Photoshop Elements or Camedia Pro Software

[dlwalke]

I bought a C5050 and am quite excited about it needless to say. It's my first digital (camera that is - I was considerably less excited by the digital I received upon turning 40 - youch!!). Anyway, it comes with the Camedia software. I have read some good things about the Photoshop Elements software on Amazon. Is the Camedia software a solid package for the amateur, hope to become intermediate UW photographer, or is it a rather low-performing package just to get you started?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[lucid]

www.wingimp.org
Download Wingimp. Its free. Either take tutorials on the web or get a book to learn how to use it. Much more powerful than Elementals and its free =] And now it runs on Windose!

 

[lucid]

http://gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/

Goto chapter 6 for touch ups and enhancements.

 

[Dee]

dlwalke once bubbled...
I bought a C5050 and am quite excited about it needless to say. It's my first digital (camera that is - I was considerably less excited by the digital I received upon turning 40 - youch!!). Anyway, it comes with the Camedia software. I have read some good things about the Photoshop Elements software on Amazon. Is the Camedia software a solid package for the amateur, hope to become intermediate UW photographer, or is it a rather low-performing package just to get you started?

Thanks,
Dave

I just recently got Elements and am learning to use it. But I can already tell it's much better than the Camedia program that came with my C-4040. Just think of it as PhotoShop Lite!

Never heard of Gimp.

 

[TedJ]

Make sure you get Elements 2. It's available at Costco with a rebate that makes it a great value. I also just bought a book from Walmart online that is about Elements 2. I don't have it here or I'd pass along the title but you should be able to find it. Elements is a very good product that does an awful lot of what Photoshop does but doesn't have all the bells and whistles that are used by professional printers.

 

[colonelchuck]

Full Photoshop is the standard for photo and digital work. That said, most of us mere mortals will never learn or need most of its functions.

Elements (and LE before it) provides a good way to get your hands on the good stuff at a much better price.

If you ever expect to do stuff beyond amusing yourself and your friends or if you ever want to go back and work on stuff that you have worked on before, I recommend Elements.

 

[Bossk]

Gimp is the photoshop alternative based originally on Linux. It's a great app, especially considering its free. Supports a lot of the stuff Photoshop does, I haven't looked at it in a couple of years, but if you don't want to pirate or shell out the cash for Photoshop take a good look at Gimp.

 

[ReyeR]

PS Elements preferred to Camedia software for sure!

lucid, thanks for the GIMP link. Have downloaded it and will give it a shot.

 

[Irishdiver]

Photoshop has my vote. I use PS7 at work, and occasionally Olympus Camedia at home - but only when I really, really have to!

I haven't used Elements for some time, but as far as I can recall, it will give you all the features you will need unless you're planning on going into business and printing commercially. And even if you do plan on going professional, Elements is a cheap (relatively) and easy way of learning your way around the programme. You can always upgrade later on, though the whole shebang is not cheap.

If you're not really planning on getting into too much technical manipulation, you could always try one of the cheaper alternatives...Paintshop Pro is much more user friendly than Photoshop and has some very nice features. For the price, it's probably better value than Photoshop and has everything you're likely to need. Don't know how the price stacks up against Photoshop Elements, though.

Don't know anything about Wingimp, but I plan to download it and give it a go. Good luck and have fun with your new toy!

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