DaVinci Resolve – Photo

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Blackmagic Design has added a dedicated “Photo” mode to DaVinci Resolve, positioning it as a potential alternative to tools like Adobe Lightroom and Capture One for RAW photo editing and library management. Many photographers and video editors welcome the move, especially those on Linux who have long lacked polished, non-subscription options, though they note ongoing pain points such as codec limitations, UI complexity, and weaker DAM capabilities compared to Lightroom. Overall sentiment is strongly positive toward Blackmagic’s one-time pricing, hardware-driven business model, and rapid innovation, framed against growing frustration with Adobe’s subscriptions and perceived stagnation.

Overall sentiment

  • Strong excitement, especially from people eager to escape Adobe/Lightroom subscriptions and tracking.
  • Many see this as a major move in a stagnant RAW photo market and potentially “top 3” editor status on day one.
  • Others are cautiously optimistic or unimpressed after first tests, seeing it more as “photo tacked onto a video app” than a true Lightroom replacement.

Competition with Adobe, Capture One, DxO, etc.

  • Big interest from Lightroom and Capture One users unhappy with subscriptions, performance, and perceived lack of innovation.
  • Some semi‑pro photographers say the $295 Studio price is reasonable if it can replace LR/C1 and bring Resolve‑class color tools to stills.
  • Several point out that library/DAM and camera profile quality will be decisive; LR’s ACR support and cataloging are still benchmarks.
  • DxO, Capture One, Luminar, Photomator, Affinity, and others are referenced as partial solutions with various gaps.

Linux support and codec issues

  • Resolve running on Linux is a major draw; some say this could finally let them leave macOS/Windows.
  • Reality is mixed:
    • Official support is Rocky Linux; other distros often need workarounds (scripts, containers, makeresolvedeb).
    • Free version on Linux lacks H.264/H.265/AAC due to licensing; even Studio reportedly lacks AAC decode, forcing ffmpeg transcoding.
    • Audio (ALSA/Pulse/PipeWire) and Wayland vs X11 can be problematic; some report rock‑solid installs, others give up.

Workflow, UI/UX, and target users

  • Many long‑time Darktable/RawTherapee users find their UIs powerful but difficult; some hope Resolve will offer “mature UI without tinkering.”
  • Early testers say the Photo page feels deeply Resolve‑centric: you still think in timelines and Color/Fusion pages; masking and simple edits feel unintuitive compared to LR.
  • Some explicitly note it seems aimed at existing Resolve video users who also handle stills, not at photographers first.
  • Node‑based grading is praised as more powerful than layer‑based workflows but acknowledged as harder to learn.

Technical capabilities and quality

  • Strong enthusiasm for Resolve’s color tools, cinematic grading, LUTs, film‑look effects, and the idea of bringing video‑grade tooling to stills.
  • Others argue Resolve lags LR in basics like HDR pipeline/output, wide‑gamut export, and even color temperature behavior; some RAW renders (e.g., Sony, Fuji X‑Trans, Pentax DNG) are reported as poor or buggy.
  • Darktable is highlighted for advanced scene‑referred workflows and upcoming neural denoise; several still criticize its UX.
  • Plugins like Dehancer already work in the new Photo mode, but one plugin author feels the UI is clearly built for video editors, not photographers.

Business model and ecosystem

  • Discussion emphasizes Blackmagic’s model: profitable, non‑VC, hardware‑first, with Resolve (and Studio upsell) supporting camera, panel, and I/O card sales.
  • Free Resolve is considered extremely generous; Studio adds GPU acceleration, higher‑end codecs, noise reduction, etc., and has historically included free major updates.