The trouble with PaintShop Pro is that the industry standard is Photoshop.
Adobe Camera Raw permits batch conversion of RAW files also. I find
that feature extremely easy to use.
As it looks to me right now, there are three kinds of uses for image
management software:
1. sorting, color correction and preparation for output to publication
2. creative manipulation and repair
3. portfolio management - databasing and searching.
Most shooters are not much interested in option 2 except to repair
damage found on scanned film.
A much smaller group is hardly much interested in option 1. They
just need to get past that stage so they can get on to option 2 where
their entertainment lies.
Many are still hoping for a well-integrated product for option 3
In the future I suspect option 2 will be separated from the other two.
Lightroom is a good example of the approaching maturity of option 1.
It permits RAW corrections, sorting, captioning and basic output for
print, slideshow, web, thumbnails etc. I haven't tried Aperture but
it looks like it's aimed in the same direction.
Once the metadata module in Lightroom is fully realized and we've had
a chance to work the beta of that I have a hunch that the beta
testers will be on Adobe's case to implement a full-featured module
for option 3.
Deep down Photoshop has been loaded up with so many features that I
wager it will eventually become the tool of choice for the option 2
crowd, along with Illustrator.
But option 3 is still being worked out - many are using iView, some
are using Extensis, some pros are even trying to use iPhoto, PC users
have ACDC, iView and Irfanview.
I predict that it will all be sorted out within the next 12 months.
--
Emily L. Ferguson
mailto:elf@xxxxxxxx
508-563-6822
New England landscapes, wooden boats and races
http://www.vsu.cape.com/~elf/
