Best PC photo editing software?

[DSL_PWR]

I did some searching and was not able to find what I was looking for.

I have a Vista Ult 64 bit system.

Looking to either get Capture One Pro, Lightroom, or CS4..

Who is using what and what are your thoughts on these or others you might use?

Thanks,
Doc...

[Kalrog]

How did you decide on these as your options? What exactly are you looking for that you were unable to find?

For someone who has been using a program for a while, the learning curve to change can be pretty large. But if you are new to full power image editing, you should really give GIMP a try. It is free and very good. When combined with UFRaw, it even does almost all RAW files as well.

[dmcantrell]

I have photoshop CS4 and would not replace it with any of the other choices. I also have Lightroom, which as its place in my work flow.

I use Lightroom for initial proof creation, and for large batch jobs for customers.

I use Photoshop for the tougher edits that i can't do in Lightroom (large-scale cloning, background replacement, noise reduction, etc) and for smaller sets of photos that I sell as prints in a gallery.

[Wil_Bloodworth]

Doc,

I would say LR would be your best choice out of those three. I'm basing that on your post count and that is sounds like you're not that familiar with RAW converters already. Capture One is probably too much for you and CS* is probably not exactly what you're looking for. LR... is just right.

Download the trials though and test drive for yourself.

- Wil

[DSL_PWR]

Originally Posted by Kalrog

How did you decide on these as your options? What exactly are you looking for that you were unable to find?

For someone who has been using a program for a while, the learning curve to change can be pretty large. But if you are new to full power image editing, you should really give GIMP a try. It is free and very good. When combined with UFRaw, it even does almost all RAW files as well.

Well I didn't really decide, I Google'd photo edit software and those came up. So still searching. I will look at gimp.

Originally Posted by ParkImaging

Doc,

I would say LR would be your best choice out of those three. I'm basing that on your post count and that is sounds like you're not that familiar with RAW converters already. Capture One is probably too much for you and CS* is probably not exactly what you're looking for. LR... is just right.

Download the trials though and test drive for yourself.

- Wil

I have extensive knowledge with computers and photoshop with just regular jpeg edits, but not with RAW edits. Getting ready to start taking raw's and trying to edit them.

I will look at those programs, thanks guys..

[dixonduke]

Speaking as a guy who jumped into the dslr world last year. I started with Corel Paint Shop ***, then went to Photoshop Elements, and on advice of others, I gave Lightroom a go.

For my skill level, and my current needs, Lightroom does everything I know how to do. My confidence is building, and I am currently learning Photoshop (CS4), but like was mentioned above, it is just for specific manipulation of a single picture for me.

Lightroom for me was very intuative, and easy to learn, and for the way my mind works, all the commands, buttons, file management, just made sense. It was not a struggle in anyway.

Download it for free and give it a test drive. It may be on the pricey side, but, knowing what I know now, I wish I had spent the money once, and bought this, and not purchased the programs I used prior.

Hope this helps.

[klynam]

LightRoom is a terrific image management tool and does provide some editing features, but it's real strength (IMO) is in RAW processing and workflow management. The full (BETA) version of the next release is available now for free.

If you can only choose one, and since you have some measure of experience with Photoshop, I would pick CS4 + Adobe Bridge (probably included w/ CS4.)

This will give you all the editing power of Photoshop with most of the image management and RAW processing of LR (granted without all of LR's bells and whistles - which are powerful.)

I teach GIMP to photography students and for a free program it is great. But since you have worked in PS already you may find the interface less than intuitive...

[dmcantrell]

Also, keep in mind that Adobe offers their full versions at a very steep discount for students and educational professionals. You may find that the price of a community college photography class + Lightroom + Photoshop CS4 is cheaper than the retail price of Photoshop CS4 by itself.

Adobe - Education: Eligibility for education purchasing

[DSL_PWR]

Well on the suggestions from here I am picking up CS4 and Lightroom. So I will give those a go and see what happens. Thanks again.

[klynam]

Can't go wrong with those two - and post processing is an incredible world of fun !!!

[tukaniray]

You probably already bought them ...

For me , I use Aperature (like Lightroom) to organize photos and do some color adjustments and then use Photoshop CS4 for any more detail photo editing.

Once you get a good workflow going for you both programs will be great tools for your still photography arsenal.

-Ray-

[DSL_PWR]

I managed to find them 'very cheap' so that was good.

I have not started using them yet. Still messing with Capture One Pro but I will get around to using them pretty soon.

[Colyn]

Originally Posted by Kalrog

But if you are new to full power image editing, you should really give GIMP a try.

I agree. Gimp is an excellent editing program..

Originally Posted by Kalrog

It is free and very good. When combined with UFRaw, it even does almost all RAW files as well.

My experience with UFRaw is that it saves your changes as a ppm file. This file is for all intents and purposes useless..

Does anybody know of a RAW plugin for Gimp that lets you save Nikon NEF files as a tif??

[Kalrog]

Originally Posted by Colyn

My experience with UFRaw is that it saves your changes as a ppm file. This file is for all intents and purposes useless..

Are you using the UFRaw plugin for GIMP or are you using it as a stand alone program? If you use it as the plugin, then you can just open all of your raw files and save them as anything that GIMP recognizes. I shoot Olympus, but I would bet that it supports Nikon faster than it does Olympus raw formats.

[Colyn]

Originally Posted by Kalrog

Are you using the UFRaw plugin for GIMP or are you using it as a stand alone program?

As a standalone program it saves as a ppm.

Originally Posted by Kalrog

If you use it as the plugin, then you can just open all of your raw files and save them as anything that GIMP recognizes. I shoot Olympus, but I would bet that it supports Nikon faster than it does Olympus raw formats.

It takes a few extra steps but yes you are correct..