image software

[gess]

Hi Jay

I'm new to all this too, yet to get beyond using software that came with camera, daughter now informs me photoshop cs is on main pc. Not a clue where to start...... need lots of time I think I had downloaded Gimp to my lap top recently, again I think I need to spend time exploring it!!!

regards

Gess

[jay37]

hello gess
there are lots of articals in camera mags about photoshop and you can get books on these programs.it is a mine field but nothing is lmpossible my search continues
jay

[stephen p]

Hi Jay,

I use Lightroom 2 (just upgraded from LR1).

It does everything i need, it has a user friendly interface. I do have PS3 but hardly use it now.

I try to get it as good as possible in the camera so i have less to do after.

Steve

[G0NYM]

Hi Jay

There is a very very good editing program called paint.net well worth a try it does just about all that Photo shop does
Loads very quickly and best of all its totally free you can send a donation if you want to
Regards Martin
http://www.getpaint.net/

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by gess

Hi Jay

I'm new to all this too, yet to get beyond using software that came with camera, daughter now informs me photoshop cs is on main pc. Not a clue where to start...... need lots of time I think I had downloaded Gimp to my lap top recently, again I think I need to spend time exploring it!!!

regards

Gess

You will find loads of hints, tips and tutorials all for free on the web. Good Luck.

[Coinneach]

No-one seems to have mentioned the FREE photoshop option.

There is an online version called Photoshop Express, IT's available as a Beta at the moment at the following URL.

https://www.photoshop.com/express/index.html

[nightshade]

I decided to buy Lightroom as it is an amazing program then saw the new price
I will stick to Elements 6

[DrNickBurton]

If you shoot Nikon RAW, there is no better RAW converter than Capture NX.

People do find it to be slow & temperamental, and the GUI is not as slick as some of the alternative such as Lightroom. Nevertheless, because of the way Nikon RAW files are formatted, no other RAW converter can squeeze quite as much from an NEF file as Capture NX.

The main thing is that CNX can read the picture control settings straight from the NEF files produced by the camera and apply them directly to the image when you open it for editing (no other RAW converter can do this - Nikon make quite such of this!). So, with CNX the white balance, saturation, contrast, sharpness, d-lighting etc. etc. are already applied using the in camera settings (they are applied non-destructively, so you can still change them if you like). This save huge amounts of time, as whenever you process an NEF file using other software, you need to start from scratch.

If you don't shoot Nikon, then I guess Lightroom would win hands down.

[pressld2]

Capture NX makes a better job of noise reduction in high ISO images than Lightroom does but, to my eyes, it's still at the expense of image detail so I prefer not to use the higher ISOs unless it's completely unavoidable. For those cases I might consider Capture NX but normally I'm happy to stick with Lightroom for my .nef files.

Nikon finally did the decent thing and gave Capture NX away free with the D300 (IMO they should bundle it with all their DSLRs). But I upgraded to a new PC last week and do you think I can find the disc or the licence key? Not a chance!

Dave P.