Adobe Elements for Oly ORF / JPG files?

[Lee Mychajluk]

There are a couple of things that OV3 is annoying me with, so I've been considering an alternative editor (and organizer). There doesn't seem to be much discussion on Elements, so I'm asking here.

First off, I will NOT pay a subscription, so LR is out.

I've been looking at Elements (14), and just got a $30 off offer, so it's $69. It's for personal use, and I don't do a lot of heavy editing (and don't really know how to), so I don't need anything too powerful, but there are some tools that I could use (I took a few shots the other day that could benefit from the haze removal, for example...). It would be nice to use the Nik tools as well as the built in stuff.

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

 

[Denjw]

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

Yes I use OV3 and PSE 10 in combination for my RAW conversions and editing.

The only trouble with PSE is you have to keep updating it if you want to have latest version of ACR to support newer cameras.

But it has enough functions/features for all my editing needs. You can add plug-ins such as Topaz Labs tools to boost its capabilities.

 

[Lee Mychajluk]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by using it in 'Combination'? Are you using the organizer functions of Elements? Just the Editing? Other?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Denjw]

I usually use OV3 to convert my ORFs providing there is no exposure issues. This gives me the opportunity to change some camera settings if required but I rarely do.

Then I export the 16 bit TIFF to PSE 10 to do any editing, usually just cropping, levels, noise reduction and sharpening.

If it is an image I want to enhance more such as a landscape I might to do some additonal editing such dodging and burning, layers, blending etc using PSE.

 

[PurpleFringe]

First off, I will NOT pay a subscription, so LR is out.

Hmm... I thought that you could still purchase Lightroom outright (no subscription).

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nameless-profile/

 

[Lee Mychajluk]

...you may be able to get the last version on CD, but support is limited (as in, don't expect any updates). A software version at end of life with no support is also something I'm not going to spend money on.

 

[Negative287]

...you may be able to get the last version on CD, but support is limited (as in, don't expect any updates). A software version at end of life with no support is also something I'm not going to spend money on.

 

[Negative287]

There are a couple of things that OV3 is annoying me with, so I've been considering an alternative editor (and organizer). There doesn't seem to be much discussion on Elements, so I'm asking here.

First off, I will NOT pay a subscription, so LR is out.

I've been looking at Elements (14), and just got a $30 off offer, so it's $69. It's for personal use, and I don't do a lot of heavy editing (and don't really know how to), so I don't need anything too powerful, but there are some tools that I could use (I took a few shots the other day that could benefit from the haze removal, for example...). It would be nice to use the Nik tools as well as the built in stuff.

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

 

[gear1box]

There are a couple of things that OV3 is annoying me with, so I've been considering an alternative editor (and organizer). There doesn't seem to be much discussion on Elements, so I'm asking here.

First off, I will NOT pay a subscription, so LR is out.

I've been looking at Elements (14), and just got a $30 off offer, so it's $69. It's for personal use, and I don't do a lot of heavy editing (and don't really know how to), so I don't need anything too powerful, but there are some tools that I could use (I took a few shots the other day that could benefit from the haze removal, for example...). It would be nice to use the Nik tools as well as the built in stuff.

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

 

[Glen Barrington]

A world class organizer, raw developer, and bit mapped editor with layers and Photoshop plugin support.

An Experienced User's Notes on ACDSee Ultimate 9

A brief description of ACDSee's new features.

glenbarrington.blogspot.com

 

[Negative287]

There are a couple of things that OV3 is annoying me with, so I've been considering an alternative editor (and organizer). There doesn't seem to be much discussion on Elements, so I'm asking here.

First off, I will NOT pay a subscription, so LR is out.

I've been looking at Elements (14), and just got a $30 off offer, so it's $69. It's for personal use, and I don't do a lot of heavy editing (and don't really know how to), so I don't need anything too powerful, but there are some tools that I could use (I took a few shots the other day that could benefit from the haze removal, for example...). It would be nice to use the Nik tools as well as the built in stuff.

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

--
-Lee

Yes, I tried it and hated it!

I tried PSE 14 and found that they still lacked any support for channels, it didn't have the calculations tool (because it doesn't support channels so you cannot blend them), and it has almost no support for editing 16-bit images.

i have PS14 and use it when i have to go to layers, etc., for "local" editting of a subset of pixels. But note the comment: PS14 has its limits. They include (for me) the aforementioned bit depth limitation making 8 bit color out of practically all images and a castrated ACR RAW converter (which you can get around with a TIFF import from another tool; gee thanks).

I shoot carefully enough that 97% of my images require just a very good RAW developer, with some light cropping, color temp, gamma adj, and maybe sharpening. Plus i'm lazy and i hate spending time post-proc. Anyway DXO works for me: i get those things with world class lens correction (something i don't always get from ACR) and noise reduction with no user intervention. But it won't do "selections" and it ain't an organizer.

-- gary ray
Semi-professional in early 1970s; just a putzer since then. interests: historical sites, virginia, motorcycle racing. A nikon user more by habit than choice; still, nikon seems to work well for me.

Yeah see and I profile my camera for different lighting so, it seems, like Photoshop and Lightroom are the only suites that let you do that.

 

[Lee Mychajluk]

I downloaded a trial and am toying around with it.

I'm still trying to figure a few things out. I see I can do some things to the RAW w/o saving (i.e., straightening), but if I do something like use the dehaze tool I have to save as a new file(?). Seems like the 'Develop' options don't require a new file, but the 'Edit' options do? I have to wrap my head around this...

I like the 'Sync' option. I sync my photo directory to the cloud, but now I can easily sync a copy to my NAS as well. It also recognizes my video card for acceleration.

Question - If I point my 'Home Folder' to the OlyView location, will any photos I import via OV3 automatically be added to my ACDSee Catalog? What if I add this folder to the ACDSee Indexer list?

 

[Lee Mychajluk]

In my experimenting w/ PS Elements, I just noticed somewhere along the line I created an 'edited' PSD copy of one of my ORFs. The PSD was 105MB!!! I'm not sure what I did to 'create' this file, but I'm not sure I have the disk space to deal w/ 100MB edits of 15MB ORF files...

--
-Lee

 

[Denjw]

You were probably using layers and tried to save the file without Flatten Image first.

Also when saving a file you need to watch the File Format to ensure which format you want to save the file.

 

[Kung Pao Panda]

There are a couple of things that OV3 is annoying me with, so I've been considering an alternative editor (and organizer). There doesn't seem to be much discussion on Elements, so I'm asking here.

First off, I will NOT pay a subscription, so LR is out.

I've been looking at Elements (14), and just got a $30 off offer, so it's $69. It's for personal use, and I don't do a lot of heavy editing (and don't really know how to), so I don't need anything too powerful, but there are some tools that I could use (I took a few shots the other day that could benefit from the haze removal, for example...). It would be nice to use the Nik tools as well as the built in stuff.

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

 

[Lee Mychajluk]

[No message]

 

[Guy Parsons]

I found PSP X8 to be a better option until Google decided to give away the Nik tools! Then I was frustrated because somewhere between PSP X8 and X5 they moved away from the Adobe Plug-in model and now those plug-ins won't run! I believe PSP X5 could use the Nik Plug-ins but that's really old.

Way back, maybe at PSP X5 Ultimate I got the Nik Colour Efex Pro 3 "freebie" included. That same plugin now is copied nicely to the 32 bit version of PSP X8 and works fine.

In the end, I cracked and bought a subscription to Photoshop / Lightroom. I really wish somebody would smarten the hell up and come out with an app that compets with Adobe but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Ummm, any of Capture One or DxO do a better job. Even the expensive Silkypix is no slouch. I trialled all of them and preferred those three over Lightroom. I use DxO.

For a super fast converter have a trial of Corel Aftershot 2 or Pro 2 (The plain jane Lite version arrived for me with a PSP update, works pretty well and is so darn fast). It used to be the highly regarded Bibble until Corel bought it and at first ruined it but now seems better. http://www.aftershotpro.com/en/products/aftershot/pro

Regards........ Guy

 

[Glen Barrington]

I downloaded a trial and am toying around with it.

I'm still trying to figure a few things out. I see I can do some things to the RAW w/o saving (i.e., straightening), but if I do something like use the dehaze tool I have to save as a new file(?). Seems like the 'Develop' options don't require a new file, but the 'Edit' options do? I have to wrap my head around this...

The "DEVELOP" tab is for non destructive edits. That is, the changes are saved to a separate 'sidecar' file in the same way that would occur with Lightroom or CaptureOne. While the "EDIT" tab is for destructive edits, that is the same type of edits one would do with Photoshop itself.

I like the 'Sync' option. I sync my photo directory to the cloud, but now I can easily sync a copy to my NAS as well. It also recognizes my video card for acceleration.

Question - If I point my 'Home Folder' to the OlyView location, will any photos I import via OV3 automatically be added to my ACDSee Catalog? What if I add this folder to the ACDSee Indexer list?

The great thing about ACDSee is that you don't need to import photos into it to use it with those photos. So 'importing' as a conscious act is entirely optional. Now ACDSee is designed to add data to a photo's database record when you get to a point where that would be appropriate; and if a record doesn't exist for that photo at that point, one is created.

I suspect that most ACDSee users simply don't think in terms of 'importing' a photo, I know I don't. I think in terms of managing, developing or editing a photo. All that stuff is just handled by ACDSee.

Adding a folder to the indexer list does create a database entry for any photo in that folder.

 

[Bob Carstens]

So, just wondering if anyone is using Elements instead of OV3, or maybe as an editor within OV3? Any thoughts / comments / observations?

Yes I use OV3 and PSE 10 in combination for my RAW conversions and editing.

The only trouble with PSE is you have to keep updating it if you want to have latest version of ACR to support newer cameras.

But it has enough functions/features for all my editing needs. You can add plug-ins such as Topaz Labs tools to boost its capabilities.

 

[Peter Del]

Like you I will not pay a subscription (in my case it's an age thing).

I use Elements 13 coupled with all sorts of freebees that are often mentioned on this site. I never use the Organizer as I prefer to keep my images in folders in the 'Pictures' section of my computer. As far as I can see the main things missing from E13 is 'Blend if' mode and curves and most tools only work with 8bit images. It will open E-M1 RAW files or they can be opened in Viewer 3 and exported as 8 bit TIFF's.

Peter Del