I am a bit of a software junkie, so I use three packages as my primary workflow tools.
- Photoshop CS3
- Adobe Lightroom
- Photoshop Elements
I also have and use DoX Optics Pro 4.0 and, of course the editing package that came with my Canon 30D, Digital Photo Professional.
Sounds like a lot I'm sure, but here is my logic. I use Elements for "quick and dirty" work. Lightroom/Photoshop for serious or complex projects.
DxO has some camera and lens specific tools that can be a help. Most of Canon's bodies and lenses are supported.
Because of its powerful photo database capabilities Lightroom forms the base for all my other software.
Prior to my starting to use Lightroom, I had images all over my HDDs. It took forever to find anything and I'm sure some images are still hiding.
Lightroom brought sanity and organization to this chaos quickly and easily and continues to do so. I can't say enough good things about it.
While Bridge comes with CS3 and is much improved, it is still not as powerful or easy to use as Lightroom.
What can I say about Photoshop that has not already been said far better? Once you get past the price and look at all you get with it, it is the best pixel editing package you can own.
Elements 5.0 is a good second choice and if you continue to be involved with digital photography Elements forms a great learning experience if you move to Photoshop.
Adobe offer free 30 trials for all three packages, so you can see how they preform for you and if they meet your needs.