Elements vs. Lightroom 3/4

[FSJeffo]

I have ordered but have not yet installed PS Elements. What would you recommend for a newb? Just use it? Use it until LR 4 comes out? Should I return it and get LR3 and then upgrade to 4 when available? Or just go right to 4 beta now?

WWYD?

Thanks!

JM

 

[luvmyfamily]

You can download free trials of both to try before you buy. Also, LR3 has a great price on it now, because LR4 is coming out. You can find it on ebay or amazon for less than a hundred bucks

 

[The_Traveler]

They are different.

LR is a management and filing sytem with some editing
PSE is editing

 

[Norma]

Depends on what you are going to use Elements for. Lightroom is great for editing photos and managing from start to finish. If you want to do anything outside that, use Elements. I have CS5, LR3 and am also using the LR4 beta see what's new. I use both.

 

[bhop]

Use both. As the_traveler said, they're different.

 

[FSJeffo]

OK now I feel a little better, thought I had jumped the gun on buying PSE (kinda like the 320 EX flash I ordered and will be returning after watching a pretty good review about it vs. the 430EX II).

Thanks!

JM

 

[Kolia]

PSE has Element Organizer included which is a better library manager for the consumer. Face recognition, automatic analysis, etc. Its made to work on jpeg files although it will manage your RAW files.

LR is made to work on RAW files. The picture manager is not as simple to use but it's not rocket science either.

I use both.

 

[KmH]

Lightroom is up to light editing of photos, but it comes up short in many ways. For instance, Lightroom cannot edit pixels. Consequently, it is a compliment to, not a replacement for, a raster graphics editing capability like that offered by Ps Elements or CS5.

Lightroom has very limited sharpening options, no precision selection tools, rudimentary cloning and masking options, no layers capability (though someone has developed a layers plug-in for Lightroom), no vector capabilites, and very limited text options.

 

[ghache]

personally work with lighroom and photoshop all together but you could be amaze how much editing and retouching you can do with lightroom alone.