photo software

[mwarf]

As a professional graphic designer, I'm spolied with Adobe Photoshop (full version), but would recommend "Elements" for day to day hobbist use.

If your looking to save a buck, and want to do basic image editing - you can download GIMP for windows http://www.gimp.org/screenshots/ which is FREE and can do most things photoshop can do.

Neither will do video - but you can buy the Adobe "Elements" as a package for photo and video - http://www.adobe.com/products/psprelements/

Hope you make out ok.

M.

[Ruth]

Mwarf I already have photoshop 4 for my digital camera images. What program would you recommend for video? I just bought a new Sony video cam and would like to purchase software to edit videos.
Sorry to hijack

[AndyL]

Doesn't XP come with a pretty decent video editor? (Course mine didn't but I know the dell upstairs did).

[mwarf]

XP comes with windows movie maker - as long as you want to record in proprietary formats (.avi, windows media) it would be OK.

re: photoshop 4 - the oldest version I'd recommend is 5.5 (that's when it had the upgrades to compress images for the web, etc.) - It's officially at version 9 now - so many things have been thought out since then. I'd still recommend the most current GIMP vs. an old version of photoshop.

For video - I think Adobe Premiere Elements is a great package - if you have a macintosh - then final cut express is great.

[Ruth]

So are Photoshop 4 and Photoshop Elements 4.0 the same program? Man this stuff just confuses me.

[mwarf]

Nope. Photoshop Elements is a friendly, stipped down version of photoshop.

Premiere is the program Adobe makes for video, Photoshop for photos - both programs come in a cheaper, friendlier "elements" version.

Hope that makes more sense?

[Ruth]

It does. I have Photoshop Elements 4.0 so for doing video I should look at buying the Premier Elements? Is this correct?