Which? Lightroom or CS6

james_death

james_death

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James
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Ok Folks Talk to Me what would you choose, i dare say both....:D

However pro and cons of each please?

I know CS6 is more Doh but which do you feel you need and or use most?

Starting to have interest rekindled and can possibly get student version of Lightroom4 is it now?

For £59.

CS6 extended for £266 i think as student pricing or with an apple for £166 if i remember properly.

Foe some reason i apple dont do CS6 in vanila student version and no longer do lightroom at all it seams... well online.

What are folks feelings about the merits or not of each?

If you all would not mind sharing....
 
IMO, they are different animals that do different things. LR is more basic editing and organization. PS is major editing.

I can do minor editing in PS and I can organize my files myself if I needed to. But almost every "serious" photo goes into PS for something....If I had to choose one it would be PS.
 
They are very different programs for different reasons.

Photoshop is a bitmap editing program for retouching, and complex layer work. It works on the actual pixels of an image to make real changes. Lightroom works with RAW files, and makes non destructive changes that can be reversed, because it's not working with a bitmapped, real image... it's manipulating the RAW data file.

Lightroom is less suited to actual photo retouching, or complex manipulation, and only offers fairly crude levels of retuching compared to Photoshop.

If your workflow is limited to exposure, cropping, colour adjustments, and global changes, or fairly crude area changes (burning in a sky for example) then Lightroom will do all you want. If you do very complex retouching to a very high standard, or want to build complex images from layers etc.. then Photoshop is the best option.

Ideally.. funds allowing.. I'd have both. I'd make the global changes, and colour, tonal adjustments, or local dodging, burning or exposure changes in Lightroom.. then export a high bit depth TIFF into PS do the complex stuff.
 
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Hi, I use both L/R 4 and P/S CS5 but cannot justify to upgrade to CS6
As I only really do photography as a hobby/past time and also I find L/R a lot easier to use.
I believe CS 7 will be out in the near future so maybe worth holding off.
Also there are now many programs out there that can do a lot of what P/S can do including layers for photographers and at a cheaper price, OnOne software is worth a look and again JMO is easier to use than P/S.
Oh yes!! and remember L/R 5 beta is out there to try.
L/R for the price of version 4 was well worth the effort.
Russ
 
I suppose it depends on what you want to do with your images.

I mainly use LR as any post production I want to make on images is usually fairly minor and LR is geared up for that. I also use it for organising my images and for exporting and it is much more efficient than PS.

I use PS for the more post production heavy projects - more often than not these are design projects.

Spooks
 
It depends on how much post processing you feel your likely to do. :shrug: Image processing wise, CS6 includes the Adobe Camera Raw plugin which processes images (RAW and Jpeg) in exactly the same way as Lightroom. Lightroom has Cataloguing, image to internet dissemination, tethering option (with certain cameras), and book software. If you have no interest in any of that, the stick with CS6.

Also CS6 includes Adobe Bridge which allows you to browse, rate and sort your images, with previews of RAW files (should you shoot in RAW). It also has Batch processing options.

Some people like the Lightroom interface, and it can be set up to be more efficient than ACR. But then some people miss the advanced editing options of Photoshop.

A cost effective option could be Lightroom + Elements. Unless Elements does something that you can only do with the full Photoshop.

Elements has a cut down version of ACR, which may be all some people need.


A more cost effective solution is a free RAW processing program such as Rawtherapee and a free pixel editor like GIMP.

Or any combination of the above. Like I said, it depends what you want to do to your images. :shrug:
 
Thanks folks they do seam very different and lightroom more fast batch processing but photoshop shop goes that extra depthbut on a single pic at a time as you woudl expect.

Both together they will cover all the bases but still both rather different beasties.
 
FFS don't use LR4 and it's attendant b******s, you'll find yourself running around in ever decreasing circles and the only 'help' available is to be put through to a bunch of smug jackasses on the Adobe fanboi forum who'll happily tell you it's yours or Windows fault but never their precious adobe.
 
steveclem said:
FFS don't use LR4 and it's attendant b******s, you'll find yourself running around in ever decreasing circles and the only 'help' available is to be put through to a bunch of smug jackasses on the Adobe fanboi forum who'll happily tell you it's yours or Windows fault but never their precious adobe.
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Chip on your shoulder?
 
steveclem said:
FFS don't use LR4 and it's attendant b******s, you'll find yourself running around in ever decreasing circles and the only 'help' available is to be put through to a bunch of smug jackasses on the Adobe fanboi forum who'll happily tell you it's yours or Windows fault but never their precious adobe.
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You must be speaking from experience ?

I've never had a problem with LR4, loads of help on YouTube or here on TP too.
 
I spend about 90% of my time in Lightroom. In terms of Photography, I use CS6 primarily for layers and Content Aware fill. LR5 it seems to have the healing brush added, which would turn my time in LR into something around 95%.

BUT I do have some tasks that occur that ONLY CS6 could fulfil (see my Fruit Splash post). These tasks are infrequent and irregular but when they do arise, CS6 is vital.

If your background is in Film, and you want essentially a digital darkroom, then Lightroom 5 is for you. If you are fairly computer competent are attracted to the idea of Photoshop, get LR5 and Elements 11 (both work in sync). If you want to unleash your full creativity, go for CS6 and LR5.

I would personally get LR5 and have a trial of Elements 11. If elements doesn't limit you, go for it!

Cheers,

Sid.
 
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Does look to be lightroom is darn good and seams to get more and more features that were only in Photoshop but there can always be that small percentage of work that is photoshop required.
 
james_death said:
Does look to be lightroom is darn good and seams to get more and more features that were only in Photoshop but there can always be that small percentage of work that is photoshop required.
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Try GIMP its nearly every bit as good as ps and its free with loads of tutorials on the web. it also teaches you layers, levels, curves, masks etc
 
Lightroom is ACR from Photoshop plus a database so takes up more disk space.
Photoshop comes with ACR and Bridge you can do all you can in Lightroom and much much more.
as said above for correcting the exposure and dogging and burning cropping Lightroom will do but more complex work you need Photoshop
 
steveclem said:
FFS don't use LR4 and it's attendant b******s, you'll find yourself running around in ever decreasing circles and the only 'help' available is to be put through to a bunch of smug jackasses on the Adobe fanboi forum who'll happily tell you it's yours or Windows fault but never their precious adobe.
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I have no problem with LR4. I don't feel it's fair to just dismiss LR4 when there are so many people happy with it. Clearly there's something wrong with it for you... but clearly it's not a global problem with the product.
 
If budget is an issue I say go to adobe labs download lightroom 5 beta preview its free and maybe get photoshop elements.

If it is mainly photography your using it for lightroom probably is a better option especially now as there are many plugins photographers use in photoshop that will work in lightroom ie topaz labs color effex hdr effex etc etc.

However if you will be looking at more advanced photo manipulations elements may not do everything you need. I say browse Tutorials and find the kind of things you will be wanting to do in your pp once you know what you want to produce you will have a better idea of the pros and cons of the software. Photoshop is not for everyone due to the price but elements fill the void for around £100
 
Gr8Shot said:
Try GIMP its nearly every bit as good as ps and its free with loads of tutorials on the web. it also teaches you layers, levels, curves, masks etc
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Sorry, GIMP may be a well featured image editor, but there are things that Photoshop can do that GIMP can't. There are probably things GIMP can do that Photoshop can't, but there are more features in Photoshop imho. That's why it costs so much.

Just for Content Aware Fill alone, (and Content Aware Patch in CS6) which is an amazing technology, it could be worth getting Photoshop. (and I think it is in Elements too)

Loads of Adjustment Layers and Filters. And Photomerge and HDR too. Not to mention RAW processing. And the Camera Raw plugin can be used as a very effective Jpeg editor, and just like Lightroom can do most of the editing most people would want, the Camera Raw plugin does most of what I need to do to an image. :shrug:

You can get free programs to replace a lot of what Photoshop can do, and if those programs do all you want, then great. (y) But having it all in one program is great, :) if very expensive. :eek: :LOL:
 
Oh well despite discussing the software purchase alongside the new Macbook Air my good lady has ordered the Air without saying, so photoshop is out the window now for me...:bang:
 
redhed17 said:
Sorry, GIMP may be a well featured image editor, but there are things that Photoshop can do that GIMP can't. There are probably things GIMP can do that Photoshop can't, but there are more features in Photoshop imho. That's why it costs so much.

Just for Content Aware Fill alone, (and Content Aware Patch in CS6) which is an amazing technology, it could be worth getting Photoshop. (and I think it is in Elements too)

Loads of Adjustment Layers and Filters. And Photomerge and HDR too. Not to mention RAW processing. And the Camera Raw plugin can be used as a very effective Jpeg editor, and just like Lightroom can do most of the editing most people would want, the Camera Raw plugin does most of what I need to do to an image. :shrug:

You can get free programs to replace a lot of what Photoshop can do, and if those programs do all you want, then great. (y) But having it all in one program is great, :) if very expensive. :eek: :LOL:
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That is why I said nearly as good.
Plus gimp has a plugin that does content aware filling every bit a s good as Photoshop.
 
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