Upgrade from PS6 to CS2?

Ok, so I'm reasonably happy with Photoshop 6, but am thinking of upgrading to CS2.

Advantages of the Upgrade

1. Lots of scripts / plugins that will work e.g. Mickle's framing script, TLR sharpening script.
   
2. Healing / spot healing brush (although managing with clone brush - the healing brush does have it's advantages!
   
3. Bridge(?) At the moment I don't have a nice integrated way of browsing my images / RAW images. For RAW I'm using RSP, but it would be good to catalogue them all in one place.
   
4. Smart Sharpen(?) Is it better than tweaking USM settings each time?
   
5. HDR - is it useful? Does anybody have any examples of how it can be used with skies that would be burnt out?

1. Price
   
2. RAM hog
   
3. Speed?

Another advantage - many more tools will work in 16 bit mode. If I remember rightly, you're rather limited in 16 bit mode in versions of Photoshop prior to CS, and CS2 is better still.

David

Thanks David - at the moment I'm not doing anything in 16 bit mode, though that has reminded me of HDR - not sure how useful it is though.

I prefer Photomatix to PS Merge to HDR.

goatee, how about PS Elements - 3 or 4.... it has the integrated browser you seek and much of the functionality (especially with downloadable plugins such as curves, channel mixer) only major disadvantage would be no scripts (I wish I could run mickle!). you coul dstill use PS 6 for the stuff you can't do in elements...

I use elements as my main integrated (JPG, RAW and converted) organizer with keywords. I use RSE mostly so mainly use the Editor bit for resize for web for posting here...

Thanks JFranco - it certainly looks good. . . going to download a trial version. . . It's just a shame that you can't do exposure blending through a Photoshop plug-in.

Thanks Al - I actually used to have PSE3, but found I wasn't using it any more, once I bought an OEM version of PS6, so sold it with my 300D. To be honest though, because I have PS6, the upgrade to CS2 is only marginally more expensive than buying PSE, so think if I'm spending money, I may as well get the latest and greatest. . . Although I'm not sure how it compares with PSE4 with regards to speed, and RAM usage.

I must admit I bought PSE3 mainly because I liked the tagging system on the old Photo album software best.. and my PP use does not justify CS2...

Not as a plugin, but if you upgrade to CS2, here is an excellent Quicktime video tutorial on that very subject. This is the technique that I have used with a little more success than HDR.

Fair enough Al - I'm not PP mad, but I just find that as time goes on I'm learning more and more, and different ways of doing things in Photoshop - I'm turning from a complete beginner into more of a novice

Thanks jfrancho - that's an amazing tutorial - it moves a little slowly at times, but gives a really nice technique to use (which also works in PS6 ) - the only thing he didn't cover was mentioning that you can dodge / burn the layer mask for better control as to getting the exposure just right.

My next upgrade will be RSE to RSP as I don't shoot JPG if I think I might need to do any PP ie JPG for snaps...

The dodge/burn tut is a seperate video, here.

Al - RSP is great - I don't know if the Vibrance control is also in RSE - basically, it's a selective saturation control - if the colours are already saturated, then it leaves them, which means that you don't get the nasty noise that pushing the saturation too high produces.

Thanks jfrancho - I didn't realise that there was a tutorial for that as well - I learnt how to dodge and burn for converting b&w images, but will definitely take a look.

Sounds good, RSE doesn't have that. Have to get my credit card out - do you have the colour engine - do you think it makes a difference?

I don't have the colour engine - but haven't noticed a problem with the 10D profile - some people swear by it though. . . not sure if you can get a demo of that, but I'd guess you can.