Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Which Photo Editing Software Should I Use?

flatout1 · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Cape Coral, FL

Time to get photo editing software and wanted to see what you guys thought here. Budget is limited, since I'm also saving up for a new camera (Nikon D90). Photoshop seems to be mentioned more than anything, but there seems to be different kinds? Heard only CS4 works with D90 with RAW files, but seems too expensive for me (If I want a new camera in the near future). How important is using RAW for microstock?

Some I know use Elements?...Which is around my budget $80. Pros, cons of Elements?

Good places to buy from?

eppicphotos · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:38 pm

If your budget is around 80.00 then Photoshop is waaay beyond your budget. Even Photoshop elements is around 100.00. If you want to work with RAW files (which I recommend but that's just my opinion) and are limited to Adobe Elements, you could download Adobe's free DNG converter, convert your NEF files to DNG and then you can work with the DNG files in Elements.
If you had a few hundred dollars to work with, I'd recommend Adobe Lightroom 2.0 and then get Elements for localized file work.

flatout1 · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Cape Coral, FL

Excuse my ignorance...what is DNG?
How is it different from JPEG?

Will I be sorry for wasting $80 (Amazon) on Elements that I could have put towards PS in the future?
Is it too limiting?
What would I be giving up?

I have Vista by the way.

traveler1116 · Joined: 19 Feb 2007 Posts: 603

DNG is Digital Negative, it's Adobe's raw format and what they hope will be the standard. Nikon, Canon and most others have there own raw file types. You should be able to work with raw files with the included software with your camera. You should shoot raw and if you ever get new software or when you get better at editing you will wish you had raw files instead of jpeg. Raw files have all of the info on them, jpeg's compress the file, add sharpening, noise reduction, white balance, and all sorts of things. The most important for me is the white balance, it's a lot harder to fix that with a jpeg instead of raw. Raw files can also let you get back some detail from shadows and highlights that a jpeg wont.

I would buy from Amazon because they usually cheapest, new camera equipment from BHphoto.com.

eppicphotos · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:38 pm

Personally I'd recommend the Adobe Lightroom/ Elements combination. You can download a free 30 day fully functioning trial version of both I believe so you can see how they work for you.
Lightroom is fantastic for organizing, working with your RAW files and adding IPTC data so your photos are stock ready. Elements or Corel Paint Shop Pro (which I use) is good for localized corrections like clone stamping and such.

pwkirk · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 773

I also shoot Nikon and use NX2 for the processing. I like it. I think its fairly user friendly and the cost is not prohibitive. Nx was free with the D300 but I spent another $90 and uprgrade to NX2 and I'm glad I did. you might can try it for free for a limited time but I'm not sure.

shensher · Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 12

GIMP is a free opensource image manipulation program that is similar in a lot of ways to Photoshop (although very limited in comparison). From what I have read, you can get it to support Nikon NEF files with something called UFRAW. I personally use Photoshop, so I can't warrant that GIMP is adequate, but since it's free, it may be worth a try.

Photoshop CS3 in fact does support the D90 NEF files, so you don't have to have CS4.

Shaun

P.S. I love my D90. Good choice.

flatout1 · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Cape Coral, FL

There seems to be a student/teacher edition of PS (my wife is a teacher)?
Does anyone know anything about these limited versions? Seems to be around $150.
I would definitely do that if it's a better choice than the others? What is the opinion of the masses?
Thanks, I'm already learning!

PS: Just learned about Picture Window Pro 4.0 from Thom's website...looks pretty good? Any users?

blackdoginn · Joined: 21 May 2008 Posts: 43

I use Photoshop Elements and it does come with Camera Raw, so no need to use another program to convert files.

elyrae · Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 407 Location: Molise (Italy)

You can also use free software like The Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/) and for raw files the is UFRaw (http://ufraw.sourceforge.net/), I use them for all my photography :)

triceratops · Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 7875 Location: The other Nevada

shevs · Joined: 31 Jul 2008 Posts: 1658 Location: Belgium

Also: Ebay!

I quickly glanced at it and noticed CS2 for about $100 and Elements 5 for $43.
Always worth looking for bargains there.
I use PS CS3 and couldnt live without...

hospitalera · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:24 pm

pdimages · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 213 Location: Kansas, USA

I got a copy of Photoshop CS on ebay for $90 then I upgraded about 6 month later to CS3. I agree with the statement above now that I have it can't live with out. If you get a Nikon you get a trial copy of NX2 (30 days?) it works very well if not better than CS3 at converting NEF (raw) to JPG when shooting 14bit. I think NX2 is around $150 to purchase. I would say if you can't get CS4 due to budget try NX2 and see if it would work for your needs. If not go with lightroom over elements.

camdoc3 · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:10 pm