Is $300 for CS3 worth it?


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cancan7

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Sep 9, 2007
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Hi all,

I've checked out the price of CS3 in Funan, and it costs $300. Is it worth it? I've tried free image editing software Gimp but there isn't much resources for it, not like Photoshop which is like the industry standard.

So will buying the CS3 make a big difference to my photos? I don't have any L-grade lens, only the Canon 50 f1.8, 18-55 IS and 75-300 III.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.
 

Hi,

May i request to know how you post your text in the forums.

Thanks.:D
 

Sorry I don't get you... What text do you mean?
He means if you use Microsoft Word, your English will be much better and your typing speed can increase 2-fold, than you use only notepad or openoffice (openoffice.org).


.
 

He means if you use Microsoft Word, your English will be much better and your typing speed can increase 2-fold, than you use only notepad or openoffice (openoffice.org).


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which also means that its not the software that matters.. but is ur skill of post photography.. even the most simple software can produce good edited pictures if u know how...
 

Oh...

I know there are free alternatives to Photoshop, but there are many more books available for Photoshop. The books on Photoshop normally fill up a whole shelf!

I know freeware may be as powerful, but I won't be able to fully utilise it if I don't know how right?
 

Hi all,

I've checked out the price of CS3 in Funan, and it costs $300. Is it worth it? I've tried free image editing software Gimp but there isn't much resources for it, not like Photoshop which is like the industry standard.

So will buying the CS3 make a big difference to my photos? I don't have any L-grade lens, only the Canon 50 f1.8, 18-55 IS and 75-300 III.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

You sure Photoshop CS3 is only $300?
 

I disagree. Both matters.

As in the camera vs photographer debate, the same would apply when considering software vs retoucher.

Good software usually means faster results, lower effort etc.

which also means that its not the software that matters.. but is ur skill of post photography.. even the most simple software can produce good edited pictures if u know how...
 

I've checked the price in Challenger. I'm pretty sure. The extended version costs about $500
 

No, I don't think so. I've seen the Academic version of Photoshop Elements in the same store and there's a big "academic" sticker on it.
 

Oh...

I know there are free alternatives to Photoshop, but there are many more books available for Photoshop. The books on Photoshop normally fill up a whole shelf!

I know freeware may be as powerful, but I won't be able to fully utilise it if I don't know how right?

With there being more books on Photoshop does not mean you will be able to learn and use Photoshop better then the other program. Maybe I should add that before DIgital cameras were available to mere mortals like you and me, photogshop was the defacto tool of graphic designers, illustrator and yes photographers too...photographers who use high resolution drum scanners to digital import their slide or negative into the computer for doing layouts.

If all you do is touchup your photographs and have no intention to merge various photos to form one picture, do simple to very complicated touchup or repair work, layout advertisement images, special effects...etc all those book does nothing to help you...if you referring to creativity, it is really not so much about the tons of books. TO be creative...not only will you have to spend tons of time shooting to be a good photographer but you will have to spend an equal if not more amount of time to master all the features and function of Photoshop and then use them to enhance your photo further for more then just tweak the tone, take out some specks of dust, white balancing and framing it with some graphics. IF that is really all you will do as other stuff about graphic design and touch up is not your thing, paying so much money for photoshop is a waste. ( almost forgot...you sure it cost only $300!!!??? should be alot more then that unless it is some scam or student or upgrade right?)

THAT is what those books are for...for people like me in the creative trade... if you take out all those stuff you have no intention of doing then you find all those books has nothing to justify your purchase apart from the fact that you have the money to afford it. That is why some of the other free or cheaper software that cater mainly to photographers don't have much books. Because the functions are very little compare to what a designers would use.

If you want to still buy it...go for it man. You might be a designer ( or working towards being one) thus it is a good buy and you should not need to ask any further lah. But if you are not...and you regret it shortly or hardly use it...well...just remember that new versions come out often enough every year or so ( CS3 has been out for sometime now ....I would think CS4 would be just making its appearance right around the corner) and if you try to sell it away later in 6 months time..you are hardly gonna get much back for it...as people would really be paying you for your serial number.

Just cause you heard most of the pros and some of the serous sunday photographer buy and use it does not mean it can give you the same creative and outstanding result. When you heard some of them tell you about following some "work-flow" the amatuer always view that as the way to do something to get a certain effect. The real designers here will tell you that it is not always as simple as that. There will still be tweaking for each and every shot. You can't alway just go one and set it to automatic and then let Photoshop do all the work for you. Remember my friend..Photoshop software is just a graphic editing program or tool. Without the right skill and creativity...nothing good will come out of it. Literally.
 

if you're only using basic features like sharpening/contrast/saturation etc adjustments, Canon's Digital Photo Professional would cover your needs. if you want more like noise reduction, you can get NoiseNinja/Neat Image etc from the internet (not free though, but cheaper than getting a full-feature photo-editing programme). if you're seriously into such software, can also consider Elements or Lightroom.
 

If you are interested, you can try using Gimp which is a free image-editing software. http://gimp.org/
If you are just doing simple edits and if you do not want a memory-intensive software, use Gimp.
Otherwise, get a trial version of Photoshop CS3 and test it out to see if it suits your liking.

But in my opinion, buying Photoshop just to do simple edits on phtographs is definitely an overkill.
 

thanks for the replies

I've thought about buying Elements, but the price difference isn't that great(I'm gonna check to make sure that its REALLY $300 haha). I've installed GIMP in fact and I'm sure it should be more than enough for my needs, I'm only going to do simple stuff with it.

The thing is, I'm can't find any books on Gimp(I've read its guide, but I still can't make head or tail of it:dunno:). There are not many books on Elements either, whereas there are plenty of resources on CS3. I'm the sort who'd learn better with a textbook haha

I know I'm not going to read all the books on CS3, but I'm sure there are some books catered towards my skill level(total noob :bsmilie:). Also, many people I know are using this program, so it should be easier for me to learn from them. So its not really the program that makes me consider buying it, its the fact that a lot of people are using it, and the resources dedicated towards it is incredible.
 

No, I don't think so. I've seen the Academic version of Photoshop Elements in the same store and there's a big "academic" sticker on it.

I am pretty sure the $500 version is the academic version, there isn't a big sticker but some small print. unless adobe is having some sort of MEGA 50% off sale which is very very unlikely.

But I don't remember any version of CS3 selling for $300. If you are getting it for $300, ANY VERSION, academic or full, it is a good buy as even the academic version cost $4xx. So you are saying that challenger is selling a CS3 for $300? I might be thinking of gettng one if that is the case.
 

just download the damn thing from the net.
 

thanks for the replies

I've thought about buying Elements, but the price difference isn't that great(I'm gonna check to make sure that its REALLY $300 haha). I've installed GIMP in fact and I'm sure it should be more than enough for my needs, I'm only going to do simple stuff with it.

The thing is, I'm can't find any books on Gimp(I've read its guide, but I still can't make head or tail of it:dunno:). There are not many books on Elements either, whereas there are plenty of resources on CS3. I'm the sort who'd learn better with a textbook haha

I know I'm not going to read all the books on CS3, but I'm sure there are some books catered towards my skill level(total noob :bsmilie:). Also, many people I know are using this program, so it should be easier for me to learn from them. So its not really the program that makes me consider buying it, its the fact that a lot of people are using it, and the resources dedicated towards it is incredible.


Hi, I bought the Elements 5 OEM version for only $29.90 last year at Sim Lim Sq. Maybe u wana consider the Element 6.

Please refer to this thread:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274698&highlight=how+much+challenger
 

Hi all,

I've checked out the price of CS3 in Funan, and it costs $300. Is it worth it? I've tried free image editing software Gimp but there isn't much resources for it, not like Photoshop which is like the industry standard.

So will buying the CS3 make a big difference to my photos? I don't have any L-grade lens, only the Canon 50 f1.8, 18-55 IS and 75-300 III.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

CS3 has many many useful features like pano-stitching and HDR among others. but, if you dun foresee yourself using anything beyond levels and USM, you can buy PSE6. it has most of the useful features of CS3 (except curves.. not likely adobe will EVER put curves into PSE cos then there will really be no big reason to buy CS3... ;p) at a fraction of the cost. check it out. ;)
 

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