PhotoElements 2019 vs 2018: Received an offer from Adobe that I can purchase the 2019 upgrade for $90. Looking at the feature set between that and 2018, doesn't seem like there's a lot...

2mdman

Received an offer from Adobe that I can purchase the 2019 upgrade for $90. Looking at the feature set between that and 2018, doesn't seem like there's a lot I could use except for the increased performance (so they say) and maybe some bug fixes (which I don't know about). Has anyone made the upgrade to 2019 and would they consider it worth it?

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

2mdman wrote:

Received an offer from Adobe that I can purchase the 2019 upgrade for $90. Looking at the feature set between that and 2018, doesn't seem like there's a lot I could use except for the increased performance (so they say) and maybe some bug fixes (which I don't know about). Has anyone made the upgrade to 2019 and would they consider it worth it?

18 was not much better than 15. Though it did have a few tweeks that I liked. I don't think 19 would be much better than 18 and I think I will wait to see if a 20 shows up. I was with the impression that there would be no 19 and that Adobe was planning to go all out for their monthly charge rather than update to a newer version.

2mdman

thanks. I'll hold off.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Photoshop Elements is replaced every year around the first of October, plus or minus about 10 days. The core features can't change much because they are so well developed. So, incremental changes can appear very minor to most.

One change that is not minor is the ACR (Adobe Camera RAW) system. IF you get a new camera and IF you shoot RAW, you will need a current version for currently new cameras.

2mdman

Good point. that's why I had to upgrade from 10 to get the support in 18.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I’m still on PSE 14. Most Elements changes are cosmetic, aimed at what I call the "create a greeting card" market. You can do most everything that’s now automated if you dig down into the guts of the program. But if you upgrade to a new camera model, you may need an Elements upgrade to work with its RAW files.

don26812 Loc: South Bay of Los Angeles, CA

Here is my short article describing the differences between PSE 2018 and PSE 2019.

https://don26812.wordpress.com/2018/10/04/adobe-announces-photoshop-elements-2019/

FWI

2mdman

Thanks Don. Nice writeup.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

I currently have 15 and do not plan to update for a while. Usually don't for a couple of years at least. Did not update between 11 and 15. Of course I don't suffer from GAS too much. Can't afford to.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

drklrd wrote:

18 was not much better than 15. Though it did have a few tweeks that I liked. I don't think 19 would be much better than 18 and I think I will wait to see if a 20 shows up. I was with the impression that there would be no 19 and that Adobe was planning to go all out for their monthly charge rather than update to a newer version.

I'd be very much surprised if Adobe goes the subscription route for it's entry level consumer software.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I would upgrade no more than every other version. I have the 2015 version and will probably wait one more till I upgrade.

2mdman wrote:

Received an offer from Adobe that I can purchase the 2019 upgrade for $90. Looking at the feature set between that and 2018, doesn't seem like there's a lot I could use except for the increased performance (so they say) and maybe some bug fixes (which I don't know about). Has anyone made the upgrade to 2019 and would they consider it worth it?

2mdman

I used to have Elements 9 but had to upgrade to 18 in order to support my new camera. From what others have said about 19 and what I've read, I see no advantage to doing an upgrade. Your approach makes sense.

2666loco

2mdman wrote:

Received an offer from Adobe that I can purchase the 2019 upgrade for $90. Looking at the feature set between that and 2018, doesn't seem like there's a lot I could use except for the increased performance (so they say) and maybe some bug fixes (which I don't know about). Has anyone made the upgrade to 2019 and would they consider it worth it?

The last Elements I bought were 2009 and 2011. It seems they spend more time upgrading the organizer than anything useful for photos each year. I wish they would ad a shiny filter, like in the rain everything is diffusely shiny. Another useful option would be to fill in the sky between leaves and branches to blue or whatever color desired.

I still use PSE 9 because the screen is gray, not white. I like the tools on the left, not the bottom of the screen where the photo usually blocks options and has to be moved. PSE 9 has photomerge and almost everything else I do. Most of the improvements are not very useful and PSE 2019 doesn't sound very great to me. There is much PSE Elements will do that I don't even know, and I assume I don't need it.

neilds37 Loc: Port Angeles, WA

2666loco wrote:

The last Elements I bought were 2009 and 2011. It... (show quote)

I believe you would find a tremendous difference in the "Edit/Fill selection/content aware" feature between 13 and 15. What it can do now is utterly amazing in many instances.

don26812 Loc: South Bay of Los Angeles, CA

neilds37 wrote:

I believe you would find a tremendous difference in the "Edit/Fill selection/content aware" feature between 13 and 15. What it can do now is utterly amazing in many instances.

Haze Removal is another excellent edition.