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mmcaleer

I am looking to start getting into post processing since the upgrade from my 300D to my 30D. I had a version of Photoshop on my PC but now use a MAC. I don't have the cash to put out hundreds of dollars for a full blown copy of Photoshop. Will Elements do most of what CS2 will do? Is it a good place to start? Is there much of a difference between Elements 4.0 for MAC and 5.0 for PC?

Thanks

Spec A! · 12-28-2006, 08:25 PM

Not huge differences between 4 for the Mac and 5 for the PC. Aperture and Elements are two different animals though. If you want simple to use with minor adjustments like sharpening, color, exposure, shadow/highlight, levels and a few other things I go with Aperture. If you want more indepth control with compositing, layering, etc- get Elements. Both are powerful programs but do totally different things. From a pure financial perspective, Elements is the one to go with for only $99.

Daniel Bates · 12-28-2006, 08:36 PM

Elements by itself is kind of crippled--there are no layer masks, Curves, channels, etc. But you can get add-ons for most of those...

CS2 is better, but sometimes you've got to make do.

Duffy Pratt · 12-28-2006, 08:49 PM

Another possibility is Paint Shop Pro by Corel. It's more fully featured than Elements. I don't know exactly how it stacks up against CS2, but its about 1/5th the cost. A problem you might have with it is that practically all the books out there assume PS in one form or another. So you would have to translate the advice from the PS world to the Paint Shop Pro interface.

For me, the lack of channels and the LAB color space is a deal killer for Elements, though I still use Elements 3 for file management.

Duffy

srwatters · 12-28-2006, 09:07 PM

If you have a full licensed copy of photoshop 7 or later, call up Adobe and do a cross platform upgrade for <$200. I did it when I switched. Don't search on the website, call them on the support line. Make sure to have your original CD and code for them to check. You did register it, right?

Bartman01 · 12-28-2006, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srwatters

If you have a full licensed copy of photoshop 7 or later, call up Adobe and do a cross platform upgrade for <$200.

And if you have an Intel MAC: once you have installed and registered CS2, download the CS3 beta - since CS2 was designed for the IBM processor and will run slow on the Intel.

srwatters · 12-28-2006, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartman01

And if you have an Intel MAC: once you have installed and registered CS2, download the CS3 beta - since CS2 was designed for the IBM processor and will run slow on the Intel.

Only if you want useless cursors and resizing bugs.

Remember this is BETA software and I would not do production work with it. Although CS2 runs slower than the CS3 beta, I still find it as fast as my 1.8GHz G5 iMac. Of course YMMV.

Nocturnus · 12-28-2006, 11:25 PM

I'm gonna give Paint Shop Pro a try. I can't afford $600 for PhotoShop anytime soon. I used PSP years ago, and need to d/l it and check it out. The only bad thing is I dont think I can run PS actions in it.

mmcaleer · **Guess I will give Elements a try -** 12-28-2006, 11:33 PM

Since I use a MAC I will give Elements a try. Can't hurt.

Thanks,

Mike

Night Owl · 12-28-2006, 11:39 PM

MS Paint.

mmcaleer · **I have PS 6 -** 12-29-2006, 12:34 PM

The version of PS on my PC is PS 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by srwatters

If you have a full licensed copy of photoshop 7 or later, call up Adobe and do a cross platform upgrade for <$200. I did it when I switched. Don't search on the website, call them on the support line. Make sure to have your original CD and code for them to check. You did register it, right?

Hogleg 44 · 12-29-2006, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturnus

I'm gonna give Paint Shop Pro a try. I can't afford $600 for PhotoShop anytime soon. I used PSP years ago, and need to d/l it and check it out. The only bad thing is I dont think I can run PS actions in it.

Download a trial first. I am not very impressed with PSP XI. It is very slow for me. Too slow when compared to CS2 or 3,
Just my opinion.

mmcaleer · **Contacted Adobe about upgrading my PS6 from PC to Mac -** 01-02-2007, 06:19 PM

I contacted Adobe and let them know I have a copy of PS6 on my PC. They said for $169 I can get a cross platform upgrade for my MAC. Since there is only a $70 difference between PSE and the PS upgrade they are offering me, it looks like PS CS2 may be the way to go.

Mike

srwatters · 01-02-2007, 06:38 PM

If you can wait until CS3 comes out, you should get the same deal. Otherwise you'll have to pay the $169 again to upgrade to CS3 if you so choose.

I still say Adobe rocks on support. IMHO and YMMV...

MRCPix · 01-04-2007, 01:46 PM

you can download a 30 day trial of elements from the Adobe website to try it and see if it works for you.

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