CS5 VS. Lightroom 3 Question

[JKK]

CS5 VS. Lightroom 3 Question

If you had the choice to get either or which one would it?
I am hobbits in photography and have played around for a week now with lightroom 3 and like it so far. But watching some YouTube videos the CS5 looks pretty cool. But then again I would say the learning curve is much more difficult for a new user.


Thanks for any input

[baycruisers]

The best thing you can do is download a trial version of CS5 and try it out. While it shares some of LR3's tools (curves, HSL adjustments, etc.) it also offers layers, masks, and other tools that some people (including me) also find useful. There's a significant learning curve for many of the tools that are unique to CS5. Whether it will be worth $650 to you is difficult to say.

Consider also downloading a trial version of Photoshop Elements 9 which has most of the basic tools of CS5, and for about 1/5 the cost. If you find that you really need some of the more esoteric tools of CS5 you can often upgrade to CSx; Adobe periodically offers upgrades for about $200.

[GL Thomas]

Just getting started, Making a choice is more based on how you handle your photography. If you like doing a lot of post processing to make it Your art, than definitely CS5, but if you are looking to make crops, color corrections, a little spot removable, just trying to keep the photo true to the orignal just make it stand out, than Lightroom 3. I have both, and don't think I could live without either, but if I had to choose just one it would be Lightroom. It is one of the best orginazational tools I have ever used.

[Jim Poor]

Well, from a purely practical point, you can do everything in CS5 that you can do in LR, but not the other way around.

[dvtldav]

I have LR3, Photoshop CS5 & Photoshop Elements 9. I got all 3 because I was in a position to get a good deal on them. I use LR3 all of the time and as stated before it is an exceptional organizational tool plus you can do some corrections similar to what you could have done in the darkroom in the film days.
If you need to really change a photo then CS5 is the way to go but PS Elements 9 will do a lot of what CS5 will do for a lot less money.
For me, if I had to keep only one it would be LR3.

Dave

[rosserx]

One thing no one has really touched on yet, LR3 is a powerful file management system. The way I look at the 2 programs; PS-CS5 is the undisputed photo manipulation tool. LR3 is the undisputed photo processing and file management tool. Yes PS can do everything LR can plus way more except handle file management. That is why a lot of people have both. Myself included.

[sk66]

If I could only have one it would be PS....
Like Jim said, PS will do all the editing LR can do plus much more.....I can do my own file organization easy enough.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by sk66

If I could only have one it would be PS....
Like Jim said, PS will do all the editing LR can do plus much more.....I can do my own file organization easy enough.

tru story, if i could only have one or the other...CS5 without hesitation.

[Ambrosia76]

I too can't decide which I like better. So I have them all. I have LR 3 and PS elements 9, Paintshop pro photo x3, Photo Explosion 4 and Hubby has CS5 on his PC. I Have use Paintshop more so am more comfortable with it, but in the last few week I have begun using LR and PS element 9 more, I would say give a choice I would get these 2 vs CS5, you will have most of the basics at half the price.

[junglebear]

If you're just starting out, I'd go for LR if I was you. It's so much cheaper and a pleasure to use, and can do all the basic things that you should only ever really need, unless you're really creating graphic art rather than photography. It's also great for organizing your archives, if that's what you want.

I started with PS CS4, and as has been said, this can do everything LR can and much more, but to be honest you'll rarely need most of that for photography. I think you could also develop a reliance on the more powerful tools to 'fix' your shots, where you should really be getting it right in camera and making minor adjustments in post.

If I could only have one, it'd be photoshop, but fortunately we don't live in this crazy hypothetical world!