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Photo editing capabilities: Lightroom vs Photoshop/Photoshop Elements

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
September 27, 2010
7 replies
188089 views

Hi,

I have a question about the features in lightroom. I'm not yet a photoshop user so I hope people can understand if I don't use the right terms. It seems from the web site that lightroom is a photo editor and a image file organizer. If I don't need a image file organizer is there any reason to buy lightroom instead of photoshop or photoshop elements. Does lightroom have image editing features that are not in photoshop elements or not in the full version of photoshop?

Thanks

Message title was edited by: Brett N

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Correct answer dj_paige

1) Smart sharpening My understanding is this is a newer and better algorithm than unsharp mask.
2) The layer blending modes: "darker color" and "lighter color:
3) Adjustment layers - where you can change the parameters of an existing layer without having to undo and go back to when you added the layer.
4) Noise reduction with separate controls for luminance and color

1, 2 and 3 are not in Lightroom (no layers in Lightroom at all)

4 can be done in Lightroom

Many people use Lightroom to do the initial editing of the photo and then another image editor (PSE or CS4/5) for additiona; editing

M

mardrucker

Participant

This thread was extremely helpful. I've been trying to decide whether I should use Lightroom in addition to Elements or instead of Elements. Now that I know the two can work together, I plan to use them both. Thanks!

B

BonnyDan

Participant

I realise this is an old thread, but one important point may have been overlooked. Lightroom is non-destructive and makes no changes to the original image, whereas Elements allows the original image to be overwritten.

F

flageborg

Participating Frequently

" Lightroom is non-destructive..."

I am quite new to Lightroom, and have spend some time with Elements, but it seems to me that this so-called "non-destructive" behaviour you mention is quite the same as in Elements...

It is always your personal choice to "destruct" and even do a "overwrite" and not to blame the software?!

F. McLion

Community Expert

@flageborg

I am quite new to Lightroom, and have spend some time with Elements, but it seems to me that this so-called "non-destructive" behaviour you mention is quite the same as in Elements...

Absolutely not! Elements is not a "non-destructive" Software in the same sense as LR is.

With Elements you always have to save your editings to either the original (overwrite!) or to a full, new copy of the file.

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A

Anonymous

I have decided to use Lightroom as my organizer after using PSE for several years. I have upgraded my exisiting PSE catalog to Lightroom, but ONLY the files that currently reside on my hard drive transferred. Any files that had been moved to external disk using PSE, didn't transfer. In the PSE organizer, it knows those files are on an external disk and gives you the disk name so that you can retrieve them. Is there a way to import these files WITH their keyword information into Lightroom? If not, this appears to be a real disadvantage of trying to upgrade from PSE to Lightroom. Appreciate any help with this anyone can offer

dj_paige

Legend

Use PSE to transfer the files that are offline back to your hard disk, then upgrade the catalog to Lightroom again.

B

bakubo

Known Participant

There is no reason to transfer your photos from one hard disk to another hard disk. Your catalog conversion is not affected by what hard disks you use for storage of your photos.

That is what I was hoping to hear! I only asked because you wrote this earlier:

"Use PSE to transfer the files that are offline back to your hard disk, then upgrade the catalog to Lightroom again."

It sounded like you were saying the files needed to be on the local hd. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

When I run LR and tell it to upgrade my Organizer catalog does it replace the Organizer catalog or upgrade and copy so that the original Organizer catalog is still there? Of course, I have my Organizer catalog backed up, but I am just trying to understand a bit better what LR is going to do. I couldn't find any info about this subject in the LR help. Thank you.

By the way, is this upgrade something that will take a long time, i.e., I should start it before going to bed because it will take all night?

ambienttroutmask

Participating Frequently

jdur4567 wrote:
Does lightroom have image editing features that are not in photoshop elements or not in the full version of photoshop?

PS is capable of many things that LR cannot do and isn't designed to do. PS is a fully featured graphics application, whilst LR is for processing and managing image files from camera to end usage, such as printing, displaying on the web etc. There is nothing as far as processing images goes that LR can do that can't also be accomplished in PS. However for 99% of photographic usage LR does it quicker and with more ease than PS as well as being non destructive and doing away with the requirment for huge file sizes on your disks.

PS elements is a very cut down version of PS primarily aimed at basic graphic processing required by amateur users. Its ability to process RAW files is very limited in comparison to LR, but for jpgs it is fine and it incorporates a management tool, which whilst not as sophisticated as LR's will do the job. It also works well with Premier Elements for creating videos.

If your primary objective is to process your own photographic images from the RAW file in your camera to end usage, LR is the best bet. If you are happy with jpgs and want to also shoot and edit video the the PS and Premier elements package will do best. For professionals then LR and PS are essentials, even though these days trips to PS are rare!

As you can trail all these products give them all a spin. LR has a learning curve and it will take you the full 30 days to get used to how it works and just what it is capable of. Once you have got to grips with it most users would never return to relying on straightforward bitmap editors such as elements or PS again.

V

Vanessa Fennel

Participant

Thank you very much for a clear answer.

99jon

Legend

Lightroom will mirror the folder structure on your hard drive or external hdd if that is your preferred method of organization.

If you shoot raw images I would recommend Lightroom as Elements has a stripped down version of Adobe Camera Raw. Even Bridge on the mac is now limited to version 5.7 unless you buy the more expensive CS5.

dj_paige

Legend

In addition to McLion's comments, let me add that the Lightroom "organizer" is a superior piece of software than the PSE Organizer ... it has more capabilities and fewer bugs.

But if you don't need an "organizer", then maybe Lightroom isn't for you, as you are forced to import your photos into the Lightroom Library Module in order to use the rest of the features in Lightroom.

Of course, I think you (and everyone else who works with digital photos) needs an organizer ...

I also think that even if you are shooting only JPGs, Lightroom is a great piece of software. It's not for Raw shooters only.

F. McLion

Community Expert

You have missed one of the "main things" about LR - despite it's great Library - its a nondestructive RAW Editor.

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/about/

If you really want to miss the great library functions and are taking jpeg's you may be better off with Photoshop Elements or Photoshop, depending on what you're plans are.

If you can tell us more about what you are looing for exactly, it would be easier to help.

hth

Franz

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J

jdur4567Author

Participant

"If you can tell us more about what you are looing for exactly, it would be easier to help."

All of the answers have been helpful.

There are certain features I've read about being in Photoshop that are not in the editor I'm currently using (gimp for editing and the picasa download for organizing):

1) Smart sharpening My understanding is this is a newer and better algorithm than unsharp mask.

2) The layer blending modes: "darker color" and "lighter color:

3) Adjustment layers - where you can change the parameters of an existing layer without having to undo and go back to when you added the layer.

4) Noise reduction with separate controls for luminance and color

I'm trying to figure out if I should get photoshop elements, lightroom or the full photoshop.

If I get any of the above I will have to get a new computer since my old computer is too slow and the disk is too full. At that time I might start shooting raw. I don't currently shoot raw because my old computer is too slow and the disk is too full.

Thanks

dj_paigeCorrect answer

Legend

1) Smart sharpening My understanding is this is a newer and better algorithm than unsharp mask.
2) The layer blending modes: "darker color" and "lighter color:
3) Adjustment layers - where you can change the parameters of an existing layer without having to undo and go back to when you added the layer.
4) Noise reduction with separate controls for luminance and color

1, 2 and 3 are not in Lightroom (no layers in Lightroom at all)

4 can be done in Lightroom

Many people use Lightroom to do the initial editing of the photo and then another image editor (PSE or CS4/5) for additiona; editing

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