Actually, Poser doesn't have a crappy lighting system, it just requires that you know what you are doing. In this case the solution is in adjusting the shadowcam and map size for the light in order to provide the Poser renderer with enough information and detail to properly place shadows when they are close to objects You do not necessarily have to use raytracing just to get better shadows, but you do have to set your shadowcams to be close enough to your subject to grasp the detail and map size appropriate to the size of your final render - also remember that the larger the map size, the sharper the shadow edges will be - if you want soft edges, use a low map size (256 to 512 is generally fine) and be sure your shadowcam is zoomed in close to your subject.