[Sonsey]

Due to interest in what software there is available to convert and edit photos we are introducing two poll's for each member to show what software they currently use for these tasks.

We understand that member's will sometimes use several different programs for the various tasks and as such each poll is multiple choice. To help newer member's to Pixalo, aswell as those new to photography in general, the forum name of each member will also be displayed beside their choice/s to help with seeking advice etc. After making your choice/s a quick post listing your personal pro's and con's would also be helpful and welcome.

We have tried to include all the most relavent program's available but if you use a program that hasn't been included in the list please choose "other" and reply to the thread quoting which program/s you use.

[Charlotte]

SERIF PHOTOPLUS

Great idea Sonsey

I use Picture Project (which came with my Nikon D50) to upload from the camera to PC.

I then use MS RAW Image Viewer (Windows XP add-on) to view the photo's.

I then use RAW software (separate poll).

I also use Serif PhotoPlus (latest v.11) to work on RAW images. This is a big plus feature, i.e. that it can do both, and it does a very good job on RAW images, although is not specialised for this, so doesn't have all the features for the job, if heavy manipulation in RAW mode is required.

I can't list all the features it has - see their website for that, but they boast 90% of Photoshop's features for a fraction of the price. The latest version (11) has a lot more features than the previous v.10, so is definitely worth upgrading to.

I find Serif PhotoPlus an absolute pleasure to work with. I'm sure there are one or two annoying things about it, but I can't think of anything off-hand It has all the features I need, although I am not by any means an advanced user. Although my tendancy to always want the best (!) gets me craving for Photoshop, I can't justify the cost, so am happy to stick with this very competent programme.

Best of all, it's British!!

My Rating: 10/10

[shipwack]

While I use Elements for most of my work nowadays, I used to use the free software program "Picasa" from Google... It's what I recommend to various friends and relatives who want something for casual photo editing.

I still use Picasa when trying to find a specific photo, since it loads more quickly than Elements...

Pros for Elements: Powerful, fairly complete.
Cons for Elements: Relatively expensive (though cheap compared to Photoshop), there's a learning curve...

Picasa Pros: Free! Easy to use. Has a "I'm feeling lucky" button. Free! Does 90% (or more) of what a casual user wants to do.
Picasa Cons: Limited feature set compared to some programs. Not all RAW formats supported.

[Markulous]

I use the Sigma s/w to convert the RAW 'cos it's streets ahead of PS

And PS CS 'cos CS2 is sooooooo slow (OK, relative to CS!). Tho' use CS2 when I need to access one of it's additional features (healing brush, CA correction, etc)

Edit: Paint Shop Pro v4 (!!!) for 'quick and dirty' edits, usually to website graphics

[RichW]

I use Photoshop and Elements. I tend to use elements for its cataloging functions (I prefer it to bridge) and for a quick edit if I've got it open. If the work to be done is more major then I tend to use the full photoshop

It's not recommended by the world for no reason and is an extremely versatile and comprehensive image editing package, and this is also its achilles heal - it does take some getting used to!

I really like elements too. Easily good enough for the majority of photographers and what I used exclusively before work were kind enough to get a site license for Photoshop which allowed me to take it home

Only other thing I would say is that they both need a fairly fast machine to run at speed.

Rich

[fionaB]

I use Photoshop if use is the right word......... i started with a trial version of elements about 18months ago and was blown away. it is a steep learning curve but well worth the effort. i woldnt knock any other editing program as i have no experience of them whatsoever. horses for courses i reckon in this case.
As long as what ever program u are using gives the results you are looking for then who can complain!

Fi

[P-E]

I use CS2/CS3 (beta) don't think I will ever learn all the tools available in this programme.

[water]

I use Photoshop as that is what I was shown how to use when I first bought a slide scanner and computer.Have never used anything else, except for the free Rawshooter Essentials when I got a DSLR.

[Joseph McGarraghy]

Hi friends,

I think Charlotte has been very factual, for which I thank her, so have nothing to add.

Thanks

[Steve]

Photoshop CS2 for my image editing.

I have been using PS since version 5 and have sort of got stuck in my ways. It is a very steep learning curve for someone new to the program but incredibly powerful once you begin to find your way around. Obviously the cost is against the software for most and Paint Shop Pro can do much of what PS does for a fraction of the price. As I grew up with PS though the outlay was worth it to me.

[skipper954]

I, too, am using cs2. However, I find myself spending less time there because I can do so much of the global changes in Camera Raw. That is good.

[silkstone]

I've always been a fan of Paint Shop Pro, but Corel hasn't done it any favours. PSP X is very good IMO, but PSP XI is still buggy and I wouldn't recommend it. Although it can read and process RAW files, it's very clunky and I'm still searching for the perfect RAW converter to replace Rawshooter Premium. At the moment I'm using Adobe Lightroom beta, and the release version should be out in the next two or three weeks. I think that Adobe's goal is for LR eventually to include everything needed by most photographers, so second stage processing isn't needed, but version 1.0 is going to be a long way off that.

[Dutchie]

I use photoshop and finally finding my way around the program. I like it for what it can do. And that is enough. It took me well over a year and some courses (thanks Rob Barron they are very handy those mini courses) to get the knack of it.

I now need to find raw software which is good for me to use, as it didn't came with my nikon d80

[Dabhand16]

Dutchie - Rawshooter is free, and is very highly rated by most people. Sadly, there is no longer any support since it was taken over by Adobe. They have an offer on their first release of Lightroom, but it is still expensive. I'm sure that you will find that there is something out there that you wil be able to get on with.

Now you have had the D80 for a while, how are you finding it?

[Dutchie]

Fabulous camera. I'm very pleased. Still changing the menu all the time to try different settings. And now i need to learn how to shoot in which light etcetera, what to use. I'm short for time as usual but when we go out i try to take my camera with me and if i do get a moment i just keep on shooting. What i would like is to go out with people who are experienced and show me some techniques. I'm one of those people who needs to watch as reading up bores me to quickly.

And i will try the rawshooter. I have never used software like that before. But we'll see how i find it. Don't want to buy it when i don't know what it is exactly. I would like to see the difference in raw and jpg first.

[orangepeel]

Originally Posted by Dutchie

I now need to find raw software which is good for me to use, as it didn't came with my nikon d80

it does. There's a nikon plugin for photoshop on the CD that came with your cam called "Nikon NEF Plugin.8Bi" - do a search for it.

copy it to "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2\Plug-Ins\File Formats"

Assuming u use CS2 and have installed to the default location.


However imo the nikon plugin is pretty poor. I prefer the adobe camera raw which you can download here: -
Adobe Photoshop - Digital camera raw file support


note that the plugins will process your images differently. the nikon one appears to use your camera settings (saturation, contrast, sharpening etc) wheras the adobe one doesn't. this means that the images you load into PS will look different depending on which plugin you use. Really down to your personal taste tbh.

[skipper954]

You can set Adobe Camera Raw so that it opens with your camera settings, which is key. If anyone wants to know how to do it, I can email, pm or post here.

skip

[Dutchie]

I use adobe photoshop 7.0
So i take it the pluggin will be no good to me then?

Skipper could you send me an email or pm how to set the adobe camera raw please?

[orangepeel]

Originally Posted by Dutchie

I use adobe photoshop 7.0
So i take it the pluggin will be no good to me then?

The nikon plugin will be fine in ps7 I just can't remember the folder to copy it to. It will be a "plugins\file formats" folder under the PS7 install location.

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by skipper954

You can set Adobe Camera Raw so that it opens with your camera settings, which is key. If anyone wants to know how to do it, I can email, pm or post here.

skip

Write a tutorial Skip, so we can all benefit.

[Stevie B]

Hi everyone, I am using Adobe Elements 4, I upgraded from elements 2.It took me a while to get used to the different layout (I did keep going back to elements 2) but the extra cost I had to percevere with it.Still learning.

[skipper954]

Originally Posted by Dabhand16

Write a tutorial Skip, so we can all benefit.

Good idea, Dab. I will work it up. Should be short and sweet.

(and worth a rep point)

skip

[Rob Barron]

I use Photoshop CS2 and am an Adobe accredited PS tutor so naturally I think it's the bees knees! I also use Capture One LE as an alternative to the PS RAW capture but only on the odd occasion as I find the PS option pretty good.

I use Adobe Bridge for organising my images but I admit it is slow to open.

I have used in the past Serif Photo Plus (too light weight for extensive work but fine for ordinary post-pro work), Corel Photopaint (spit!), and PaintShopPro (a good alternative to PS) and Photoshop Elements (only up to PSE3) which I always recommend to new users though of course the latest version which is PSE5.

Cheers,
Rob

[skipper954]

In a frenzied hunt for rep points, see my post in tutorials. Hope it helps.

I can also post some pretty cool workflows for bridge, ACR and pscs2 if anyone is interested.

skip

[Dutchie]

Skipper, off course we'll be interested. Me personaly learn a lot from the tutorials. They are little and you learn some handy things. It reads better then those big books or handouts you get sometimes.

[j sotelo]

I also use Corel Painter X , not on the list but a very good program

[Rob Barron]

Joe is Corel Painter X different to Corel PhotoPaint?

Cheers,
Rob

[j sotelo]

Photo Paint is a Raster Graphic editor it is comparable with Photoshop in terms of its features. The current version is Corel PHOTO-PAINT X3 (13). It is not sold by itself, but instead included with CorelDRAW (CorelDRAW Graphics Suite)....
Painter X ..well its a software used to turn photos into paintings. go to the Corel website and you'll see the big difference, I'm trying to get permission from one of my clients so I can post one here in Pixalo.

[j sotelo]

ohh and its juan not joe

[fionaB]

Originally Posted by skipper954

You can set Adobe Camera Raw so that it opens with your camera settings, which is key. If anyone wants to know how to do it, I can email, pm or post here.

skip

Ok skip as you know i am new to RAW. i dont understand what u mean here..... i just opened a RAW pic in normal photoshop and it brought up the RAW interface............ was i supposed to set it to do something else?

Fi