Photoshop CS4 vs. Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac

[MPJMP]

It's time to upgrade the computer. I'm switching from a dated PC laptop to (most likely) one of the new Apple PowerBooks. The platform switch also means that ancient copy of Photoshop 7 I've been using will need to be updated. Over the years, I've found that I only use about 1/10th of the features that the full version of Photoshop has to offer. Since I'll be blowing most of my expendable income on the PowerBook, I'm considering just buying Photoshop Elements 6 with the hopes that I won't miss the added features that PS CS4 would have to offer.

Does anyone here get by with just the Elements version of Photoshop? I'm talking specifically about PSE6 for Mac. What major features am I giving up with PSE6 over CS4? I searched Adobe's website for a comparison of the two and didn't find anything.

Any thoughts are welcome.

[enboe]

I'd recommend picking up elements for $89 and seeing if you run into it's limits. I think you'll find it quite powerful. You can spend the $649 for CS4 when you actually need it to do something Elements won't.

[MPJMP]

enboe,

Sounds like a good plan.

What are the big things that CS4 will do that Elements won't?

-Mike

[tralphs]

You can download the trial version of photoshop elements 7 for free.
It is valid for 30 days.
Go to the Adobe website for the download...Adobe - Downloads

[tobey bilek]

Elements unless you are into serious retouching or photoshop work. To do what you can do in a darkroom, lighten, darken, burn, Dodge, make borders, Elements is quite sufficient.

Before you buy anything, see what you can do with iPhoto that will come with the computer. There are simple edit functions there.

Go to Mark S Johnson Photography.com and look at what he does with photoshop.

What is missing is some of the finer/detail controls in curves and high/shadow.

Gimp is free and very good. Go to Amazon a get the book as on line stuff is harder to find compared to photoshop.

[stnami]

You may want to consider Lightroom or Aperture .........

[enboe]

I must confess. While I own both Elements 6 and CS4 for the mac, I tend to use them for darkroom-like adjustments, color balancing, burning, dodging, spot retouching, etc. I know both tools are well beyond my current skills, so I must defer to others on the major differences.

[michali]

Mike- I have Elements 6 for Mac as well as Aperture and I find that I use Elements 90% of the time for darkroom type adjustments. I also loaded Capture 1 which came with the M8 but I find that Elements does most of what I need. For B&W work I've bought Silver Efex Pro which "plugs into" both Elements and Aperture.
MIKE

[DTD]

I'd agree that Aperture or Lightroom might be worth considering – and as has been said, iPhoto is free.

[bjmike]

While there are undoubtedly many who know more than I do, I find that I usually don't need even all the capabilities of PS Elements. iPhoto is generally woefully inadequate, though. Nice to have for doing onboard slide shows, but for any kind of serious digital darkroom work, Elements is much more capable. CS4, for me, would be overkill. Same (I think) for Aperture.

[Fred Schwab]

Under two years ago I switched from PC to Mac. I had PS7 and following a phone call with Adobe I got a cross platform transfer (to Mac) and upgrade to CS2 for the normal Adobe upgrade cost. Within a month CS3 was launched and I was entitled to a free upgrade from CS2. Total cost was about the same as PSE. I don't know if Adobe would do a cross platform transfer and upgrade from PS7 to CS4 as that is quite a jump!

I now use Aperture for most of my work and just occasionally use CS3. If had stayed with PC I would have invested in Lightroom.

Fred

[underground]

Originally Posted by DTD

I'd agree that Aperture or Lightroom might be worth considering – and as has been said, iPhoto is free.

I use Aperture it works great for me but $$$.
Iphoto is for quick simple adjustments and free, I use
to post some of my photos here.

[jdlaing]

The title of the Original Post is CS4 versus Photoshop Elements?

Thos two "versus" each other would be tantamount to an Abrams Tank versus a Paint Ball Gun. It would be a short battle.