Which Post Processing SW ?

Rouxenator said:
I have played around with RAW output and post processing on it and to be honest I could not see the value in it.
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That's true, especially with these Nikon cameras. But I think we're talking about all the other things you can do with PS. After all, the thread is about post processing.
 
I use GIMP usually, but just outta interest since I may as well try the demo once I have the 10 gig to kill, which PS version should I try?

It needs to have most of the features that GIMP has, layers and all that. Whats the difference between Lightroom and CS4? Im guessing CS4 extended is over kill?
 
Pity about Canons not being so good at that. That said, I used a 40D not so long ago, and the jpgs looked great.
 
ldmelsa has shown some pictures here that will make you think twice before shooting down in camera processing to JPEG.

Personally I feel RAW makes sense if you are working with extremely large images and you want no compression or dithering to stuff around your image before you take it to the printers.

However I do concede that for some skilled experts RAW is the only option since this is what they are used to working with and it enables them to make the picture come out like they planned it in their head before clicking the shutter... Come to think of it, about 80% of my worthy shots are ones I visualized before taking.
 
Just_Ice said:
I use GIMP usually, but just outta interest since I may as well try the demo once I have the 10 gig to kill, which PS version should I try?

It needs to have most of the features that GIMP has, layers and all that. Whats the difference between Lightroom and CS4? Im guessing CS4 extended is over kill?
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I think ThePirateBay is going to have very popular usage with those on the 10gig WebAfrica trial ;)

LR is an intergrated organisational and general editing program
PS is purely editing oriented.

The fundamental difference is that with PS you can Composite an image. Using Layers and Masks. To explain further would take me all day ;)

For a beginner, CS4 Extended is not worth considering.
 
Agree with MK (FT ;)), if you want to do something serious, layers and layer masks are a must. For value for money, I would go with Gimp or Paint Shop Pro. Anything you learn in those can be used in PS if you ever decide to go with it.

For RAW conversions, nothing can beat the camera manufacturer's software - they are the only one's who don't have to reverse engineer the RAW files.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys. It just feels like I have sooo much to learn, but that's also part of the fun. It's great that even the more experienced photographers take the take to help the noobs on this forum.
 
Be sure to also check wikipedia - it has very good explanations for basics like aperture openings, exposure timings, ISO sensitivity and other things you might encounter when you venture out of the fully automatic shooting modes. These basics are true for all cameras, be it cellphone, P&S, bridge or SLR. The later offers you much more control over these aspects of photography and thats where the fun starts.
 
I'm already familiar with the basics (shutter, aperture, iso, etc.) since I had a Nikon F60 film camera before. But there seem to be a lot more to learn in digital. The camera itself is a lot more intimidating, there are just so many things that can be tweaked.
 
Mier said:
I'm already familiar with the basics (shutter, aperture, iso, etc.) since I had a Nikon F60 film camera before. But there seem to be a lot more to learn in digital. The camera itself is a lot more intimidating, there are just so many things that can be tweaked.
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Well you're at an advantage from the start.
Put a little interest in, step by step and you'll have a digital skill-set to compliment what you already know.
edit- and most of the bells and whistles are there for people with no understanding of the theory, so no need to be intimidated.
 
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Funny that you guys should talk about that. Just the other day I was out walking in the street. All I had with me was my EOS3, loaded with Sensia 100, and a 50mm prime lens. I thought, this is how simple everything should be! Composition, timing, lighting. :)
 
ldmelsa said:
Funny that you guys should talk about that. Just the other day I was out walking in the street. All I had with me was my EOS3, loaded with Sensia 100, and a 50mm prime lens. I thought, this is how simple everything should be! Composition, timing, lighting. :)
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I'm guessing you've never processed and/or printed your own film because compared to that working RAW files is quick and simple. :)
 
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