Helicon, but I haven't been doing it frequently enough to make the investment (and learning curve) pay off. Yet.

FWIW, although I have a perpetual licensed version of Photoshop on hand for when I need it, I'm doing most of my post processing in Capture One, which you might want to look at. I find I prefer it to Lightroom --- but again, there's a cost and a learning curve to get the best out of it.

Thanks.
I'll look also at CaptureOne.

The issue on my side is:
Raffaello speaks of sculpting marble statues with the Flinstone.

( I'm the Flinstone )

can't advise about that because I don't do it much and when I do, I use Windows command-line Utilities.

My computer is deliberately Adobe-free, I hate them.

How about you start with free FastStone Viewer - easy to use, ask me if not.

Then graduate sky-ward beyond Adobe to free RawTherapee

or, if you discover a need for Layers and Masking, the almighty GIMP.

How deep do you want to go?

Me too, Motorola 6800 assembly and Forth on a BBC Model 'B' ... so long ago

Possible alternative Affinity Photo 2, perpetual licence, low cost IMHO for full featured software. The first version of Affinity ran for a long time with no cost updates. I've not yet done a lot with version 2 but think it is good value. A reasonable learning curve but lots of video tutorials. You don't need to learn how to do everything all at once. It does do focus stacking but I've not tried that with the latest version.

Hello brother Dyno !!

1) Command utilities to do Focus Stacking?

2) Sorry missed mentioning I'm using Fastone - now I've edited the original post

3) Isue here > Klingon speaking to me >
I discovered electric power lines on a nice pic, wondered the best way to remove it ... and it started the questions avalanche!

4) I don't know where to start .. and you ask me where I'd like to go. <dyno shacking head> no idea bro !!!

A very long time ago, speaking with another guy he told me his nightmare was cataloging pictures.
In less than 40 days after I have already used Fastone binning them I have a little less then 1k left - with my big surprise - that can be also another issue

@dgmphoto
Thanks. I've already had a glimpse at AP2.

Whatever the software I'm getting afraid ....
really afraid, of the time it'll take for me to recognize a simple need and what I need, then find a solution and find it inside a huge container.

Sure that's the way not to learn twice how to do a simple thing.

Alas, I prefer to spend my time doing photos...
... But I recognize I risk having a disk full of garbage without PP nowadays.

( you can keep films you'll never print in a labeled envelope in a lost drawer )

Yes, they exist. What would you like to know?

I use one to align images and then another to merge the stack down to one image.

they're like 'macros' in early code - the same software piece but fed with variable parameters.

i guess you already know now how to clone stuff out in FastStone?

Sorry, I didn't ask where you would like to go but what depth of knowledge are you seeking?

I have to agree that if you are looking for a full-featured editing platform that is not subscription-based, Affinity is very good and full-featured, I have version 1, but that being said, I don't use it much. I bought it for use with their powerful page layout software, Affinity Publisher, which integrates nicely with the photo program. I am very happy paying $9.99 a month for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. I think it's a bargain for what you get.

I have a copy of Affinity Photo (v1.8.4) installed and have played around with it a bit -- mostly to see if it is a sufficient replacement for Photoshop (in the event my copy of Ps CS6 will no longer run at some point).

I agree that Affinity Photo is a pretty decent option and broadly capable. I still mostly use Ps because of familiarity mostly (I've been using it long enough that a lot of things have become second nature. Affinity is certainly a bargain for what you get, though.

1) Oh, ok. I get it.
You launch the "program" via CMD or PowerShell, not via UI ... what program are you using ?

2) No :-(
-> not even an Idea of what the "clone" word you used means in the Fastone context

3) Exactly to the point !
I don't know what depth of knowledge I'll need because I'm not even able to grab the basics.

I'm looking at a lot of videos, but every time I can glean only some useful data from a mass of incomprehensible garbage.
Have you tried to understand a video in German? Yes, it's quite similar to English... that's the end of it.
You get something every 20 seconds, not enough to get what the speaker is describing in detail, even if you have a general knowledge of the argument.

( I read and speak 4 languages - German is not one of them )

• probably a chat in person with somebody that is already in the know would benefit greatly my understanding !

sorry<

As a starting point, when you use a digital camera do you shoot in jpeg or RAW?

Always RAW if the camera supports it.

Photoshop, Lightroom, DXO PhotoLabs and Davinci.

These: arrowed. i think they came with an app called 'Hugin'.

I've long forgotten were they can be downloaded from. As you probably know, in CMD if you type the name with no parameters, a list of options appears. This approach could be dead end for you - it's not easy and I've forgotten the answers to the many, msny detailed questions that would arise.

Oh.
It's "FastStone Viewer" by the way. Do you have the manual/instructions for it?

There is one app called RawDigger where you can examine a raw image - for example show a histogram of each RGB color channel to assess actual exposure kind of like looking at B/W negative through a loupe but way more precisely.

Yes, I would suggest a course in basic digital photography rather than a long, long discussion in this thread. Good luck with your journey ahead.

Sorry, missed your question before.

The Z30 allows for Raw, JPEG, and Raws+Jpeg. I've chosen Jpeg Fine, no reason for my decision unless that ...I know what is jpeg.

The basic difference is that if you choose jpeg, the camera takes the data from the sensor and applies its own algorithm, modified by any settings you have set and saves the result as a jpeg. The result is often fine, with the advantage that it can be easily viewed in many applications and devices, file sizes are small. The disadvantage is that any data not used is lost. If you choose RAW files, the camera takes all the data from the camera and saves it. The file size is much larger and you can only open the file in a limited number of applications. The advantage is that you now decide how to manipulate that data into the image you want. For example if there is a dark area in the photo, working with RAW data you may be able to lighten the shadows to show detail. If the camera produces a jpeg that detail would have been discarded. After you have worked on the RAW image you can export the result as a jpeg. I don't know how much you want to work on images to get them just the way you want. If that's important to you RAW is the way to go. If you want to experiment I think NX studio is free for Nikon cameras.

David