If you use a windows system then you should download FastStone image viewer now
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm
Its FREE its Fast and can perform basic editing - It will save you hours in viewing your images and transfering them - probably the best thing you will ever use.
I am still using Adobe Elements 2 and it is excellent. The more recent Adobe elements 9 is, in my view, well worth the money.
The problem with some of the older elements,up to say elements 7 is that there is no update support from adobi,so has i have found with elements 7 ,if it a fairly new camera,there can be issues has the older ones don't recodnise new camera files,I.E support for the new panasonic cameras that have raw,can only be opened in elements 8 onwards. It's to make you go out and buy the up to date ones ,problem with the newer versions,they are much more complicated to use.
I agree with John, if you work with RAW files you need the more up to date software. Adobe have a habit of releasing new versions of software and stopping support of the older versions. If you buy a new camera, the version of RAW it uses might not be supported by the older stuff and a software upgrade may be needed.
I use a variety of software but my main ones are Nikon's Capture NX2 and Photoshop CS5. Although the Nikon software only supports Nikon RAW files, it's also good for TIFF or Jpeg files. One downside is the lack of layers but it does have some good options to alter areas of an image for brightness, hue and saturation etc.
Canon gave away a version of Digital Photo Professional with a G11 I bought. I think it can be downloaded free from the Canon site. Again the Raw file support is only Canon but you can use Jpeg files with it.
I am still using Adobe Elements 2 and it is excellent. The more recent Adobe elements 9 is, in my view, well worth the money.
The problem with some of the older elements,up to say elements 7 is that there is no update support from adobi,so has i have found with elements 7 ,if it a fairly new camera,there can be issues has the older ones don't recodnise new camera files,I.E support for the new panasonic cameras that have raw,can only be opened in elements 8 onwards. It's to make you go out and buy the up to date ones ,problem with the newer versions,they are much more complicated to use.
Photoshop elements for a Mac or PC is usually around £50 for a genuine copy on ebay - doesn't have the manual but its very intuitive and will do everything you'd need for the web I'd have thought Ian. Shame I just gave my PC copy away now that I use Aperture on a Mac...
I'm quite urgently looking for some photo software to assist with the mountain of photos I have and for their use on the website etc. I realise Photoshop etc are supposed to be the best but I'm not sure I can justify the outlay on the really good programs, not when they're the same price as a plane ticket somewhere nice and warm abroad for a week (no SAD there Dennis)! That said, I'll consider most things, so what is the best software and where should I be looking?
The internet - Photoshop CS5 - download the demo version - then crack it.
Picassa for cropping,then photoshop elements for tweaking,sharpening etc-most of the others are not has good has picassa,so those are the ones id useThe quickest to edit a lot of pics at once is Adobi Lightroom I've heard ,but no experience myself.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 30th of October 2010 06:05:36 PM
Dean, I've tried Picassa and really need 'something more' now, if you know what I mean. Hadn't heard of GIMP (well, not the photo software anyway!) and it looks very interesting.
I'm quite urgently looking for some photo software to assist with the mountain of photos I have and for their use on the website etc. I realise Photoshop etc are supposed to be the best but I'm not sure I can justify the outlay on the really good programs, not when they're the same price as a plane ticket somewhere nice and warm abroad for a week (no SAD there Dennis)! That said, I'll consider most things, so what is the best software and where should I be looking?
