Where can I get an old, licensed copy of Photoshop? Don't know that I need the newest version, I really don't do much, but would like to be able to dodge and burn in RAW and have curves for adjusting lightness and darkness (density.) Let me know your thoughts on this, and any potential caveats. I shoot RAW on a 40D mostly.
Will it adjust density with curves? I would be open to that. I have an old, ok antique, version that doesn't let me do that. But now that I think about it, there was some sort of thing that was supposed to allow that, so maybe Elements would work. Would Elements take FM and other plug-ins? Is the RAW converter as high quality?
If you want to work with raw files from your 40D directly, the oldest you can go is CS3—not much of an "old" version (and offering commensurate cost savings).
Heck, if that's all you need to do, Lightroom or Aperture would be other excellent options. They'll let you adjust exposure/brightness/blackpoint, dodge and burn, do minor flaw correction... All for far less money than Photoshop, and with an excellent cataloging feature as well. Elements is by far the cheaper solution if you don't want the extra stuff Lightroom or Aperture bring to the table, though.
REALLY? CS2 won't handle RAW from 40D? That's good to know, thanks! I was thinking about buying CS2. I use my antique version of Elements, and probably would be fine with that, but 8 bit and can't seem to figure out how to install curves for density. Will Elements use curves, or can I get a plug in? Can I use PS plug-ins? I like DPP, but no dodge and burn. Perhaps the RAW processor in PS and elements is better?
Oh, yeah, don't need curves for what I shoot now so much but have a lot of old jpegs.
Don't blame Adobe and don't blame Canon either. As machines evolve and and it is unrealistic to expect a software company to continually keep upgrading for free a program (psCS2) that was discontinued and repalced now two full generations ago.
On the other hand Adobe does have three options available to you.
- If PsCS2 can read dng raw files get the free proprietary raw to DNG converter from Adobe.
- Upgrade to PsCS4 o rpossibly PsCs5 i nthe near future , Adobe's price for the upgrade is around $200.00 or less.
- Start working with Lightroom and continue to use PsCS2 for your post processing work. Right now is a good time to try Lightroom as Adobe is running a free public beta testing period through later this spring.
PS CS2 can read DNG files, that was how I used CS2 to edit photos from my Leica point and shoot. Files grew from 10Mb for the RAW to circa 30Mb for the DNG though.
If your needs are basic, check out GIMP and DPP. There's also an open-source RAW conversion engine (DCRAW, maybe?) but DPP will probably work better with a 40D. The downside is intermediate files required when you need both DPP and GIMP.
Consider using LR as it is cheap and bang up to date so will recognize your camera. It allows you to do a lot of editing etc and has a great range of adjustments.......and you can export any particular image you are working on into PS to make further adjustments...it comes back into LR with those adjustments. LR comes with the latest ACR.
You could go with an older version of PS......or the latest PS Elements. I have exported into CS2 but with a 10D...and exported into CS3 with a 40D.
I have PSE 7 and it has curves, not the same config as PS but it has them. I believe NewEgg has a sale on Lightroom.
Watch out for folks selling PS as if PSCS3 has had 2 licences used, you won't be able to activate it with Adobe. I did buy an unlicensed copy of PS2 about a year ago. I kept my fingers crossed until i got the OK from Adobe. Adobe will upgrade to PS from PSE, a while ago they had a sale that mde it cheaper to buy PSE and upgrade than to buy a copy of PS directly.
I had bought a 64 bit computer and couldn't load PS2 onto it, so I tried Gimp, quickly bought PS4.
You can do that with an old version of PS if you like. There is no need to do RAW conversion in PS. DPP converts RAW to 16-bit TIF and you can work from there. PS7 was the last version that did not require activation, but I would not recommned using anything older than CS2 for general usability.
EB-1 wrote:
You can do that with an old version of PS if you like. There is no need to do RAW conversion in PS. DPP converts RAW to 16-bit TIF and you can work from there. PS7 was the last version that did not require activation, but I would not recommned using anything older than CS2 for general usability.
EBH
Agreed, with one exception. PS6, and I assume 7, has the wonderful advantage of being able to run from a USB stick, thereby enabling you to have PS available to you at any computer you happen to find yourself in front of.
You just install PS on your computer as usual and then drag the PS folder onto the USB stick and presto, you have portable PS. My guess this is a Win only thing...
Edit: For dealing with RAW files on the go, I use Fastone Viewer (portable version) to open my NEFs and the either save them as Tifs or copy and paste them into PS6. To complete my USB stick graphics studio, I have PageMaker 6.5 on board using the same folder-dragging procedure as is used with PS. Granted it's primitive compared to modern DTP apps, but it's come in handy more than once.
Agreed, with one exception. PS6, and I assume 7, has the wonderful advantage of being able to run from a USB stick, thereby enabling you to have PS available to you at any computer you happen to find yourself in front of.
You just install PS on your computer as usual and then drag the PS folder onto the USB stick and presto, you have portable PS. My guess this is a Win only thing...
Edit: For dealing with RAW files on the go, I use Fastone Viewer (portable version) to open my NEFs and the either save them as Tifs or copy and paste them into PS6. To complete my USB stick graphics studio, I have PageMaker 6.5 on board using the same folder-dragging procedure as is used with PS. Granted it's primitive compared to modern DTP apps, but it's come in handy more than once.
This is only on a Mac, with a PC you have always had to install Photoshop.
tomm101 wrote:
This is only on a Mac, with a PC you have always had to install Photoshop.
Tom
I'm doing it with a PC.
Yes, as per my post, you have to install PS on a host computer but then you simply drag the whole PS folder from the HD to the USB stick. Thereafter, to run PS on any computer you just need to open the PS folder and click on the Photoshp.exe icon.
Thanks for all the good ideas! If elements has curves and accepts plugins that is definitely something I will look at. I need to try Lightroom as well, esp. if there's a free trial.
Yes, as per my post, you have to install PS on a host computer but then you simply drag the whole PS folder from the HD to the USB stick. Thereafter, to run PS on any computer you just need to open the PS folder and click on the Photoshp.exe icon.
No installation needed.
LoL does it work really? hmm never tried, gonna do it
