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03/08/2009 12:33:04 PM · #1 |
I am currently in a position to upgrade from Photoshop Elements to CS4 for US $350. To all you CS4 users out there, is the upgrade worth it or should I just stick with Elements? What are the added features that I may find useful?
Thanks in advance for your replies. |
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03/08/2009 12:52:43 PM · #2 |
| Depends on what you want to do. The average person taking photos and sharing them with family, friends and posting on the web doesn't need CS4. |
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03/08/2009 12:53:34 PM · #3 |
I changed from Elements to CS3 about a year ago - and for me at least it has been tremendous.
If you want to develop your post-processing skills, the full photoshop package (not surprisingly) allows you to far more than elements does, and it allows you to play with actions :- )
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03/08/2009 12:58:37 PM · #4 |
| i really really like cs4. if you have kids you can get it for $300 i think, at academic superstore. that's where i got it. the price reduction defineitly made it worth it, its an excellent program |
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03/08/2009 03:48:26 PM · #5 |
If you are unsure if you need CS4 (upgrading from Elements), maybe you should consider Adobe's Lightroom instead. It's less expensive than Photoshop and does a ton more than Elements.
Message edited by author 2009-11-25 23:01:28.
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03/08/2009 04:47:03 PM · #6 |
I thought there was another thread with the same title but I couldn't find it. I was going to read it because I thought it might help not only you but me too.
I have CS2 and have been thinking of upgrading. With the high price it's hard to bump up every year.$$
The only advice I can really offer here is Adobe Bridge. I find it very useful. It lets you preview your images, organize, and it gives all the details you could ever want.
This maybe helpful to you. |
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03/08/2009 05:30:14 PM · #7 |
| i also want to say how great Bridge is. I use it even more then i do photoshop, its extremely helpful for RAW conversion and doing mass editing(you can grab 200 photos all in raw ot jpeg and edit and view them quickly and efficiently) |
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03/08/2009 05:51:28 PM · #8 |
I do like photoshop, but if money is tight, Elements works pretty well for a lot less, and a lot less to upgrade each time.
The big difference is the History Brush, which I do take advantage of in PS. But then, you can do the same thing with layers and masks in Elements.
For the $350, you might be better off workflow wise buying Lightroom. It's great for doing the main processing of shots that don't need "a lot of photoshop", and you can focus your skills on finishing photos without needing PS or Elements at all. But then when you need a little extra, you'll still have Elements.
So I guess in my opinion, if you don't already have LR, and can only buy one, buy LR.
Message edited by author 2009-03-08 17:52:41. |
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03/08/2009 07:45:00 PM · #9 |
I switched to Lightroom for my RAW conversion (and much more now) when they bought out RAW Shooter Pro and gave me a free upgrade. I have since paid to upgrade to Version 2. I still use PSE7 for touch ups because of the Layers and mask ability but find that Lightroom does more than I originally thought. Still learning but my guess is it still have more power under the hood that I have not discovered as yet.
May be a good choice for you for now. If it does not work out you could always upgrade to PS5 when it comes out. |
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03/08/2009 09:18:45 PM · #10 |
| Thanks for all the replies. I never even considered Lightroom. I'll download a trial and see what it can do. I have until March 23 to decide on the CS4, so I still have time to explore my options. |
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03/08/2009 10:00:07 PM · #11 |
I had a look at your profile and read your 'assessment of photographic goals'.
I suspect that you will be happy with Elements for a while longer.
On the other hand, $350 is a very decent price and could even be viewed as an investment since once you have a copy, later upgrades are likewise quite affordable (and you can skip an upgrade or two as well - $200 bucks to stay relatively up to date for 5-6 years... not bad).
I personally couldn't do without full Photoshop because I like getting 'too involved in the technicals'.
However, I often like to remind people that when it comes to straight photography, my friend Rob takes and makes much better pics than me with a cheaper and older camera and no more than straight Elements (version 2.0 no less).
My sister also takes better pics than me with a cheap and old A80 and she doesn't use anything to edit her pics.
Good photography is all about the eye. So is good editing.
When a good photographer takes a picture, they know what they want with what they can realistically accomplish. Editing is no different.
On the other hand, editing skills can improve the scope of what you can realistically accomplish. Further, good editing skills can help a lot with what can be done with the picture later.
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If you want to expand your skill set, there is no option. You must get full Photoshop. If you have a good deal being presented to you, it might be worth it to take advantage of it.
When it comes to editing for the photograph's sake, you might consider editing it first in Elements so you are dealing with a simpler tool set, then when you have an idea of what you want/can get, move on to full PS to re-edit the pic.
So don't actually ditch Elements.
Personally, I wouldn't consider Lightroom unless you can get a similarly good price. Yes, it's a step up from Elements and it can do a lot, but Photoshop is a superior tool. Your buy would be all about getting the best bang for your buck and allowing yourself to have the greatest potential for learning.
I find the Bridge to be all the RAW tool I need.
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I find that many of the benefits that are spoken of in CS4 are already present in CS3, so I found no reason to update. I will probably update to CS5 when it comes out. |
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11/25/2009 08:21:37 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Shutter-For-Hire:
That site looks like a Scam site... is it real???? seems unbelieveably cheap... |
It's pirated software. Total scam. I hid the posts and nuked the spammer.
Message edited by author 2009-11-25 20:22:59. |
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11/25/2009 08:28:08 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by scalvert:
Originally posted by Shutter-For-Hire:
That site looks like a Scam site... is it real???? seems unbelieveably cheap... |
It's pirated software. Total scam. I hid the posts and nuked the spammer. |
hahahaha thanks =) |
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11/25/2009 08:30:34 PM · #14 |
I've been working with the Photo Merge automation for merging multiple exposures for panoramas.
The CS4 version is far superior to CS2 (i skipped CS3) |
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