Newbie needs advice and recommendations

davehaze

Hi, I'm new to digital processing and don't know what is the best image editing software to use...although PS CS3 seems to be a favorite there are a lot of alternatives it seems. I have a Canon 40d and I shoot in RAW and have been using DPP to touch up my pictures. From reading this forum I'm a little confused about all the different processes that are used in the workflow by different individuals......i.e. a variety of software suites to accomplish the same goal? Is it worth acquiring PS CS3 or can DPP essentially accomplish the same....probably not from what I gather and if so what are the differences? I also read that even with PS CS3 some prefer to print the final image from another software program? Is there a reason for that and would I need another program besides PS to print from?

PS CS3 is expensive and I have a small budget to work with right now so what would be the cheapest way to acquire PS? Get Photo Shop Elements and then purchase the upgrade version? Sorry for all the questions, it's rather difficult for me to understand all the options out there, thanks!

claudermilk

PS and DPP are two different sorts of applications. PS is a pixel editor while DPP is a RAW converter. The two types can be (and nearly always are) used together, first converting from RAW then making specific edits within the image.

If the full-blown PS CS3 is out of your budget, look at Elements, PSP, or GIMP.

For RAW conversion, there are a lot of options there & each has its strngths and weaknesses. If you want to dig into trying out a bunch, look at C1, Bibble, Silkypix, DxO, Lightroom, Aperture (if you're on Mac), LightZone. There's others, but that's a good start.

scottcolbath

Would you say that Lightroom is a good starter package? I'm sort of in the same boat as Dave in that I'm new to the whole digital processing thing, and I don't want to drop a ton of money just yet if not needed. I'm not into artsy, special effects sort of stuff. I just want to be able to get the best clarity, colors and such from a pic.

Is CS3 going to give me more in that regard than Lightroom?

S.C.

claudermilk

There is a demo version of it available. I'm not the best one to ask about LR as I hate it.

LR is not a substitute for CS3. LR is a RAW converter (among other things it tries to be), CS3 is a pixel editor. Different, complementary applications. See my first reply.

zoeblue

scottcolbath wrote:

Would you say that Lightroom is a good starter package? I'm sort of in the same boat as Dave in that I'm new to the whole digital processing thing, and I don't want to drop a ton of money just yet if not needed. I'm not into artsy, special effects sort of stuff. I just want to be able to get the best clarity, colors and such from a pic.

Is CS3 going to give me more in that regard than Lightroom?

S.C.

I love Lightroom and have found it easy to learn. I'm slowly learning Photoshop CS3 but the learning curve with Lightroom is not as steep as CS3. A great book for Lightroom is Photoshop Lightroom Adventure by Mikkel Aaland. I liked this book much better than Kelby's Lightroom book (I'm not too fond of Kelby's humor).

MishkaPhotgraphy

I started out w/ PS Elements. It does have RAW converter capabilities. If you're not looking to do heavy processing, Elements is a great program. Great bang for the buck. I think when I bought 5.0 it was $70ish from Costco.

winterhk

scottcolbath wrote:

Would you say that Lightroom is a good starter package? I'm sort of in the same boat as Dave in that I'm new to the whole digital processing thing, and I don't want to drop a ton of money just yet if not needed. I'm not into artsy, special effects sort of stuff. I just want to be able to get the best clarity, colors and such from a pic.

Is CS3 going to give me more in that regard than Lightroom?

S.C.

Scott,

If you've got a PC, I've got a present for you in Prescott...

scottcolbath

winterhk wrote:

Scott,

If you've got a PC, I've got a present for you in Prescott...

How cold is it going to be up there tomorrow? I may ride up that way since I was planning on getting out anyway.

S.C.

winterhk

scottcolbath wrote:

How cold is it going to be up there tomorrow? I may ride up that way since I was planning on getting out anyway.

S.C.

As a matter of fact, I'm headed south tomorrow and I'm going to check out the Harescramble in Globe on Sunday. If you're around, I'll swing through Wickenburg...