abzphotoz Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I am fairly new to the DSLR world. I got a 40D about 3 month's ago. I have been learning a lot and would like to start shooting in RAW...especially when I go on long missions. The only thing is I don't know how to use Photoshop and don't want to spend $700 on CS3. RAW files for the 40D are not compatible with CS2. I was told not to use the software that came with the camera. Are there any good alternatives? Also-what are the real advantages of shootng in RAW as opposed to jpeg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacopo_brembati Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 "I was told not to use the software that came with the camera"<br> Use it, instead, DPP is better than Adobe.<br> If you need to edit more, I can suggest a couple of products.<br><br> "Also-what are the real advantages of shootng in RAW as opposed to jpeg? "<br> The advantage is: "more control". You can recover better a shot that was not perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerleif Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Use Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP) to make your primary CR2 file adjustments and then save your results as a TIFF file. You can then load and edit the TIFF file in Photoshop. That workflow should provide excellent results. Whoever told you to avoid DPP gave you very, very bad advice. Unless someone has alternative software like Adobe Lightroom, Canon's DPP is a fine, and virtually free, starting place. If and when you decide to upgrade, Adobe Lightroom is the finest image organizing and RAW processing system currently available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel barrera houston, Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Lightroom is an alternative, but the raw program that comes with the camera is very good, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_margolis Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 A good intro software program is Photoshop Elements. Obviously doesn't do as much as CS3 but cost less than $100. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/family/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_korzaan Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 .... and I might add to Bruce's comment, Elements 6 is a lot easier to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabseye Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Don't overlook Paint Shop Pro X1 or X2, which can be had for a song from the popular auction site, and works very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jose alvarado photography Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 i use photoshop cs3 and its amazing, the recovery of RAW photos is so easy.. i say if you cant afford it, save up because its a very great investment. software and camera go hand in hand, they have to be harmonious.. that way your photos come out better and if you have alot of trouble with photos not coming out the way you want, mess with White Balance Temperature.. it gives it more color tone, or even messing with the amount of color being taken in ... More saturation or vivid color setting. This is what i do with my Nikon D80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcleland Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Which (to expand on Jose's comment) is another point in PS Element's favor. While yes, it doesn't do everything the full version does, the cost is tough to beat, and will do pretty much everything that you'll need initially, and possibly for some time to come. The key thing here is, should you decide later to jump into CS3 (maybe CS4 by the time you decide to purchase) Photoshop's working environment will have a very familiar feel to it, eliminating the possibility of having to relearn something you already know how to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abzphotoz Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 WOW! this website is like having a thousand friends who are into photography. I love it. Thank you everybody for your advice and quick responses. The person who told me not to use the software was going to give me a copy of cs3 so that's the only reason for that. I think I'll probably go get Elements today. Does anyone know if it works with the 40D's RAW files? and can I use the software that came in the box w/40D along w/Elements? Is it hard to learn how to work w/Elements if you know virtually nothing about photoshop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_hanlon3 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Canon DPP works very well for RAW editing and conversion. For editing JPEGS take a look at paint.NET, it's available as a free download here: http://www.getpaint.net/download.html I have found it to be an excellent editing program and you can't beat the price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolan_ross Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I would buy a Photoshop elements program such as PE5 or 6 and then go to adobe photoshop.com and install the free plug-in for the Canon 40D. CostCo carries these programs for about $99.00. The plug-in is a free download. Here is an example for a plug in for photoshop elements 5, windows computer and the Canon 40D. There is another plug-in available for PE6. http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3736 No reason not to use the software that came with the camera. Try it out and see if it works well for you. You can always not use it or delete it. rb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesheckel Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Why not an educational discount on Photoshop? Google it, then check the policies of the stores retailing it and find out what they need you to submit for a qualification. You might be able to get a student status at a local junior college or the Adult Education center at a university by enrolling in a couple of PS courses, and you'd probably end up paying $200 or $250 for CS3 Extended. Some enrollment fees are quite low, the classes can be very helpful, and you're under no obligation to pass them. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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