Lightroom or Elements

elkhunter

Senior Member
I am new to photo editing and am looking at Photoshop products.
Which is easier to learn with Lightroom or Elements I shoot in both raw and jpeg and would be using ACR as well
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I think for Raw, you would clearly want Lightroom. Elements is more basic, leaves out some of of the raw tools. You may want it for JPG too, since you can use the raw editor for JPG too.

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/camera-raw-differences-photoshop-photoshop.html

That is Adobes list of differences in raw for Photoshop and Elements. I don't have Lightroom, but pretty sure it has the same raw menus as Photoshop (same raw module). In the upper right of the image there (under the histogram) are the option tabs, selecting one shows that option list under it. Those marked in red are not in Elements. Plus, there's a lot more helpful articles about Lightroom than Elements on the internet. For about any tool in Lightroom (or Photoshop), just Google the word Lightroom and the name of the tool, like for example https://www.google.com/search?q=lightroom+exposure and you will find all you want to know about using it.
 
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paul04

Senior Member
I would say lightroom,

Easy to import your pictures,
And once you have learnt the basics, Quite easy to use, and a lot of books and online videos to guide you.
 

Elliot87

Senior Member
I downloaded the free trials for them both. I really like Lightroom but could never get on with elements. I've ended up getting Photoshop CC, I will use photoshop eventually but for now I'm very happy with lightroom.
 
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traceyjj

Senior Member
I seem to be the odd one out, I use elements as it has all the cataloguing I want, and it has editing functionality, and I can also use the add-ons like Topaz, so to me its an all-in-one solution
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I am new to photo editing and am looking at Photoshop products.
Which is easier to learn with Lightroom or Elements I shoot in both raw and jpeg and would be using ACR as well
I wouldn't suggest choosing your editor based on which one you think will be the easiest to learn; I would suggest you figure out which one you think will serve you best over the long haul based on how deeply you think you're going to be taking your photography and photo-editing. Unless of course you relish the idea of learning one software application, discovering its limitations, getting frustrated with it, giving up on trying to make it do what it was never designed to do and then having to learn a whole new, more sophisticated application. But, if that's your thing, then by all means.

:D
....
 

Smoke

Senior Member
I use Elements 12 and it is WAY more than what I need. There was a link that I saw back when I was deciding. You checked boxes on what you where wanting and it picked the program. This is fine for what I am doing.
 

JDFlood

Senior Member
Just one more point. Unless you are very familiar with the range of software it is difficult to know what functions you need. Some software is just a bunch of tools to work on photos and some support workflow and will have the tools you don't know you need yet, when you realize you do. Then there is Photoshop that is has the tools for virtually anything you might ever want to do and the inevitable incredible complexity of a tool that evolved from prehistoric times. Lightroom has the balance to support new, intermediate and advanced users and complete integration when you ( after years) realize you now know you need a really sophisticated tool. Lightroom was built from the ground up to be a photographers workflow toolbox. It is a great program.



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