Need help on Photo software

Photoskipper

Need advise on what kind of digital darkroom software to buy.

Currently, I am using the photoshop element 2 which came with the Canon Rebel 3 years ago but it do not process RAW files. The 5D came with digital photo professional to take care the RAW but not able to do the Photoshop works. I am happy with both software but too troublesome to negotiate between the 2 programs. As I had been an old film/slide user and believe using original photos rather than too much editing. Furthermore, I am lazy to learn all the complicated functions and have no time to edit 100 photos after a day of shooting. Just need something to touch up and crop the right composition.

Now, there are many softwares available in the market - photoshop lightroom, element 6 and CS3 and .....................

What is the best for me?
:bow

claudermilk

Photoskipper wrote:

What is the best for me?

Well, only you can answer that one.

You are talking about two different kinds of application here, and they pretty much don't overlap. One is a classic pixel editor: Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. The other is a RAW converter: DPP.

This is a two-step process going this route: step one is make your basic image-wide adjustments in the RAW converter (WB, exposure, etc.) and export to TIFF. Then you open the intermediate TIFF in your pixel editor to make the small regional retouches. You can just export straight to JPEG is you don't need to do the pixel editing and skipp that second step. Ultimately it boils down to what are you trying to accomplish with the image & what does it need to get there.

IMHO a properly-stocked digital photographer's editing station will have both a RAW converter and a pixel editor.

ifocus

I can tell you what I use and encourage you to give it a try, very cheap and does what I need however you are the one to decide;

1. Raw Therapee - Free RAW converter - vEry, very good. I made a donation.
2. Picture Window Pro 4 - 90$ Work in 16-bits and does what photoshop does. The GIMP is free but work in 8-bits, also very good
3. ACDSee 10 - Superb photo cataloguing paid $30 in promotion.

Cheers

JY

MarkR

claudermilk wrote:

Well, only you can answer that one.

You are talking about two different kinds of application here, and they pretty much don't overlap. One is a classic pixel editor: Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. The other is a RAW converter: DPP.

This is a two-step process going this route: step one is make your basic image-wide adjustments in the RAW converter (WB, exposure, etc.) and export to TIFF. Then you open the intermediate TIFF in your pixel editor to make the small regional retouches. You can just export straight to JPEG is you don't need to do the pixel editing and skipp that second step. Ultimately it boils down to what are you trying to accomplish with the image & what does it need to get there.

IMHO a properly-stocked digital photographer's editing station will have both a RAW converter and a pixel editor.

Just to clear up something though, if you get the newest versions of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, (pixel editors), you will also get a RAW converter -- the very capable Adobe Camera Raw.

Eric&Susan

Since your used to Elements why not upgrade to Element 6 which includes Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). This will allow you to edit your raws and make other adjustments in one program and since you already have PSE2 the learning curve would be small.

PSE 6 retails for right around $100

Eric