Original video by Anthony Morganti – https://youtu.be/YCny6zDm_v4
Anthony Moriganti recently saw two different videos from photographers talking about a new open source photo editing application called RapidRAW. Now overall, both of those photographers gave it really good reviews, so Anthony was kind of curious to see what RapidRAW was all about and made his video.
The video introduces and reviews a new lightweight, open-source photo editing application positioned as a potential alternative to Adobe Lightroom. The application offers a simplified interface and fast performance but is still in early development. After selecting a folder of images, Morganti demonstrates editing a photo of a sculpture, adjusting exposure, white balance, and color saturation. He notes the sliders work similarly to Lightroom but often respond slowly or inconsistently.
Cropping tools allow basic rotation and aspect ratio control, which the speaker finds intuitive but limited. In the “Details” section, sharpening and noise reduction tools produce minimal visible change, suggesting these features need refinement. The “Effects” panel includes clarity, dehaze, and structure, but the sliders behave unpredictably further showing the app’s developmental limitations.
The speaker explores masking by selecting a “subject” manually, as there’s no AI detection in this mode. By tracing the sculpture, the app generates a usable mask, although some areas are missed and there is no current way to refine it. Adjustments within the mask are applied, but results are modest, and the masking limitations are clear upon zooming in.
Copy-paste functionality allows the transfer of settings between images, but the process is buggy. Edits apply inconsistently, and the mask does not transfer. Differences between the source and destination images suggest the feature is not fully reliable.
Despite its flaws, Morganti sees potential in the app. Developed in just two weeks, it is already functional and may appeal to users seeking a fast, no-frills editor without a subscription fee. He encourages others to explore it and share their findings.
Overall, the app is not yet production-ready but worth watching as it evolves – we’d say ‘as is’ it’s COPPER