Photoshop Elements or Lightroom?

I currently don't have any post-processing software, just using what came with my Rebel XT.

Which of the two is the better?

Two different types of apps. Lightroom is principally for raw image processing and cataloging, and elements is principally for bit image manipulations.

I highly recommend Lightroom as a starting point. It has some good categorization options and some powerful editing features as well. Start there and then identify if it is not meeting your needs. You can then move on to Lightroom later and use Elements to compliment it when wanting to work with Layers and such. Lightroom does 95% of my workflow but I still have to do somethings outside of it, like layers.

If you're a PP newbie (that's not an insult we all were at one time, or still ARE) I suggest Elements and DPP that came with your camera if you are shooting in RAW.

(Elements (latest version is 6) will also process RAW images. If you use it and like it, you may want to give Lightroom a try as it uses a more robust implementation of the same Adobe Camera Raw. Also, if you use Elements, and like the catalog feature there, its similar to the Library in lightroom. If you HATE having to import your images into a catalog using Elements, you're not going to like LR because you MUST use a catalog; whereas in Elements you could bypass it if desired.)

Final note, if you'd choose Lightroom you will STILL want to have a pixel editing app like Elements. Lr does GLOBAL edits across the entire image (adjusting exposure, colors, saturation, curves, etc.) Elements would be used for your selective edits (circle an area and apply the changes only there) and adding text, or using plugin filters for special effects.

pgiancola wrote in post #4409279
I highly recommend Lightroom as a starting point.... You can then move on to Lightroom later...

Did you mean ELEMENTS as a starting point?

davidcrebelxt wrote in post #4409339
Did you mean ELEMENTS as a starting point?

I sure did, man I can't type today.

I'm a PP newbie and find PSE5 more than suits my needs for now. At this point I need to learn more about getting the shot right to begin with and less PP. Some folks rely too much on PP'ing to get a good image.

lightroom is in a league of its own but elements 6 has a similar appearance and a different feel than elements 5. I have yet to test elements 6 to its full potential. So far ive been able to replicate things i can do in photoshop 7.
6's blending modes appear to be better than elements 5 and ps 7(of course its an older model of ps)

thekid24 wrote in post #4410066
lightroom is in a league of its own but elements 6 has a similar appearance and a different feel than elements 5. I have yet to test elements 6 to its full potential. So far ive been able to replicate things i can do in photoshop 7.
6's blending modes appear to be better than elements 5 and ps 7(of course its an older model of ps)

The only reason I moved away from Elements was the limitations in batch processing and the use of actions just isn't there. Once I moved to CS3 (which was recently) I was able to call a sharpening dropplet out of CS3 that sharpens my images after export. Its really nice and saves me oodles of time. Just couldn't do that with Elements.

I'd try to get directly to CS3. I tried the trial of LIght Room and still needed some image manipulation and decided on CS3 as my only tool.

Thanks for all the input. Currently, I'm afraid that CS3 is a bit out of my budget. I would rather put that money towards a new lens!

Looks like Elements 6 is the concensus here and I think I'll be happy with it. The price seems to be right, too.

You might consider downloading and trying the GIMP. It's free and does a really good job. Can't beat the price, that's for sure.

Agreed, download the Gimp. And buy Lightroom. Then you have both types of photo editors.

BobbyT wrote in post #4415018
Agreed, download the Gimp. And buy Lightroom. Then you have both types of photo editors.

Or use DPP, RAWtherapee, or a couple other free solutions, and don't buy anything!!!

Honestly, even though I like and use LR, I think $300 is a bit overpriced for it in its current state; might be a value for some pros making money off their photography - needing quick turnaround, but not so much for the beginner without the back-catalog of pictures, nor likely the same volume of new incoming images to process.

(However if you are in school, or you have any schoolage children, you could qualify for educational pricing of LR, which drops it to a MUCH more palatable $99. For me, that would put it in the bargin range, even for beginners.)

Download the trial versions for everything recommended above. Play with them before you commit to any platform because it is to much of a pain to change to something else later.