photoshop vs ps elements

[kristin28630]

I am looking to purchase new software....don't really have $800 to drop on Photoshop CS4. I have never used Photoshop, and am not a professional (only hobbyist). I am wondering if Photoshop elements will be sufficient for me (I am a quick learner with new programs, but don't plan to create fairy dust or anything like that!). I plan to download a trial version of Elements this weekend, but am hoping that someone can tell me what types of things CS4 has that Elements doesn't. I downloaded a trial of lightroom and am not all that impressed....my Canon software will do basically the same conversions / corrections, and I am fairly organized already. Thanks in advance for any replies! Kristin

[Glen King]

Elements should be pretty sufficient for anyone. If you aspire to go professional, then start learning photoshop ASAP, the learning curve is pretty high and it takes a while.

[RoyL]

@!%#&**!(#@%!!@&^~#& just answered this question about 3 times over the last week but....

I case you are not aware, or others reading, in the search option above there is an advanced search which allows you to do various types of searches, either in the titles or the threads. I use it a lot. Just for future reference.

Elements is a good product and will do most things that Photoshop does. It will also accept most plugins as well, bonus. And Elements 7 has been released, I have not tested it yet. I use Photoshop CS4 and do find Elements a bit restrictive but if money is the issue then Elements is the way to go.

The problem with Lightroom is that it is basically an Asset Managment system and not an editing program. For Assett Managment it does a fair but not great job, and it only exists to compete with Aperture which it does not. Most Lightroom users swear by it, I swear at it. To me The Bridge and Photoshop CS4 gives me all the power I need, and I only have 2 plugins , Nik Sharpener and Alien Skin Bokeh.

[HankW]

I use lightroom and PSE. But really mostly lightroom for PP on my photos. Lightroom does not have layers,Special effects, ect. But I can jump over to PSE for that and then back into lightroom.

I would suggest downloading a trial version of each and see if it works out for you. Lots of videos on the web for each.

Lightroom + PSE is a far less expensive than CS alone.

[OsmosisStudios]

For most, Elements is plenty. I only use CS4 because i like being able to brag about the size of my di....sk. Harddrive, that is.

[oldwolf]

Paint Shop Pro X2 does more than Elements and almost everything Photoshop does. The $80 USD price tag adds a nice touch too.

GIMP does just about everything Photoshop does as well and is free.

[fletch]

If you aspire to the full version of PS then Elements way in, it is a great tool and I would recomend it. It has almost everything a photographer needs and is fairly easy to learn.

Things I like about Elements
- Adobe Camera RAW - The best RAW editing software for the money IMO. It uses the same RAW engine as Lightroom and Photoshop so produces excelent results, just with a few less features.
- Layers - Very usefull for non-destructive pixle level editing
- The tools all work in the same way as photoshop so all the tutorials on the web are easily used

Things I wish elements had
-Layer masks - They are not native but you can get them with a free plug in so not a huge issue
-Curves - Again available as a free plug in but you can't use them as an adjustment layer.

Do I yearn for the full PS CS4/Lightroom combo to edit my pics. Hell yea. Do I need to upgrade from PSE 6 as a hobby photographer. Not a chance.

[kristin28630]

Thanks All! Question answered. I will download a trial of elements this weekend and see what I think.

RoyL-- Sorry about that! I'm sure it's frustrating. I actually did do a search, but it did not turn up much. Maybe I just didn't choose the right words or look back far enough. Thanks for helping though!

Kristin

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by kristin28630

Thanks All! Question answered. I will download a trial of elements this weekend and see what I think.

RoyL-- Sorry about that! I'm sure it's frustrating. I actually did do a search, but it did not turn up much. Maybe I just didn't choose the right words or look back far enough. Thanks for helping though!

Kristin

I have found that the keywords are AND'd together, meaning if you search for more than one word all must be present. There is probably a way of getting the search engine to search for any word but I have not looked at it yet or the FAQ's.

[RustySterling]

I'd say start with Elements and once you buy Elements then you are bound to get an email from Adobe offering an upgrade to PS CS4 at a significant savings. That's what happened to me recently and I'm enjoying learning the added features of the full version of PS.