Posted by Zack Clothier on February 25, 2011 at 12:09 AM
I'm looking into purchasing either Adobe Photoshop Elements or CS5, what are the differences between the two for photo retouching considering there is such a price difference between the two. I currently use Lightroom and Photoshop 5.5 to do all my post processing. I wondered if Elements would suit my needs because right now I only use PS if I need layers and masks. Thanks in advance for any input you can give me!
Posted by Steve Kennedy on February 25, 2011 at 12:35 AM
I just recently upgraded from Elements 8 to CS5. I was able to get an educational discount which took much of the pain out of the process. I upgraded because of limitations with Elements. Elements is a great program to begin with but if you are already using Lightroom and PS, I think you would be unhappy with its limits.
Posted by Carl Battreall on February 25, 2011 at 2:03 AM
Upgrade Your Lightroom to 3.0! What else do you need? PS 5.5 should give what LR 3 is lacking.
Posted by John Mumaw on February 25, 2011 at 6:32 AM
Because E9 allows the use of adjustment layers and layer masks, I think that it has progressed to the point where it will be an excellent image editor in conjunction with Lightroom.
If you need to upgrade in the future, Elements users can purchase the full version of PS CS5 for $299 at the Adobe store. Actually, this isn't a bad way to purchase CS5 regardless!
Posted by Walt Sterneman on February 25, 2011 at 11:05 AM
I use Capture NX with PSE9. PSE9 does have masks and layers but only in 8-bit mode. It also lacks functionality in curves but, I believe has levels. Most of the rest of the functionality is OK but all in 8-bit mode.
For me I do all the processing I can in CNX in 16-bit mode and only got to PSE when I need a layer mask or something. Should work the same for Lightroom I think.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 25, 2011 at 12:29 PM
One more note: CS5's selection tool has a "Refine Edge" command that is invaluable in performing changes to part of the image, while leaving the rest alone. A little practice and you can completely eliminate halos, for example. And when you are done, say, selectively sharpening part of the image you can select "Invert" and run noise reduction against the balance of the image. "Smart Fill" is another cool feature, although I don't use it as much. For me, "Refine Edge" is worth the cost of CS5.
Posted by John Mumaw on February 25, 2011 at 6:06 PM
Discussion
6 repliesIf you need to upgrade in the future, Elements users can purchase the full version of PS CS5 for $299 at the Adobe store. Actually, this isn't a bad way to purchase CS5 regardless!
For me I do all the processing I can in CNX in 16-bit mode and only got to PSE when I need a layer mask or something. Should work the same for Lightroom I think.