Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

Hi,
I downloaded the trial version of Elements 2019 and, I'm pleasantly surprised. I've tried most of the free editors online and just wasn't impressed by most of them. I think I'm going to skip the subscription to Adobe Cloud and buy a stand alone copy of Elements. I've got an old copy of PS, I think it's from 2013. I've used it over the years but, am nowhere near proficient with it. I am pleased to see most of the features that I've used are included in Elements.

I recently upgraded from a Nikon D7000 to a D500 and, I'm wanting to get into RAW and take my Photography to the next level. It should be quite an adventure for me. I plan on buying a good book to learn from. I'm also sure I'll be asking questions on the forum also.

One question, does Elements support plugins like PS does?

Thank you.
Bob

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

The plug-ins I have with PS Elements are Nik Collection and two older Topaz pieces: Simplify, and Detail.

The HDR module of Nik may not work with it, but can be used as stand-alone, should you purchase.

I have enjoyed PS Elements for several years. The expert tab is where you will find ability to use layers and layer masks. Much help is available online and here on UHH, including the post processing section:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-116-1.html

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Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

Linda,
Thank you very much. I really appreciate the info.
Bob

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Elements has a plugin interface.

HOWEVER: Elements is a poor choice if you're serious about getting into raw processing. The version of ACR included with Elements is deliberately hobbled and although Elements/ACR will output a 16 bit RGB image Elements does not fully support processing in 16 bit and will force you to convert to 8 bit. That's an ouch and an ouch! for raw processing.

It'll up the learning effort but you have non-Adobe options that will cost less and do much more. For example ACDSee has been running a sale. You could match DarkTable with Affinity Photo and major out-perform Elements raw processing for about 1/2 the cost.

Joe

LESTAHL Loc: Colorado

Keep your Photoshop and and add Photoshop Elements. You'll have the best of two worlds. Yes, you can add plugins.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Don't know why this slipped my mind earlier -- you're camera comes with a free version of Capture One Express. You can download it any time. Much better for raw processing than Elements/ACR.

Joe

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I disagree with Joe. The ACR in Elements may not be as complete or complex at the current version in Photoshop, but "deliberately hobbled" is too harsh. For the 16 bit part, that might be important if National Geographic is a client. For the rest of us, 8 vs 16 is more theoretical than a real limitation.

Having said all that, the $10 per month needed for the subscription to the "real deal" may be the best money a photographer can spend. Remember the cost of shooting film?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I always wondered what I was missing out on by only having 8 bit

srt101fan

Joe, with all due respect, I think your answer reflects a problem that is not uncommon on UHH. ("Don't buy a Nikon D5300, that's only an entry level camera, buy a D850 instead")....

I think you are saying there are better RAW processors than what comes with Elements. But you start out by saying "Elements is a poor choice if you're serious about getting into raw processing". That sounds like a blanket put down of Elements, not just its RAW processor (would Elements be acceptable to you if the OP used it with another RAW processor?)

You criticize Elements based on the 8 bit processing. For the digital photography learners, can you express, in practical terms, WHY this should be unacceptable? Is it bad, across the board, for all types of photography? Linda's photographs are excellent; how, exactly, would her photography improve if she used something other than Elements?

You say "DarkTable with Affinity Photo" is an option that will do much more than Elements. I have Affinity (haven't used it much); are you implying that I shouldn't use its RAW processor? Is the Nikon software better?

Please don't take these comments the wrong way. I just get frustrated with responses that raise more questions than they answer....

Bill_de Loc: US

My Nikon cameras came with Nikon NX-d.

How do I get Capture One Express? This is the first I heard of Nikon offering it.

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Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

My mistake --big apology; I don't know why but I thought I had read the OP purchased a Sony. I see now he purchased a Nikon D500.

Joe

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Attached below is a 100% crop from a shot using a Canon L series zoom. It's the out-of-focus background of a photo of bike racers. Look at the window and shutters and drain pipe (left side version) and you'll see some pretty bad chromatic aberration (magenta/green edge highlights). We all get it no matter what lens we have. But processing raw files it's not a big deal because it's typically a one click fix or entirely automatic with nearly all raw processing software. You can see it's removed in the right hand version -- one click. PS/ACR and of course LR take care of it one click. In Elements/ACR that feature is missing. Adobe removed it from the Elements version -- I'm using the word hobble.

Here's a link about 8/16 bit processing: https://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/16-bit/

Joe

(Download)

mcmama

No WONDER I’m not famous yet.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Your point is well taken -- sorry I'm running a lot errands today and a more thorough answer needs time.

From the bottom up, you should most certainly not use the raw processor that come with Affinity Photo. It's capabilities are mediocre but much more importantly it is forced destructive of your work. This is nearly unheard of with a raw converter. I can think of only one other (free) raw converter that does this. When you click Develop in Affinity's Develop persona it converts your raw file to an RGB image which is moved to the Photo Persona and it dumps all the work you just did in the Develop persona. You can't go back and tweak or change anything -- you have to start over. That's nuts!

Final images are fine as 8 bit. 8 bit is what we call print sufficiency. A JPEG is required to be 8 bit and that's adequate storage for a full color full tonal range processed image for standard output (ultimately still a print) target. The need for increased bit depth is during processing. ACR and LR (and all other raw converters including Elements/ACR) will output a 16 bit RGB image with the expectation that additional processing may be needed before the image is reduced and saved as 8 bit.

While processing the image (altering tone and color) we want to avoid too much data loss that would result is visible artifacts and banding in the final image. So we process in 16 bit then save to 8 bit.

I posted a link above that addresses the issue here's another pretty clear one from Canon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=125&v=0UIoJ7GaIVQ

There's a paradox in Elements that the version of ACR supplied will output a 16 bit RGB image and then Elements proper will refuse to edit that image.

Light editing in Elements and raw files that aren't pushed hard and the results should certainly be adequate for beginners. The OP just upgraded to a seriously nice and capable camera. A shame not to get the best out of it.

Joe

Bill_de Loc: US

No problem.

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