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Elements 11 v.s. Lightroom 4
Mar 20, 2013 09:28:59 #
StL Jim
Loc: St. Louis, Mo.
Looking to upgrade pp software. Currently use CS3. Would like opinions about elements 11 or lightroom 4.Can't afford CS6.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Mar 20, 2013 09:45:08 #
Jim, I don't use LR myself (yet), but from what I've read here on the hog, I would suggest that it depends a lot on what kind of PP you do.
If you process mostly RAW images, and don't work with layers, LR is the way to go. It's for the ACR that I am considering LR.
But if you do a lot of PP with layers, PSE 11 is the way to go.
Or, you could purchase PSE11 ($70 at Staples here, this week) and get a free RAW editor program, for example Raw Therapee.
Switching to PSE will be easiest as you already are familiar with Photoshop. LightRoom and Raw Therapee will have learning curves...
Oh, and while Raw Therapee is freeware, you can download 30-day trials of both LR and PSE.
EstherP
If you process mostly RAW images, and don't work with layers, LR is the way to go. It's for the ACR that I am considering LR.
But if you do a lot of PP with layers, PSE 11 is the way to go.
Or, you could purchase PSE11 ($70 at Staples here, this week) and get a free RAW editor program, for example Raw Therapee.
Switching to PSE will be easiest as you already are familiar with Photoshop. LightRoom and Raw Therapee will have learning curves...
Oh, and while Raw Therapee is freeware, you can download 30-day trials of both LR and PSE.
EstherP
Mar 20, 2013 09:55:25 #
It depends on what you want to do with/to your images. Lightroom is very good at image touchup and batch processing (applying the same changes to multiple images). What it cannot do is work with layers or more of the in-depth cut-and-paste projects which Elements can (or CS3 for that matter). You will find quite a number of people on here get both - Elements and Lightroom. Together they are still not quite as all-powerful as the latest CS version, but will cover almost all of the bases you will want for still far less $$$ than CS6.
CS3 in itself is still a very good tool, and actually still used a lot. Others will chime in on this I'm sure, but in your shoes I would give careful consideration to keeping Photoshop CS3 and getting Lightroom 4 for right now. They will both play well together and you are already familiar with CS3 so you can concentrate on familiarizing yourself with Lightroom before moving on to another program, if you still so desire or feel the need.
CS3 in itself is still a very good tool, and actually still used a lot. Others will chime in on this I'm sure, but in your shoes I would give careful consideration to keeping Photoshop CS3 and getting Lightroom 4 for right now. They will both play well together and you are already familiar with CS3 so you can concentrate on familiarizing yourself with Lightroom before moving on to another program, if you still so desire or feel the need.
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Mar 21, 2013 08:03:42 #
I use both. I import, perform CA and lens corrections in LR4, then work on the RAW file in Elements 11 (with Topaz filters) then back to LR for finat tweaks.
Mar 21, 2013 08:35:30 #
StL Jim
Loc: St. Louis, Mo.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I AM NOW THINKING OF BUYING BOTH. I CAN SEE BENEFITS OF HAVING BOTH.
Mar 21, 2013 09:02:39 #
Use LR for cataloging and most of your PP the use PSE for any final PP that needs to be done.
I do 90-95% of all my PP in LR then I use PS for the last 5%
I do 90-95% of all my PP in LR then I use PS for the last 5%
Mar 21, 2013 09:10:52 #
mborn wrote:
Use LR for cataloging and most of your PP the use PSE for any final PP that needs to be done.
I do 90-95% of all my PP in LR then I use PS for the last 5%
I do 90-95% of all my PP in LR then I use PS for the last 5%
Me Too! I've even used LR exclusively for some Fine Art B&W photo conversions for the class I'm taking on Fine Art Printing. However, I do have Elements AND photoshop in my arsenal too. I just got all three (student discount so I could afford all three) and find uses for each one.
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Mar 21, 2013 10:00:23 #
StL Jim
Loc: St. Louis, Mo.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN THE STUDENT/ TEACHER VERSION AND THE FULL VERSION CS6
Mar 21, 2013 10:30:56 #
StL Jim wrote:
WHAT IS THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN THE STUDENT/ TEACHER VERSION AND THE FULL VERSION CS6
Ssssshhhhtttt..... You'll wake up everyone!
There is no difference except in the price. And you have to provide proof that you are a student or teacher to get that version.
EstherP
Mar 21, 2013 10:37:14 #
Mar 21, 2013 10:39:35 #
StL Jim wrote:
WHAT IS THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN THE STUDENT/ TEACHER VERSION AND THE FULL VERSION CS6
Please don't type in all caps. This is inferred as yelling. It is very upsetting to many members here :)
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Mar 21, 2013 12:23:33 #
StL Jim wrote:
Looking to upgrade pp software. Currently use CS3. Would like opinions about elements 11 or lightroom 4.Can't afford CS6.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
I recommend using "and" instead of vs. if you can afford both. They play nicely together.
If only one I recommend Elements 11. The Organizer in Elements 11 does the cataloging functions of Lightroom. Although Elements misses some of the nice features of Lightroom it adds the capability to do layers which greatly enhances what you can do with Photos.
IMHO Elements 11 is almost as good as Photoshop CS6...better if you consider the Organizer in Elements compared to Bridge in CS6. I have both but when upgrade time comes I will go back to Elements.
Mar 21, 2013 12:24:30 #
mborn wrote:
Use LR for cataloging and most of your PP the use PSE for any final PP that needs to be done.
I do 90-95% of all my PP in LR then I use PS for the last 5%
I do 90-95% of all my PP in LR then I use PS for the last 5%
Me too.
Mar 21, 2013 12:28:57 #
I maybe should have noted that if you intend to shoot in RAW Lightroom is the better choice. One reason is that you can apply standard presets upon import so you start out with a better image. Also Lightroom enables bulk processing through Synchronization which again is particularly useful.
Elements works fine with RAW images but you have to go through Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) to get to the Editor. That is good and bad. Good because it is automatic and also because ACR gives you many of the Editing features of Lightroom. Bad because it is an extra step.
I made a preset in Lightroom the converts all my imports to DNG format and provides camera like jpeg adjustments to the RAW imports so they start out almost usable.
Elements works fine with RAW images but you have to go through Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) to get to the Editor. That is good and bad. Good because it is automatic and also because ACR gives you many of the Editing features of Lightroom. Bad because it is an extra step.
I made a preset in Lightroom the converts all my imports to DNG format and provides camera like jpeg adjustments to the RAW imports so they start out almost usable.
Mar 21, 2013 12:52:17 #
MtnMan wrote:
I maybe should have noted that if you intend to sh... (show quote)
Just remember ACR is just about the same in LR (develop Module), PSE and PS. Just minor variations
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