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Which software to use ?

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Georg Zechner

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Hi !

I'm going to buy my first digicam (Elph230) and would like to know what software I need.

I'm considering to buy Photoshop Elements. But maybe this is more than I need. Does ACDSee also offer options like unsharpen and other most needed tricks ?
And Breeze Browser ? I heard of that too many times.
Thank you !
 
Georg:

Part of determining which of these three is the best fit for you is knowing a little more about your background / situation:
  • Have you used digital editing software before (any kind)?
  • How comfortable are you learning new software? Some software is "friendlier" than others (with walk-thru 'Wizards').
  • Whatever you get you'll most likely need additional education / training resouces to walk through the learning process. Some folks like surfing the net for tutorials and articles and doing exercises from them; others prefer a hard copy book with a CD as a learning or reference resource. What's your preference? If you're best suited to books, Elements - no question.
  • There's probably internet tutorials on ACDSee or BB; there won't be as many hard-copy books. I'm not familiar with ACDSee or BB, so I have no idea their costs. I'd do a google.com search on "acdsee tutorial" and "breeze browser" tutorial to see what's available.
  • Depends on budget and your timeframe, too. If you're trying to get up to speed by, say, Christmas (or just after), and you've got another ~$100 to spend, I'd vote for Elements + a good book from Amazon or Borders = you'll be in good shape if you learn the basic skills.
The good news is that regardless of which one you end up with, the "concepts" among them are (usually) transferable -- sort of like a fanbelt works the same way in a Ford as a Toyota. Putting them in is probably different. If you save files in a common format such as .jpg or .tiff, then if you decide to change programs in the future, files you create now can be read and modified down the road.

I've heard good things about ACDSee, too, so I don't believe you'd regret that path either.

How's this for a non-commitment? :=)

Hope this gives you a few more things to think about en route to making an informed decision.

DannyR
Georg Zechner said:
Hi !
I'm going to buy my first digicam (Elph230) and would like to know
what software I need.
I'm considering to buy Photoshop Elements. But maybe this is more
than I need. Does ACDSee also offer options like unsharpen and
other most needed tricks ?
And Breeze Browser ? I heard of that too many times.
Thank you !
Click to expand...
 
dannyraphael said:
Part of determining which of these three is the best fit for you is
knowing a little more about your background / situation:
  • Have you used digital editing software before (any kind)?
  • How comfortable are you learning new software? Some software is
"friendlier" than others (with walk-thru 'Wizards').
  • Whatever you get you'll most likely need additional education /
training resouces to walk through the learning process. Some folks
like surfing the net for tutorials and articles and doing exercises
from them; others prefer a hard copy book with a CD as a learning
or reference resource. What's your preference? If you're best
suited to books, Elements - no question.
  • There's probably internet tutorials on ACDSee or BB; there won't
be as many hard-copy books. I'm not familiar with ACDSee or BB, so
I have no idea their costs. I'd do a google.com search on "acdsee
tutorial" and "breeze browser" tutorial to see what's available.
  • Depends on budget and your timeframe, too. If you're trying to
get up to speed by, say, Christmas (or just after), and you've got
another ~$100 to spend, I'd vote for Elements + a good book from
Amazon or Borders = you'll be in good shape if you learn the basic
skills.

The good news is that regardless of which one you end up with, the
"concepts" among them are (usually) transferable -- sort of like a
fanbelt works the same way in a Ford as a Toyota. Putting them in
is probably different. If you save files in a common format such as
.jpg or .tiff, then if you decide to change programs in the future,
files you create now can be read and modified down the road.

I've heard good things about ACDSee, too, so I don't believe you'd
regret that path either.

How's this for a non-commitment? :=)

Hope this gives you a few more things to think about en route to
making an informed decision.

DannyR
Georg Zechner said:
Hi !
I'm going to buy my first digicam (Elph230) and would like to know
what software I need.
I'm considering to buy Photoshop Elements. But maybe this is more
than I need. Does ACDSee also offer options like unsharpen and
other most needed tricks ?
And Breeze Browser ? I heard of that too many times.
Thank you !
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
You can download elements and also the full PS7 from adobe for 30 days trial. i would also look at PaintshopPro and trial that too.If you buy the full version of psp7 it comes with a really great book. If I were choosing between elements and psp7 I think i would go for PSP. It is very user friendly and has almost all of the effects PS7 has. i still use it for some actions, cloning and red eye removal come to mind.
--
Vera
 
Photoshop Elements is different than ACDSee. Elements is more of a photo manipulation/editing program where as ACDSee is more useful as a database ( a way to store and sort and find your photos) with some editing capability.

If money is an issue I would seriously look at Paint Shop Pro as the photo editing program (it gets rave reviews in most of the digital magazines)although Elements is also good. Don't think you can go wrong with either of them.
 
giraffe said:
Photoshop Elements is different than ACDSee. Elements is more of a
photo manipulation/editing program where as ACDSee is more useful
as a database ( a way to store and sort and find your photos) with
some editing capability.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that was exactly my question. Guess I need at least elements at some point...
 
Danny:

Thank you very much for your reply.

I have absolutly no experience in the field. But if I have a good cocumentation, I'm confident that I will get it right sooner or later.

To say the truth- I don't even want to do much editing. I've always thought that if I edit and tweak here and there a little I will end up with another picture altogether. Yet I want to capture a scene exactly how I see it (which in turn may require editing, I know). But who knows, maybe I will enjoy it, even though I'm not exactly creative.

As for the documentation, I want a book, no included CD. I also read somewhere that Elements offers a great tutorial. That would be nice, maybe nicer than a book. I also found a site with quicktime films by some guy working for Adobe and the one that I watched was very useful.
At 78 € I think I will buy Elements.
dannyraphael said:
Part of determining which of these three is the best fit for you is
knowing a little more about your background / situation:
  • Have you used digital editing software before (any kind)?
  • How comfortable are you learning new software? Some software is
"friendlier" than others (with walk-thru 'Wizards').
  • Whatever you get you'll most likely need additional education /
training resouces to walk through the learning process. Some folks
like surfing the net for tutorials and articles and doing exercises
from them; others prefer a hard copy book with a CD as a learning
or reference resource. What's your preference? If you're best
suited to books, Elements - no question.
  • There's probably internet tutorials on ACDSee or BB; there won't
be as many hard-copy books. I'm not familiar with ACDSee or BB, so
I have no idea their costs. I'd do a google.com search on "acdsee
tutorial" and "breeze browser" tutorial to see what's available.
  • Depends on budget and your timeframe, too. If you're trying to
get up to speed by, say, Christmas (or just after), and you've got
another ~$100 to spend, I'd vote for Elements + a good book from
Amazon or Borders = you'll be in good shape if you learn the basic
skills.

The good news is that regardless of which one you end up with, the
"concepts" among them are (usually) transferable -- sort of like a
fanbelt works the same way in a Ford as a Toyota. Putting them in
is probably different. If you save files in a common format such as
.jpg or .tiff, then if you decide to change programs in the future,
files you create now can be read and modified down the road.

I've heard good things about ACDSee, too, so I don't believe you'd
regret that path either.

How's this for a non-commitment? :=)

Hope this gives you a few more things to think about en route to
making an informed decision.

DannyR
Georg Zechner said:
Hi !
I'm going to buy my first digicam (Elph230) and would like to know
what software I need.
I'm considering to buy Photoshop Elements. But maybe this is more
than I need. Does ACDSee also offer options like unsharpen and
other most needed tricks ?
And Breeze Browser ? I heard of that too many times.
Thank you !
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Georg:

Being curious I did a little surfing...
  • BreezeBrowser appears to be written and supported by an individual, Chris Breeze.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/breezebrowser.shtml

While he's probably a heck of a nice guy, talented as the dickens and has written a nifty program, I'm more comfortable using software supported by a company. Personal preference.

ACDSee, while probably better known for image organization, DOES have a wide range of common editing features, e.g., sharpening, color correction, red-eye, cropping, etc. See: http://www.acdsystems.com/English/Products/ACDSee/feature4?LAN=EnglishX50

It looks to me that it would meet basic needs + has the ability to accept "add-on" post purchase functionality (aka: plug-ins).

It has a trial download + you can download the .PDF user manual from the same site.

From a cost perspective the ACDSee option would probably save $25-$45 (no additional book to buy; software is less expensive). If you download the software and find the .PDF user manual meets your training needs, pocket the extra $.

If the .PDF is awkward to follow or insufficient, according to Amazon.com books available at the moment for PS Elements: 37, ACDSee: 0. Advantage, Elements.

Regardless of which path you choose, be forewarned that any of these products has a moderatly steep learning curve, primarily because they have SO MUCH functionality (a good thing), the concepts aren't necessarily intuititve and we aren't born with the skills.

On top of that you'll be learning how to use the new camera, so be ready for bouts of info-techo overload. On occasion it WILL feel like getting a drink of water from a fire hose.

Be patient, hang tough, but have FUN!

Danny
Georg Zechner said:
giraffe said:
Photoshop Elements is different than ACDSee. Elements is more of a
photo manipulation/editing program where as ACDSee is more useful
as a database ( a way to store and sort and find your photos) with
some editing capability.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that was exactly my question. Guess I need at least
elements at some point...
Click to expand...
--
DannyR

Looking for some Action(s)?
See http://www.geocities.com/kafuensis/
for the DPReview Retouching Forum Photoshop Actions Folder
 
Being new to this also I have another question , in reference to backing up pix on Cd , why does one need to learn another program (as in Nero) for writing to disc ? Isnt it possible to write directly from my Cam program as with my Canon G2 software Zoombrowser which also stores pix in files ? It seems to work but someone tells me I need a burner program .
Georg Zechner said:
Hi !
I'm going to buy my first digicam (Elph230) and would like to know
what software I need.
I'm considering to buy Photoshop Elements. But maybe this is more
than I need. Does ACDSee also offer options like unsharpen and
other most needed tricks ?
And Breeze Browser ? I heard of that too many times.
Thank you !
Click to expand...
 
Owning no digicam I can't say if the provided software can burn discs. But as for Nero- you don't have to "learn" it, it's absolutely simple, don't worry
tim Cropley said:
Georg Zechner said:
Hi !
I'm going to buy my first digicam (Elph230) and would like to know
what software I need.
I'm considering to buy Photoshop Elements. But maybe this is more
than I need. Does ACDSee also offer options like unsharpen and
other most needed tricks ?
And Breeze Browser ? I heard of that too many times.
Thank you !
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Great, Danny, thanks so much for your efforts.

I think that even if I'm (yet) adverse to the idea of lots of editing, I will have more opportunities for the future if I use Elements. I have downloaded the trial version of ACDSee but I think that some 75 $ are worth spending on Elements.

Greetings

George
dannyraphael said:
Being curious I did a little surfing...
  • BreezeBrowser appears to be written and supported by an
individual, Chris Breeze.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/breezebrowser.shtml
While he's probably a heck of a nice guy, talented as the dickens
and has written a nifty program, I'm more comfortable using
software supported by a company. Personal preference.

ACDSee, while probably better known for image organization, DOES
have a wide range of common editing features, e.g., sharpening,
color correction, red-eye, cropping, etc. See:
http://www.acdsystems.com/English/Products/ACDSee/feature4?LAN=EnglishX50

It looks to me that it would meet basic needs + has the ability to
accept "add-on" post purchase functionality (aka: plug-ins).

It has a trial download + you can download the .PDF user manual
from the same site.

From a cost perspective the ACDSee option would probably save
$25-$45 (no additional book to buy; software is less expensive). If
you download the software and find the .PDF user manual meets your
training needs, pocket the extra $.

If the .PDF is awkward to follow or insufficient, according to
Amazon.com books available at the moment for PS Elements: 37,
ACDSee: 0. Advantage, Elements.

Regardless of which path you choose, be forewarned that any of
these products has a moderatly steep learning curve, primarily
because they have SO MUCH functionality (a good thing), the
concepts aren't necessarily intuititve and we aren't born with the
skills.

On top of that you'll be learning how to use the new camera, so be
ready for bouts of info-techo overload. On occasion it WILL feel
like getting a drink of water from a fire hose.

Be patient, hang tough, but have FUN!

Danny
Georg Zechner said:
giraffe said:
Photoshop Elements is different than ACDSee. Elements is more of a
photo manipulation/editing program where as ACDSee is more useful
as a database ( a way to store and sort and find your photos) with
some editing capability.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that was exactly my question. Guess I need at least
elements at some point...
Click to expand...
--
DannyR

Looking for some Action(s)?
See http://www.geocities.com/kafuensis/
for the DPReview Retouching Forum Photoshop Actions Folder

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...
 
Tim:

[FYI: Just read some of your other posts in the Canon forum, so I'm semi-familiar with your issue and responses you've gotten elsewhere.]

If you can use Zoombrowser software to create files on CD from your camera -AND- you can read them afterwards, don't be concerned. I don't believe you need additional software.

For future reference in a situation like this it would be better to start a new thread. Although the thread title was "which software?" content-wise it was about photo imaging software options, not backing up files on CDs. It was the forum equivalent of "Changing horses in the middle of a stream."

Since your question is more general in nature (PC-wise) and not particularly related to "Retouching," the PCTools forum might be a better place to post it. Give thought to giving catchy titles to your threads, too, such as, "Question on CD file backups." An effective title attracts more viewers and responses.

Posting in the most appropriate forum with an eye-catching title is like using the best bait possible to catch a certain kind of fish.

Please don't misconstrue this as being asked to "get the heck out of here." Not the case. Just trying to help you get better / more responses in the future.

Hope this helps...

DannyR
tim Cropley said:
Being new to this also I have another question , in reference to
backing up pix on Cd , why does one need to learn another program
(as in Nero) for writing to disc ? Isnt it possible to write
directly from my Cam program as with my Canon G2 software
Zoombrowser which also stores pix in files ? It seems to work but
someone tells me I need a burner program .
Click to expand...
 
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