cyclespeed Loc: Calgary, Alberta Canada

At my stage of life and coming to photography late in it, I have been using LightRoom 5.7 and now I am seeing the need for some finishing in PhotoShop.
I live in Canada and tend to only post process images in the colder months of the year, say November to February. So if I understand the new method of acquiring PhotoShop you rent it continuously with a monthly subscription of about $15 Cdn. So for 8 months I'd pay and wouldn't use it.
So with that preamble, I ask do you know of a selling source for what I believe was the last CD disc based version of PhotoShop, CS 6.
Thank you for your response.

blue skies,
Cyclespeed

Bill_de Loc: US

The only place I have seen them is eBay. Some are used, so I don't know if they are already registered.


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Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

eBay, although you'll probably spend $300.00 or more. CS6 is about 30 months old now, and it won't update to the latest version of ACR (Adobe Camera Raw), so if you shoot in RAW and are using a newer camera, it won't open in RAW. Have you considere PhotoShop Elements 14? It is a standalone program, does about 85% of what CS6 can do, and puts you in line for the latest ACR updates.

cyclespeed Loc: Calgary, Alberta Canada

Thanks for your input. i have not considered Elements, thinking it was more a iPhotos type of product that doesn't do layers etc.
I'll do some homework on what PS Elements can do and where it doesn't do what PS itself can do.
I shoot with a Sony a6000 so i assume you are correct that it couldn't have it's raw files imported to PS CS6.

i signed up for the Gale course on PS CS6 thinking I'd have bought the product by now.

blackest Loc: Ireland

It is available on Amazon from $600 windows or Mac but I don't like the look of the Seller 'brand new' to selling on Amazon

http://www.adobe.com/products/cs6.html

you might try adobe there is cs6 and cs6 extended

"Yes, you can still buy CS6 products by calling an Adobe call center, but why would you? The features in Creative Cloud will take your creativity further, with more ways to create, collaborate, and share. To purchase by phone, call 800-585-0774. " they don't encourage you to buy it, couldn't see a price either.

Affinity Photo if you are on mac might be a good alternative it's also compatible with a number of photoshop plugins. ($50 mac appstore)
the beta's for this are getting better and better.

On1 has a suite of programs which generally sell for around $150
there is DXO and a number of other alternatives.

Personally I like lightroom 5.7 and Affinity photo both excellent purchases (life time licensed copies) since buying affinity photo in july I would have paid to november about $85, to rent, Photoshop cc in europe is priced at about $17 a month for a 12 month subscription ($200).

Since affinity photo cost me $40 i'm up $45 by not going CC in july. There have been around 5 or 6 beta releases since I got affinity photo 1 of the first additions was a haze filter (not in cs6) and the last update added a panorama persona.

Of course adobe hasn't barred me from the cc program i can choose to subscribe any time I like, but not just yet.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Bill_de Loc: US

I stopped at CS5. After getting my D4s I couldn't open the raw files. The free DNG converter from Adobe works great. When I transfer files from the camera, I create a second folder and batch convert the NEFs to DNGs into their own folder. It only takes a few minutes for hundreds of files.


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brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Cyclespeed, I understand your logic, but I dare say there are many, many products we purchase that sit idle until we need them. The issue becomes, when we pick them up to use them, they need to work.

Technology races forward. There are dozens of posts right here on UHH where folks are having issues with older versions of software. Many find 'work-arounds', and that may be fine, depending upon the amount of photography done and the desired effect for the images taken.

I recall spend nearly $1,000 for the LR and PS 'bundle' several years ago. Then, the cost of annual updates was nearly $300. The price of the Creative Cloud subscription is nowhere near this much, making it very palatable. Especially in light of the fact that it keeps me at the latest version.

I made the conscious decision to choose Adobe's products for my photography efforts. There are many alternatives, but Adobe was my decision. So, if I pay the monthly subscription for the rest of my life, that's okay. I will always have the latest and greatest from Adobe.

Hope this gives some food for thought.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

If you try PSE 14 you can get a program called Elements+ ($12 US) that unlocks some more of the PS functions that are still in the PSE code, just blocked. That will get you even closer to PS.

The main alternative, that is still sold on disk as a stand alone is Corel's Paint Shop Pro X8 (current issue) There will be some plug ins that won't work at all or have to be installed with a work around since they are made for PS.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Photoshop Elements has a couple modes. One is "Expert" and you'll have a hard time not feeling like you are in the "real" Photoshop. Few things that count to a photographer are missing. Some things like a new haze tool and shake reduction tool are in this year's version 14. As they were introduced only this last year to the "real" photoshop, they were not in CS6.

Unless you need 32 bit color, CMYK files for press production or 3D, the real photoshop is not needed.

Photoshop Elements also includes some advanced features that either are not in Photoshop CC, or are more difficult or time consuming to apply. For example, the Photomerge Scene Cleaner lets you combine several photos of the same scene (say, a popular tourist attraction) such that people strolling by are no longer in the shot.

Photoshop Elements probably has more users than the real one. Consequently the learning, training and book resources are abundant. Take a look at Jan Kabili's Photoshop Elements courses on Lynda.com

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

If you search hard enough, I bet you can find a copy of Photoshop CS6. I did about a year ago and paid around $225 for an "upgrade", since I didn't need a full version (I had CS5 installed, which was also an upgrade from earlier versions of PS).

You can update CS6 to the point where it will handle most current camera models. Adobe only very recently announced they'll no longer provide new updates. There have been some other features added to CC that aren't available in CS6, but for practical purposes it's mostly it's just Adobe Camera Raw, with in CS6, that's not being updated. The last version that will be made available for CS6 is 9.1.1. But, for example, that handles most recent Canon camera releases including 5DS/5DS-R and T6i/T6s.

If you want to continue to use CS6 with future camera models that are no longer supported by ACR 9.1.1, you will still be able to convert their RAW files to DNG, then work with those DNG files in CS6 (DNG is Adobe's effort to make a universal RAW file... used by a few camera makers, but most continue to have their own proprietary RAW file types).

Yes, Photoshop Elements is a viable alternative as a free-standing, lifetime licensed software. It can do many of the key image editing functions as Photoshop (as well as some of the functions of Lightroom), but is limited to 8 bit output (i.e., JPEGs... not 16 bit TIFFs, for example). For most peoples' uses this is no problem. Elements itself is never offered as an upgrade... only full versions are ever offered. But it's considerably cheaper than either PS or LR.

AFAIK, Lightroom continues to be offered either by subscription (LR CC) or lifetime licensed (LR 6). However, I suspect it's just a matter of time until Adobe drops the licensed and only offers the subscription version of LR, too, as they appear to want to force everyone onto subscriptions. Right now it's cheap, but I bet it won't stay that way. When they first offered it, they wanted 5X as much for PS CC alone, as what they're currently charging for PS + LR CC. Of course, no one was willing to pay that, so they reduced the price.... a number of times... and added LR to entice people to subscribe. But, that original pricing gives us some idea what they think it's worth... and may try to charge for it when all the alternatives are eliminated.

If they're smart, other image editing software providers will step up and fill the void that Adobe is creating by forcing their new pricing model on its users and customers. Where Photoshop has certainly been the most widely used of this type of software, as well as the most powerful and strongly supported by plug-ins, user training and guides, etc.... it may not be in the future.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

It doesn't do layers, but does a lot of the same results thru programmed actions. Instead of having to know a sequence of movements, you select a result and let the program do the processing. It is surprisingly powerful once you get over the fact that some things are automated rather than operator controlled.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

If by "It" you mean Photoshop Elements, I think it does "do layers". I'm also not sure what you mean by "programmed actions". Are you referring to "Guided" edits?

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