Advice needed on PS processing package..

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Wolf Man

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Edit My Images
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I hope you kind folks can help.

I have recently got myself a decent DSLR (EOS 5 II) and need a processing package that will be easy to use and still be able to use more advanced techniques as I learn and progress.

I got given PS7 the other day, and was wondering if it's any good and suitable for my needs (learner hoping to get much better) or would I be better off getting a newer package such as CS4.

I like to think of myself as a serious amateur moving from slide over to digital.

I'm not the most patient person on the computer, so the package must be easy for a beginner to get on with, but as i said above, I'm hoping that I will also be able to move on to move advanced processing skills.

Many thanks in advance
 
Hi there,

I am in a similar position myself sir. Currently trying to get my head round PS.

I dont think the software could ever be considered to be 'simple' to use, but there are plenty of online tutorials and videos out there if you look for them.

Also, I have been reading books by Scott Kelby and he seems good at putting many of the features of PS into laymans terms. In my opinion, not something you will pick up quickly, but with patience and practice, hopefully you will get there.
 
I started off with Photoshop Elements - then went on to CS2.

The tip on Scott Kelby books is a winner - his books really get you to grips with doing things in PS without having to have huge technical knowledge of the program (y)
 
hi wolfman have you tried lightroom easier to use than photoshop you can download a free trial to try out at adobe not only a processor but a library as well also if using photoshop check out this site for great tips and video's
http://kelbytv.com/photoshopusertv/
 
Great site that is greylensman.

Little tip to add... its also available as a podcast you can subscribe to on Itunes if you use it, and if you do this you can download the whole back catalog of episodes as podcasts (MP4's) and just watch them on your PC or Ipod at your leisure. Over 200 odd episodes!


(y)
 
dmcaloney said:
Great site that is greylensman.

Little tip to add... its also available as a podcast you can subscribe to on Itunes if you use it, and if you do this you can download the whole back catalog of episodes as podcasts (MP4's) and just watch them on your PC or Ipod at your leisure. Over 200 odd episodes!


(y)
Click to expand...

(y) will get subscribed to that
 
Were you given Photoshop 7 or Photoshop Elements 7? Photoshop 7 is quite old now, Elements 7 is probably spot on for you. Elements is a lot simpler that CS4/5 (as well as about £500 cheaper) but still has all of the features needed for all but the most complex editing.
 
I'd agree that to start with Elements is a good package to begin with.

If you decide that you need to progress to the full blown Photoshop then what you learn in Elements will still hold for Photoshop, with most of the techniques being the same.

I'd suggest that you stick with Elements ( it is a fairly powerful editing program anyway) until you find something that that you need Photoshop to accomplish. Then decide if the £550 cost is worth it.

I'd also recommend a good Elements book, if only for reference
 
Cheers guys for the advice so far. (y)

I was given Photoshop 7 not Elements 7.

Re: Photoshop 7; is it worth keeping and learning from its use and then at a later date transfer skills to a newer package (if its possible) or am I better of just buying something more up to date.

I'd like something quite good. My main areas of photography are Landscapes, Macro and Wildlife, so the package needs to be able to deal with any related to these topics.

Keep coming with the advice guys, as I said I'm a total newbee to digital processing. :thinking:
 
Photoshop 7, despite being older, is still a very capable package. The only reason I upgraded away from it was because it doesn't support the RAW files from my cameras.

If you shoot in RAW there is a way around this, however. If you download Adobe's DNG convertor, which is free, it will convert your native camera RAW files in to a format that Photoshop 7 can use.

Finally, most of the Photoshop editing programs have a fairly steep learning curve, if you haven't used anything like them before. The one saving grace is that there are a load of tutorials out there that make it a lot easier to learn various techniques that will stand you in good stead.
 
Cheers Scarecrow

I will be using RAW, nice to know before hand that PS7 will not woek with them.
Re the DNG convertor, am I likely to get any losses (data, image etc) when used.
After I've worked on the file in PS7 using the convertor, I [resume that i'll still be able to save the files as TIFF?
 
Scarecrow said:
If you shoot in RAW there is a way around this, however. If you download Adobe's DNG convertor, which is free, it will convert your native camera RAW files in to a format that Photoshop 7 can use.
Click to expand...




Photoshop 7 does not have a raw converter so it wil not be able to process DNG files (which are raw files) either!
 
DNG are RAW files but in Adobe's format. They are lossless as are the Canon's. DNG files tend to be smaller than those straight of the camera by 15-20%. You haven't lost anything, it's just the DNG converter has more computing power available , and can do a better lossless compression conversion.

However as Paul says Photoshop 7 won't handle your 5Dll or DNG files.

I'd suggest a copy of the latest Elements would be the best option for you. ( It's not that expensive) . You can then handle the RAW files straight out of the camera or convert them to DNG via the converter, if you wish.

Photoshop 7 is a good program, it's one I used several years ago, but you may find that the latest Elements has additional features that PS7 doesn't have.

You can download a trial of Elements from the Adobe web site. It's a 30 day trial, but that should long enough for you to decide if it's for you and worth the money
 
Thanks for all the advice folks, its appreciated.

Regards Elements; is it worth while getting Elements 8 over Elements 7??

Anybody been using it? whats it like? and where can I find it the cheapest??

Thanks once again
 
Go for version 8. I suspect it will support the RAW files from your 5D ( can't give you much help on Elements as I'm a Photoshop user).

Goggle for best price, but check out Amazon. Don't expect really big discounts on Adobe products. Amazon price is £69
 
I've got PSE7 and find I'm able to do pretty much what I want with it (New from amazon £29.99, used £18.40 +p&p). I'm also having a play LightZone and for what I do I'm finding I quite like it. It's at half price at the moment as well, £65. Might be worth a look at the free 30 day trial.
 
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