What are the best reasons to upgrade from PS Element to CS?

[TexasRebel]

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels, USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer) to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries vs. more lens vs. etc...

 

[Eric Bourlet]

My biggest reason for making the move was the RAW workflow integration. I ended up buying the CS Suite and love the abbility to use one software to work the RAW and Actions.

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty
of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have
purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and
download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of
the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels,
USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in
Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I
like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared
these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as
I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying
to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries
vs. more lens vs. etc...

 

[billybob_jcv]

Seamless RAW processing, plus the much better colorspace management in CS. I also often use the curves and other "Adjustment" tools that are in CS, but not in Elements.

You could use C1 or equivalent to do the RAW processing, then use Elements.

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty
of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have
purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and
download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of
the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels,
USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in
Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I
like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared
these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as
I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying
to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries
vs. more lens vs. etc...

 

[ShirleyKat]

There's an interesting letter in eDigital Photo (May). It's titled "Unlocking Elements," which led me to believe that someone had discovered PS code inside Elements and had found a way to unlock it. There's a book by Richard Lynch that comes with a CD that has additional "tools" for Elements, including: Calculations, Channels, Clipping Paths, Color Balance, Custom Vectors, Curves, Masking, Snapshots, Color Separations , and Enhanced Sharpening.

The book is available at Amazon (search on the author's name - it's something about unlocking the hidden power of Elements) and at his website (www.hiddenelements.com). Since Raw processing is not in the list, it wouldn't give you the main thing we need. Of those in the list, Masking would be the most useful, with Channels next in line (if you want to convert to B & W). Perhaps the training in the book would also be useful.

Just passing this along. I'm probably not going to get it because I already have PS CS and a couple semesters of classes and workshops under my belt. However, note that you can do adjustment layers in Elements and those do come with masks, just like in PS. That's my primary modification to any image, so I don't do anything to the original background layer.

Also note though, that PS CS offers some new features for photographers (the shadow/highlight adjustment is my favorite - but more for old scanned slides that were not properly exposed).

Shirley

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

 

[Redrock]

I'm using the PS CS trail version and really like the Shadow/Highlights tool. Will probably do the $299 upgrade at some point as well. (Unless I try to do it on the cheap by buying PS7 and then the 7-> CS upgrade.

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty
of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have
purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and
download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of
the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels,
USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in
Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I
like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared
these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as
I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying
to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries
vs. more lens vs. etc...

--

• Bob B

http://www.pbase.com/profile

 

[RichardZ]

Curves and channels are two features specific to the full version, I think.

The real reason I went with the upgrade, though, was educational. Kept running into tutorials that didn't work in Elements. Probably there were workarounds, but how would a beginner translate?

Be aware that the $299 upgrade doesn't go on forever. Search here to confirm, but I think it expires next month.

Richard

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty
of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have
purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and
download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of
the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels,
USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in
Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I
like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared
these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as
I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying
to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries
vs. more lens vs. etc...

 

[jboyer]

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty
of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have
purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and
download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of
the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels,
USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in
Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I
like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared
these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as
I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying
to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries
vs. more lens vs. etc...

Not a simple answer.
Try this perspective adjustment in Elements:



Or what about using the new Shadow/Highlight?



Or getting some RAW quickly transformed and obtain pictures like these (no retouching after RAW conversion)



I believe it is worth every penny and I wonder why it took me so long.

Jerome Boyer
http://www.pbase.com/jboyer

 

[Kevin H]

Hello TexasRebel,

There are many reasons to upgrade, I still have PSE2 but am thinking of going for it. Most, if not all, things that can be done in PS CS can be done in PSE, although sometimes by other methods. Curves, channels, and other not implemented functions are available and can be "unlocked." See http://www.hiddenelements.com for that, although you can do it without his book (I have). But PSE will always do this in 8-bit format, and although there may be those who say it doesn't matter, when you are pushing and pulling a picture through multiple stages of PP, 16-bit processing will retain the most detail of the image (your RAW file is 12-bit BTW). I have noticed some mild degradation of the image when I really push the image (can't increase the sat past +20%). You will also see this degradation when you really uprez the pic (poster prints).

To that end, you have plenty of time to consider your purchase. The expiration is Dec. 31, 2005. See here: http://www.adobe.com/store/products/special.jhtml?id=catCanon

K

As I continue down the photography learning curve (spending plenty
of money as I go), I am trying to proritize the CS upgrade. I have
purchased the Photoshop for Photographers (CS version) book and
download the trial version. Had a lot of fun playing around, but of
the post processing techniques that I use most often (i.e. Levels,
USM) I have found only a few techniques that I cannot do in
Elements (granted I still high up on the learning curve). While I
like the integrated RAW editing features, but have not compared
these against other RAW editors.

Hence my question...What are the best reasons (for a photographer)
to upgrade from PS Elements to CS?

p.s. I will eventually take advantage of the $299 upgrade offer as
I recognize that Photoshop is the gold standard. I am simply trying
to priortize this purchase vs. a battery grip vs. more batteries
vs. more lens vs. etc...

--
My most recent work: http://home.comcast.net/~khilleg