Is upgrading from CS2 to CS4 worth it...

[Alexis Alvarez]

I've been using CS2 for some time, along with the Canon DPP software.  Have been looking into buying Lightroom, but am wondering if I should also upgrade to CS4 while I'm at it?  

I do fine art and portrait photography (Canon 5D, Yashica 124, Mamiya 645), some printing (still learning) on an Epson PX-5500 (equivalent to the 2400 in the US).  Not quite professional, not quite amateur, as I exhibit two to three times a year.  

Thanks!

[Per Ofverbeck]

I've been using CS2 for some time, along with the Canon DPP software.  Have been looking into buying Lightroom, but am wondering if I should also upgrade to CS4 while I'm at it?  

I do fine art and portrait photography (Canon 5D, Yashica 124, Mamiya 645), some printing (still learning) on an Epson PX-5500 (equivalent to the 2400 in the US).  Not quite professional, not quite amateur, as I exhibit two to three times a year.  

Thanks!

Well, FWIW, I started using Lightroom already at the Beta 4 (or thereabouts...) stage; now running 2.4.  And, I must say, the image editing capability of Lightroom has made great leaps forward; with the recent addition of local adjustments (clone brush, adjustment brush, gradients, post-crop vignetting...), I find myself having to go to Photoshop more and more seldom (far less than once a month), and so I cannot see the economy of an upgrade (I have CS2, too; when I do need it, it does what I want it to).

Besides, I got LightZone for a VERY advantageous cost some time ago, and in many ways I actually prefer it to Photoshop for my specific needs.  Tonal adjustments are actually easier and more logical than using the tools in PS (I´m an old Zone System freak, so that may be the explanation....  I sincerely regret  that S:t Ansel passed away before he could experience it; he would have felt he was in Zone heaven if he had seen it....   ).

So, my recommendation: do get Lightroom, learn to use it fully (working through Michael´s and Jeff´s videos is a great way; so is getting Martin Evening´s book), and postpone the Photoshop upgrade.  You may well find you don´t need it...

[Tam]

I was one who initially wondered if the upgrade was worth spending the money. I did recently upgrade to Cs4 from Cs3 because I found that Ps with ACR 5.4 has all the functionality of Lr 2.4 and it runs efficiently to boot. My equipment is modest, but certainly not light weight and it is new. Lr runs sluggishly in the Development mode. The exact same function is done quickly and with no apparent hesitation in ACR and PsCs4.

There are many subtle yet important enhancements in Ps4. Worth every penny. I would not hesitate if I were you.

[picnic]

I tend to agree.  I've used PS since PS3 (not PSCS3) and have upgraded each time.  I've also used LR since original beta and now find it handles about 90% of my processing (if not all for some).  I had CS3 and can't remember what CS2 included, but for what I need PS for now--3 is sufficient.  I didn't upgrade this time and am not sure when I will.   I will upgrade Lightroom without any doubt.  The new version is quite powerful.   I would do as Per suggests--get LR, learn it well and see if CS2 is enough.  If/when I need PS, I can point to CS3 and use it without problem and return to LR (round trip).  I believe you can do the same with CS2.

Diane

Well, FWIW, I started using Lightroom already at the Beta 4 (or thereabouts...) stage; now running 2.4.  And, I must say, the image editing capability of Lightroom has made great leaps forward; with the recent addition of local adjustments (clone brush, adjustment brush, gradients, post-crop vignetting...), I find myself having to go to Photoshop more and more seldom (far less than once a month), and so I cannot see the economy of an upgrade (I have CS2, too; when I do need it, it does what I want it to).

Besides, I got LightZone for a VERY advantageous cost some time ago, and in many ways I actually prefer it to Photoshop for my specific needs.  Tonal adjustments are actually easier and more logical than using the tools in PS (I´m an old Zone System freak, so that may be the explanation....  I sincerely regret  that S:t Ansel passed away before he could experience it; he would have felt he was in Zone heaven if he had seen it....   ).

So, my recommendation: do get Lightroom, learn to use it fully (working through Michael´s and Jeff´s videos is a great way; so is getting Martin Evening´s book), and postpone the Photoshop upgrade.  You may well find you don´t need it...

[01af]

I've been using CS2 for some time, along with the Canon DPP software.  Have been looking into buying Lightroom, but am wondering if I should also upgrade to CS4 while I'm at it?

No. Unless you're having very specific needs, there is no particular reason to upgrade from Photoshop CS2 to Photoshop CS4. With CS4, you'll get much improved Bridge and Camera Raw which would make the upgrade worthwhile ... but you don't need either of those when you have a current version of Lightroom. So for Lightroom users, Photoshop CS2 is just fine.

However consider this: Adobe's upgrade policy has changed since CS3. In order to be entitled to an upgrade to the latest version at a reduced price, you must not be more than three versions behind. So maybe you want to upgrade from CS2 to CS5 which most likely will come out in Spring 2010 or so.

-- Olaf