Paint Shop Pro X2 - Bin it?

Rob.Marsh

Rob.Marsh

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Rob
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Hi all,

As some of you may have seen from my other posts, I am new into the photography world, with my first DSLR and at the moment, kit lenses. I feel a long way off "riding without stabilisers" so to speak.

My question to you all is this:

As a newbie, after having got to grips with my camera and started to take photos, it was not very long before I needed an editing program. My dad uses Paintshop Pro and has a spare X2 license so I installed it and away I went.

As a newbie I have been reading magazines to pick up techniques and tips, as a way of expanding my knowledge base, as well as reading posts on here, learning from you. I have posted some pictures for C & C, a very handy way to learn and pick things up from.

However, my knowledge of PSP is limited, I can do basic things, and am gradually progressing. The thing is, most magazines give editing tip for Photoshop, and not many other editing programs, so although the idea is the same, the step by step guides are not accurate and often not applicable.

This has got me wondering if I should think about ditching PSP for Photoshop, but there is no way I can afford CS3. Elements is in the same priceline of PSP X2 though, so is it worth it? Is Elements that much better, am I limiting my ability to learn and proccess by using X2?

Thoughts and advice greatly appreciated, (apologies that its a long post!!)

Rob
 
I'm a long time Paint Sho Pro user and actually use version 7 which is pretty ancient, despite having later versions, and also CS2.

Photoshop is horrendously expensive and most users will never need more than about 20% of all it has to offer, but that's also true of PSP and most other decent editing packages.

Whichever package you start out with, it takes time to get into it, but you're right, you'll find more on- line help with Photoshop, which is probably the biggest argument in it's favour.
 
My Dad has PSP and I have Photoshop, I was down there the other day trying to show him a few things on PSP. To be honest I just couldn't get on with it.

Its doesn't feel as intuative as photoshop and there doesn't seem to be as much control over things but, I'm sure there are plenty of people who can and do use it very well.

You are right though, 99% of the tutorials seem to be for Photoshop.

Download the free trial and give it a go.
 
Just be aware that there are no 'other ways' of obtaining software that this forum either supports or condones.
 
At work I had to use PSP untill a few months ago but then we started using photoshop for a few things.

Having used both I would always go for Photoshop given the choice but without work paying for the license I wouldn't be able to afford CS3.
 
I haven't used tried the X2, but I'd bet that many Photoshop tutorials are applicable to it, it's just that some tools have different names in X2 compared to those in Photoshop.

As far as I know, PSP X2 should be even more capable than the GIMP 2.4 (which is what I use, it's nice, free and does all I need it to do), so I'd say keep on fighting for a while. CT might be able to help you with a thing or two is you posted a thread with a specific problem.
 
It's very much a matter of what you get used to using. I use software that's very old now though still able to do everything I need it to. I've tried both psp and ps numerous times but I find them both counterintuitive (because they want me to work differently to the way I'm used to) and always end up back with my old software.

If you're starting out and you have the money I'd say go for Photoshop because you'll have less trouble getting into it and it will have the better upgrade path. If you are a student you can buy a copy much more cheaply than the rest of us poor shmucks.
 
AFAIK Elements doesn't have curves or layer masks, which would make it pretty useless. PSP X2 should have much greater functionality than Elements. The Gimp surely does.
 
It took me an age to abandon PSP 3.x and there's a strong resistance to buying anything like Photoline 32 which operates in a different way again.

Rob, perhaps you should buy a PSP-specific book for the price of just a few magazines?
 
I used PSP photo XI for ages and liked it a lot!
The only reason I switched to CS3 is that I got it at a bargain price ( 100% legitimately, student rates)
I still refer back to PSP occasionally but now use CS3 90% of the time and probabley then only 25% of its capabillities
 
Imagine Publishing have just brought out a new magazine called 'Paint Shop Pro Photo' with tutorials, features and guides based on the software.

http://www.officialpspp.com/

The magazine is certainly available in WH Smith.
 
Lightroom is great for basic editing or raw conversion, but it can't do the "clever stuff", you can't combine images with it, it doesn't do layers, sadly it's no subsitute for either PSP or PS. PSP if better than elements, it's fairly on par with PS in many ways, it's just a case of getting used to it. Wayne
 
I use photoshop CS3, its much better than CS2 :)
 
Jamougha said:
AFAIK Elements doesn't have curves or layer masks, which would make it pretty useless. PSP X2 should have much greater functionality than Elements. The Gimp surely does.
Click to expand...

You can buy an addon for elements (vers 1,2,3,4,5) which gives you curves and actions but not layers.
 
Steep said:
You can buy an addon for elements (vers 1,2,3,4,5) which gives you curves and actions but not layers.
Click to expand...

thus putting the price over psp x2

i got x2 myself, havent come across anything extra that i need or want. the tutorials on the most part ar possible in it, once you have the basic understanding of how it works.

i would say cs3 is the be all and end all at the mo, and the reason for choosing elements is in the hope it works similar to cs3 and would make an easier exchange.
 
I use PSPP x2 and I love it. Before that I have used PSP 7, 8 ad 9. I tried the PS free trial and didn't like it personally.

If you need any help with your Corel software I'll help if I can :) and as someone said earlier in the thread, you can work a lot of things in PSPPx2 from PS tutorials, it's just some of the functions have slightly different names and such. THIS for instance is a tutorial I wrote following a tutorial I read for PS users ... sometimes it's easier to figure out than you think :)
 
Thank you all very much for your help and thoughts. I may well be taking you up on your offer of help Jo, thankyou very much, watch this space! :thumbs:

King of groove, thanks for that, Ill pop into WH smiths tonight for a look.


Thanks again for all your help, I am really glad i joined up on here. Learning loads by the day!

I'll be posting up some pics in the next couple of days for C & C's. They are from the Royal Show on sat, my first attempt of tracking moving objects to get backgroub blur and a feel of movement. I am pleased but we'll see what the consensus is when I post! :shrug::thinking:
 
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