How to decide which Photoshop is right?!

Nikonic1

Please forgive me if this question has already been asked and/or covered but I couldn't find it directly. In the mass of available iterations of PS, which one is "the best". Which one is the most user friendly? Which one is the most cost effective?

I know these are vague questions with potentially many subjective answers but any replies or personal experience is appreciated.

:bow:bow

Art Scott

personally for me....it photoshop lightroom.....again there are those I despise LR and would only use the full blown photoshop......I used elements when I worked at Wichita State and took a seminar on processing and was not impressed...after which I bought PS7.........now I almost exclusively use LR........

Nikonic1

What experiences with each finally made you settle on LR?

TonyCooper

Nikonic1 wrote:

Please forgive me if this question has already been asked and/or covered but I couldn't find it directly. In the mass of available iterations of PS, which one is "the best". Which one is the most user friendly? Which one is the most cost effective?

I know these are vague questions with potentially many subjective answers but any replies or personal experience is appreciated.

bow

I'm a fairly experienced Photoshop user. I have Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop CS4, and Photshop Elements.

I can't answer your question because you have not stated what you want to do with whatever program you choose or what you will be working with.

Photoshop CS4 is a image editing program. That's all it does, but it does it very well.

Lightroom is capable of both editing images and storing images with associated keywords that make them easy to locate.

Elements is an editing program that also allows keyword-based storage, but has fewer features than either CS4 or Lightroom. It is also the least expensive of the three, and the easiest to learn.

All three will process RAW images.

I use CS4 as my primary editor and then dump the files into Lightroom for the keyword storage retrieval function. I could edit in Lightroom, but I have been using Photoshop for so long that I am more comfortable in Photoshop.

If you are at a basic level in editing, and find that you can manage your library of images easily using folders, then I'd suggest Elements. It's a fraction of the price and you'll be up and running almost immediately.

If you are ready for a more sophisticated system, willing to spend a great deal of time in the learning process, and able to spend some serious money, opt for Lightroom or CS4.

You'll need to buy at least one good book to learn Lightroom or CS4. The book will cost almost as much as the Elements program.

Elaine

TonyCooper wrote:

You'll need to buy at least one good book to learn Lightroom or CS4. The book will cost almost as much as the Elements program.

Another option would be to purchase a month or two of training from Kelby Training or Lynda.com and work through the great tutorials. If you have some time to put into it, you can learn a lot for $25.

I began with Elements 3.0...then 5.0, then CS3, then LR1 & 2. I didn't know how much I'd get into photography when I bought Elements 3.0, so it served me fine for a time. Now, I use LR2 most of the time and CS3 every now and then. If you plan on growing and learning and eventually upgrading your gear and so on...I'd skip Elements and get LR to start with. I think it will serve you longer.

Good luck!

BradfordBenn

An additional option is to download a trial of them from Adobe (I know one can for Lightroom and Photoshop, not sure about elements). Kick the tires a little bit and see which one you like best. As Tony asked, the key question is what are you trying to accomplish. I use Lightroom for 95% of all my work, but still have Photoshop for the more complex processing.

Nikonic1

TonyCooper wrote:

I'm a fairly experienced Photoshop user. I have Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop CS4, and Photshop Elements.

I can't answer your question because you have not stated what you want to do with whatever program you choose or what you will be working with.

Photoshop CS4 is a image editing program. That's all it does, but it does it very well.

Lightroom is capable of both editing images and storing images with associated keywords that make them easy to locate.

Elements is an editing program that also allows keyword-based storage, but has fewer features than either CS4 or Lightroom. It is also the least expensive of the three, and the easiest to learn.

All three will process RAW images.

I use CS4 as my primary editor and then dump the files into Lightroom for the keyword storage retrieval function. I could edit in Lightroom, but I have been using Photoshop for so long that I am more comfortable in Photoshop.

If you are at a basic level in editing, and find that you can manage your library of images easily using folders, then I'd suggest Elements. It's a fraction of the price and you'll be up and running almost immediately.

If you are ready for a more sophisticated system, willing to spend a great deal of time in the learning process, and able to spend some serious money, opt for Lightroom or CS4.

You'll need to buy at least one good book to learn Lightroom or CS4. The book will cost almost as much as the Elements program.

Thanks you very much for the insightful response. I have done the trials of each program but didn't particularly take the time I should have to really decide which was best. I was more a weekend warrior at that point and just fiddled around. Now, it's time to get better and upgrading my software will be a huge step in that.

TonyCooper

Nikonic1 wrote:

Thanks you very much for the insightful response. I have done the trials of each program but didn't particularly take the time I should have to really decide which was best. I was more a weekend warrior at that point and just fiddled around. Now, it's time to get better and upgrading my software will be a huge step in that.

In that case, I'd recommend Elements. If you aren't the type to really drill down and learn a program, then a program that is easy to learn and work with will work out best for you. Working with a complex program without devoting the time to learn it will leave you discouraged. CS4 and Lightroom can be very frustrating to learn.

Don't sell Elements short because it is simple and easy. Many of the features in Elements are present in CS4 and Lightroom, so you will be learning technique you will use later if you progress.

Also, keep in mind that an editing program is most useful when the photograph you take needs manipulation and a make-over. Working on taking better photos in first place minimizes the need for a complex editing program. You already have a camera.

Nikonic1

TonyCooper wrote:

Also, keep in mind that an editing program is most useful when the photograph you take needs manipulation and a make-over. Working on taking better photos in first place minimizes the need for a complex editing program. You already have a camera.

This is a great point and one I really try to take to heart. No point in getting better at fixing bad images IMO. How about just taking nice photos!!!!!

roflthumbthumbbarb

Miguel Delinquento

Problem is that the better your shots "out of the camera" become, the higher your standards evolve. Pictures have an almost unlimited capacity for improvement, and software tools get you there beyond a certain point.

Most professionals and art photographers these days know how to use software, and use it to improve their shots. Digital photography involves computer software.

I'd focus on learning Lightroom as it will meet 96% of your needs and let you get stuff done quickly. Lightroom is all about workflow management and process control. You have to start out with a pretty good, but flexible, workflow mapped out, including how you are going to store your images for the long term.

Most of my peers have transitioned their Photoshop-based work to Lightroom. They still use CS3/4, but for only a small percentage of the load and for specialized tasks. I favor it for noise reduction and pixel-level edits, but LR3 will incorporate five-star noise reduction.

M

Nikonic1 wrote:

This is a great point and one I really try to take to heart. No point in getting better at fixing bad images IMO. How about just taking nice photos!!!!!

roflthumbthumbbarb

Art Scott

Nikonic1 wrote:

What experiences with each finally made you settle on LR?

In reality photoshop was not developed for the photographer....it was for the graphic artist or the artist in general that wanted to produce really nice realistic computer generated art......
I made it to PSCS and did not like its clumsyness and at the time I was learning all on my own....I did not know of the online tutes...that may have changed my mind but ZI believe all thing happen for a reason....so I was left to fend for my self......I went to a photo enhancement seminar (with Adobe Photoshop) at Wichita State University......it did not state it was using elements.....at the time I was working for Performance Facilities (we did sound, lighting, staging and Professional Recordings of student recitals and also different pro recoding artists).....I thought this would be a way to learn some of the tricks to make really cool cd inserts.........it was elements the first version.....hell I had just sold Photoshop LE.....and it had more power than elements....at that time elements could not work in Raw....so I scrubbed it and bought PS7 so I could work in RAW....did not really like the way I had to do things with ACR and heard of LR....took a trial and tried it....found I could do almost everything I NEEDED to do with it......that sold me........I am now upto LR2.6.........

chrisjohnson

I respect your opinion and am happy that LR works for you.

Photoshop has big advantages for editing, especially via layering. It is a serious learning curve because the concepts are not immediately familiar. You have to invest many hours of work and maybe the whole idea is not relevant to your idea of photography. There is no real alternative and so Adobe charges the equivalent of a top lens.

Lightroom and Photoshop are not comparable directly. It depends what you want to achieve - many serious artists have both. Equally you could have Aperture and Photoshop.