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Author Topic: opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?  (Read 4534 times)

Z06_Pilot

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« on: September 17, 2007, 10:42:28 am »

Hi folks,

i am a "casual" user of CS2 in that I use a few of it's more common capabilities(levels, unsharp masking, etc), for my photography hobby.

I have downloaded the 30 day trial of LR, and really like what I see.  i know there are numerous power users on the site who find it lacking, but it seems to fit my needs(except I can't figure out how to invoke unsharp masking inside LR).

My question:  LR is $299 from Adobe, for $125 more, I can get a CS3 upgrade.  I am wondering if the tight integration between LR and CS3 I have heard about would make it worth the cost to go ahead and upgrade from CS2?

thanks very much for your input....
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madmanchan

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2007, 11:21:20 am »

It is perfectly reasonable to use LR with CS2. I don't see how LR is more tightly integrated with CS3 than CS2.

I use LR for the vast majority of my editing work and only occasionally bring an image into PS for additional work.

The real question you ask yourself is if there is a feature in CS3 that you need that CS2 doesn't have.
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Eric Chan

picnic

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2007, 11:36:35 am »

Quote
Hi folks,

i am a "casual" user of CS2 in that I use a few of it's more common capabilities(levels, unsharp masking, etc), for my photography hobby.

I have downloaded the 30 day trial of LR, and really like what I see.  i know there are numerous power users on the site who find it lacking, but it seems to fit my needs(except I can't figure out how to invoke unsharp masking inside LR).

My question:  LR is $299 from Adobe, for $125 more, I can get a CS3 upgrade.  I am wondering if the tight integration between LR and CS3 I have heard about would make it worth the cost to go ahead and upgrade from CS2?

thanks very much for your input....
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=139937\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have LR and PSCS3.  I think you sound like a great candidate for LR IMO.  If you use CS2 for the light work that you mention, then you probably don't need PSCS3.  Quite truthfully, its probably unlikely you would have to use levels for most things after you learn how to use the develop module in LR (a really good buy to get you up to speed is the Lightroom videos for $14.95 that Michael and Jeff did--including the new version 1.1)

Since I still have PSCS2 on my HD (why??? LOL) I just tried the 'roundtrip' I use into PSCS3 for any further processing with CS2.  Works exactly the same--you choose your file, go to "Photo" in the menu and choose edit with another app--and then browse for the PSCS2.exe.  The rest works exactly the same--so you don't 'need' CS3 to work with LR.

There is no USM in LR.  You will do 'capture sharpening' in the develop module.  If you are going to print you have 2 options--either use the printing setup in the print module or do that roundtrip into PS and do your sharpening there--the file comes back exactly as you wish--or you can print from PS.  I don't use the web module since I resize, sharpen (PKS) and frame for the web in PS.  Others can tell you about that module.

So--unless you feel you will use some of the new things in PSCS3 (of which there are quite a few--and very useful for those of us that use PS quite a bit), I'd just recommend you buy LR and use CS2 for your small bit of post processing not possible in LR.

But--if you do, spend the extra $14.95 and get those LR videos. You'll be glad you did.

Diane
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Z06_Pilot

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2007, 12:17:40 pm »

thanks folks,

diane, would you mind directing me to where i can find the LR videos that include V1.1?  i am new to this site and don't know who Michael and Jeff are, I'm afraid..

thanks!

Jeff Jordan
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wolfnowl

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2007, 02:15:33 pm »

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diane, would you mind directing me to where i can find the LR videos that include V1.1?  i am new to this site and don't know who Michael and Jeff are, I'm afraid..

Jeff:  Welcome to the list!  Michael Reichmann is the guy who runs the Luminous Landscape and hence this discussion board.  The Jeff in this case is Jeff Schewe.  To find the video mentioned, go here:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/...products_id=131

Mike.

P.S.  If all you know of the luminous-landscape is this forum, it's worth going to the main page: http://www.luminous-landscape.com as you'll find many, many hours worth of reading, tutorials, reviews...
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If your mind is attuned t

Z06_Pilot

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« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2007, 02:40:48 pm »

thanks very much.  I will order the videos now!
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Martin Ocando

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2007, 10:58:09 am »

You will soon realize watching the videos that are things Photoshop can do that lightroom doesn't, and the only vise versa is the library capability of LR. So they make a pretty good combo for the whole workflow.

Some things will be eventually be ported to lightroom, but for localized editing, you will still have to rely on PS.

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thanks very much.  I will order the videos now!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=139989\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
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Martin Ocando
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CatOne

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2007, 07:07:43 pm »

If you're using an Intel Mac, it definitely makes sense to upgrade from CS2 to CS3, simply because it's a universal binary and as such is > 2x faster on Intel Macs.
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jdoolitt

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opinions, please: purchase LR/CS3 Combo?
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2007, 12:28:23 am »

There are very (*very*) few things you can do in Lightroom that you can't do in Photoshop CS3.  Some functions are just implemented infintely easier to use, in Lightroom.  There are however (as pointed out), quite a number of things you can do in CS3 that you cannot do in Lightroom.  As far an interoperability goes - you can use whatever editor you want from Lightroom.. but CS3 is a better choice for a couple of reasons.  For one Adobe Camera RAW that is compatible with CS3, shares the same RAW engine as Lightroom.  This means, edits you do in one program to an image -- can be seen in the other.  Not only that -- but you can easily copy presets from Lightroom to Bridge/ACR CS3, or the other way.  For example -- the Lightroom Presets that come with 1.2 . . . I have converted to ACR format here: Zipped Format  <-- these go in your Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw\Settings folder.

Your pricing seems a little high.  If you are in the US, the upgrade cost for your CS2 to CS3 is ~ $200.00
« Last Edit: October 23, 2007, 12:29:32 am by jdoolitt »
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