Photo software suggestions

kds1

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the best place to post this. I'm having 'issues' with my photo editing software. I have been using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo for several years and have liked it fine. Seems more user friendly than Adobe photoshop which I tried to learn and failed miserably. I just 'upgraded' to version X3 of Corel PSP.

However, I'm having exif issues. It's not just the Corel uploader from camera to laptop. I just used Windows Explorer and had the same issues - original loads into corel with all the exif. However after I edit the image and 'SAVE AS', and save it to a new file, new name, all exif is then stripped. Only Date Modified and some other brief stuff is saved. I've been through the ringer on this one on the Challenges thread forum - all Save Exif boxes are checked, etc, etc., someone else said it was a bug, etc. etc. Basically, it is not doing what it should do and I am sick of it. I want to be able to SAVE AS and have all the exif that was saved on my original also saved on my edited image.

And too, there are some other issues with Corel PSP - slow, some annoying stuff that could be overlooked if it all worked as it should.

At any rate, I am trying to figure out if I want to switch to another photo editing software. What is the 'gold standard'? I have a feeling you will say Adobe photoshop which has been bloody hell to figure out how to use. Can you all please weigh in on what you use and how you like it? What would you recommend that a starving teacher, single parent, limited budget person such as myself go with for photo editing? Or other suggestions (I'd stay with what I have if I could get my exif info to save with my image - and yes, ALL exif save boxes and options are checked in the program - they just don't work!).

Many thanks!

kds1

Seymore wrote:

Sorry to hear this Kara. I'm running PSP XI (11) under Win7 with no noticeable issues and have debated on this upgrade, but have been holding off. Sorry that I don't have anything to offer, but you may also want to ask questions or search @ the Corel Forums: http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/index.php

Hi Seymore, do you mean Corel Painter 11 is what you use? Or are you talking about something else? (I'm so not savvy about these programs). I have Windows Vista. Searching the Corel forums is a good idea - thanks for the link!

DsrtVW

I started with Corel 12 and have upgraded to X3 and X4 Graphics suites which I have found very good to use. Biggest thing is RAM I went from 1 GB to 3GB on my main machine and laptop made a big difference in speed.
I mostly use Capture NX2 and View NX which came with my D300 Nikon Camera. It is main editing and processing. I use Corel to do special stuff. Masking and composites.

I just went and look to see what you were shooting. Have you tried Capture NX?? DId it come with your Camera. For editing Nikon files Capture NX2 is great in my experience. I know there is a lot of detractors about it being slow.

Art Scott

I started with Photoshop and have moved over 99% of my work to LightRoom now....it is another photoshop product but less expensive and even works as a ddigital asset management software....a great book to learn by is scott kelby's adobe photoshop lightroom 2 for digital photogs ....should be abloe to find a really cheap copy on amazon....got mine a year ago for around $20........

vintagemxr

I've been using Paint Shop Pro since v3.x and have found that about every other version of PSP has obvious issues which Corel / Jasc may or may not bother to fix. Their customer support really does suck. I've been using PSP X2 for more than a year after upgrading from v9. Bought v10 but went back to v9 and skipped v11 entirely.

I upgraded to X3 last week and found it to be a huge, bloated mess that would not even run half the time on my well functioning desktop with a reasonable amount of RAM. In fact, I was so disgusted with X3 I un-installed it and got a refund from Corel.

Thinking it might be time to change after more than a decade with PaintShop Pro I also downloaded Lightroom, GIMP, PhotoShop Elements and some other editing programs. I have to wonder how anyone learns to use Adobe programs as the interfaces are cumbersome and seem very counter-intuitive and also difficult to customize. I realize that is heresy to the PS faithful but you True Believers already know what you're doing with the software. I could do a few things better in Lightroom than I can PSP X2 but not enough to be willing to torment myself by learning an entirely new user interface and nomenclature.

For the money PSP X2 is pretty tough to beat. However, given the dominance of PS in the market, forum discussions, and available add-on goodie$, I'd say that someone just starting out (or not too far into a given software package) would be best off tackling Lightroom or maybe Nikon Capture NX if they are a Nikon user and PS if they have money to spend and time to take courses on taping into the power of the software. There is a reason why PS dominates with professional users around the globe.

You'll find a PSP User Group here and there is a discussion about X3 and lost EXIF data.

Doug

Allen

After reading the PSP X2 forum I decided to not upgrade to X3 when I read that the EXIF was boggled in X3.