Slightly OT: but still coin related...Adobe Photoshop...is it really worth $600.

mnmcoin

I have heard some good things about this program, but is it really worth the dough, when it comes to photoing coins...proof, ms and toned stuff is what I do, mostly through plastic slabs...is it good for that and what else and specifically why is it worth the $$$?

morris <><

Wisconsin

I had a chance to try this program on a friends computer. He loves the program, but for me it was very complicated and difficult to use. I personally did not like it. I would say if you are very patient at learning everything it can do, it may be a good deal. I like things I can use with little effort myself.

Jay

mnmcoin

<< <i>I had a chance to try this program on a friends computer. He loves the program, but for me it was very complicated and difficult to use. I personally did not like it. I would say if you are very patient at learning everything it can do, it may be a good deal. I like things I can use with little effort myself.

Jay >>



Here, here.

morris <><

VonZipper

A fairly decent program is Microsoft's Picture It.It's easy to use and has a lot of editing features.

Geoman

It's a good program, once you learn all of the features. But I do not think it is worth the $600 price tag. Let's just say I got mine for less than a modern coin.

ursabear

Morris,

As a person who used to make his living with Macintosh computer graphics stuff, my answer is absolutely yes. It offers power, flexibility and stability that is absolutely unmatched.

With that said, it is a very personal thing - this choice of graphics programs. Many people have been happier with other programs of similar or less price - it is all in the matter of what you like and what you need. A good tutorial book and a few days with Photoshop can really get you cranking. If you're going to use it occasionally, Adobe Photodeluxe is lesser in price and still nearly as good a program - just less plug-ins and features.

Not unlike coins, use what you like so you'll like what you use.

GaCoinGuy

I used to use CorelDraw in my job, and I loved it. Of course, my company paid for it too. I use it on my home pc, only because I had it at work. I also have Adobe PhotoDeluxe and find it very useful for cropping, and editing simple things on the pictures. If all you want is maybe crop and lighten pictures, PhotoDeluxe should be fine.

FrattLaw

Adobe makes a toned down version of Photoshop that I think costs $100-$200 that might be worth a try. I can't see spending $600 on it unless it's going to help you sell more coins at a higher price because of better pics it can deliver.

Try Adobe's website for more info.

Michael

Higradeguy

Hi,

I am not sure what your family situation is but if you got any kids in college they can pick the program up at their school for a really hefty discount. I purchased Photoshop 6.0 last year this way and got it for around $250. Hope the info helps.

Chris

ksteelheader

Mine came as a package deal with my new computer. I still am learning things about it daily........Ken

cosmicdebris

Photoshop rules I have used it since version 3. As an alternate PhotoShop clone there is Jasc's Paint Shop Pro. All the features of PhotoShop without going to the Watered down version. Plus it is only $99.00 for the download version.

Paint Shop Pro

P.S. Version 8.0 is due out soon

Barry

If you are a professional photographer, there's nothing else that compares. It also has a pretty steep learning curve.

What you should get is Adobe Photoshop Elements. It has 95% of the features of PS and costs under $100. I got mine last year at a time they had a rebate and total cost was $40. The 2 main things missing are Curves and Actions. However, there is an aftermarket book available, by Richard Lynch, that has a workaround for Actions (a form of macro to repetiviely perform a series of commands in the program) if you really want that feature. It's a superb program, also has a somewhat steep learning curve, but is well worth it.

nwcs

You can buy the LE edition for $100. It has most of what people need in Photoshop. I have the full version, but I saw what the LE has and it seemed very good.

RotatedRainbows

NWCS is correct, I have an older version of LE (5.0) and it does all the basic things that my 6.0 full version does when it comes to picture editing so if you really want Photoshop without paying the big bucks get an LE version. If you have any computer shows in your area you can usually find vendors that have original copies of older versions of both the full and LE versions that you usually can pick up at a large discount to the list price.

MAULUMALL

I use Photoimpact 8.
I like it.
It's easy to use.AND you can get it for less than a Franklin.

K6AZ

As with most Adobe software, it is way overpriced in my opinion, and I own a copy of it. I very rarely use it, because of it's complexity. For the kind of image editing that collectors do, there are far more economic programs out there. For most of my image editing, I use Micrografx. Unfortunately, they were bought out by Corel, but you can still buy new copies of the last version very inexpensively. Another good alternative is Paint Shop Pro.

By the way, for the pro-Photoshop people, there is nothing that can be done in Photoshop that I can't do in Micrografx.

airplanenut

I use the Home Edition 4.0- it has lots of features, and to this day, only one thing, rotating at a specific number of degrees, has not worked for me. It came with my scanner and I'm quite happy with it.

Jeremy

K6AZ

By the way, if you have a good camera, there is a free program that is really good, and does everything you need (cropping, contrast/broghtness, adjusting colors) that you may want to try before buying any software, here is the link:

Irfanview

grip

I have the Paint Shop Pro7(jasc).for about $100.00,and has more than i'll ever need for coins.
I think you can download it for free for 30 days,as I did,than bought it.Al

abuell

If you are using a Mac GraphicConverter, which costs $35, is every bit as good and does a number of things that Photoshop can not do.

csw

fyi: Adobe also offers huge Photoshop discounts to non-profits.

JamminJ

How computer savy are you?

I have a friend that runs Linux who swears by a program called Gimp which is like Photoshop. Although not being a photographer I can't vouch for it myself, you can't beat the price: included free with most distributions of Linux.

-JamminJ