Advice on which digital editing package to use...

[spidermike]

I am just getting back into photography after a few years out and have taken the digital plunge at the same time. I have a Canon 30D with all the Canon software but would like advice on where to go from here.
I am a complete novice on this electronic stuff and I have used no other software with any seriousness so I have a learning curve to go through anyway. I am (at the moment) interested only in basic editing - I am not as yet interested in all the gizmo effects and mega-manipulation. As I see it my options are:

1.  Use the Canon software that came with the camera (DPP) - a few seem to use it regularly and find it adequate. Criticism seems to be levelled at its application to high though-put and batch processing rather than its facilities. Is this a fair assumption?
2.  Go to Adobe Lightroom - I may do anyway as a catalogue/workflow tool but that will be for the future. What manipulation tools are in AL  as part of its package - ACR (or equivalent), layers etc ? What level of editing is possible using AL alone?
3.  Go to Photoshop elements. Again, does this include ACR? I have heard one criticism of PE is that it has no 'layers' function although there is a work-around to achieve the same
4.  Go all the way to Photoshop - although this seems a bit extreme at the moment!

I have been interested in comments on this board that often people use one package 90% of the time and use Photoshop only to 'finish off' the more difficult pictures, hence the questions.

Any advice on pros and cons of each package for a newbie?

Cheers
Mike

[francois]

I am just getting back into photography after a few years out and have taken the digital plunge at the same time. I have a Canon 30D with all the Canon software but would like advice on where to go from here.
I am a complete novice on this electronic stuff and I have used no other software with any seriousness so I have a learning curve to go through anyway. I am (at the moment) interested only in basic editing - I am not as yet interested in all the gizmo effects and mega-manipulation. As I see it my options are:

1.  Use the Canon software that came with the camera (DPP) - a few seem to use it regularly and find it adequate. Criticism seems to be levelled at its application to high though-put and batch processing rather than its facilities. Is this a fair assumption?
2.  Go to Adobe Lightroom - I may do anyway as a catalogue/workflow tool but that will be for the future. What manipulation tools are in AL  as part of its package - ACR (or equivalent), layers etc ? What level of editing is possible using AL alone?
3.  Go to Photoshop elements. Again, does this include ACR? I have heard one criticism of PE is that it has no 'layers' function although there is a work-around to achieve the same
4.  Go all the way to Photoshop - although this seems a bit extreme at the moment!

I have been interested in comments on this board that often people use one package 90% of the time and use Photoshop only to 'finish off' the more difficult pictures, hence the questions.

Any advice on pros and cons of each package for a newbie?

Cheers
Mike
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=123683\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

1. You could start by using Canon's software and see if it fits your needs.
2. Lightroom is available as a demo, you can try to download it and give it a try. LR has no layer and its editing tools are not meant to work at pixel level.
3. I believe that PS Element comes with ACR and it might provide everything you need for your photo editing.
4. Probably too much for your needs as you say you're a newbie.

I use LR and PS if I need to retouch pixels.

[wmchauncey]

I gotta agree with Francois.  I am a 64y/o newbee that got hooked 6 months ago.  After much internet education I bought academic CS3 and 85% of what I do is ACR, which is fantastic for RAW imaging, and is available in lightroom.  Pretend the internet is a library and you can borrow all of these programs. And if your not an internet junkie, become one, theres a wealth of information out there.

[Raw shooter]

No matter where you start, if you continue, you will end up in Photoshop CS3.
We all did.  
ACR 4.1 is where you spend your regular photography work, but the great part of the creative and fun stuff is in CS3.  My favorite program by far.
I too thought (when I first started in Photoshop 4!) it was too complex - but time and experience will teach you everything.  In time, you will wonder how you ever worked without CS3.
I wish you a fun filled journey!

[spidermike]

Thank you for your replies. It sort-of reinforces what I was thinking.

Francois - you say LR doesn't work 'at pixel level'. By this do you mean that you can't clone/stamp/cut and paste; but you can alter things that go over the whole picture such as curves, tones, styles etc?

[francois]

Thank you for your replies. It sort-of reinforces what I was thinking.

Francois - you say LR doesn't work 'at pixel level'. By this do you mean that you can't clone/stamp/cut and paste; but you can alter things that go over the whole picture such as curves, tones, styles etc?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Almost right! Cloning, crop & rotate and healing is possible with LR. Other operations are done over the whole picture, as you say, but there are ways to target only specific colors or tones (shadows, highlights etc.).

Does it make sense?

PS: You may want to read [a href=\"http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/lighroom-illuminated.shtml]this article[/url] (scroll down to The Targeted Adjustment Tool).

[spidermike]

Thank you again. And a useful link.

[eronald]

DPP is the absolute best qualitywise. If you make just a few images you will benefit from using it. Everything which I really invest time in goes through either DPP or C1. Everything else usually goes through ACR if it's Canon.

Edmund