Photoshop CS2 is it worth it

[GraphyFotoz]

Question has probably been asked before and I missed it.....

Is it worth the upgrade from CS? :dunno
Do CS Plug-In's work with it? :scratch

Gimme the Pro's and Con's if you guys would please. :):

[marlof]

I went from CS to CS2. The main reasons were Bridge (I like the way it works, but not everybody does), the new Adode Raw Converter, High Dynamic Range functionality, and quite a few enhancements to exisiting tools. I haven't found any con, except the upgrade price. And all of my previous plugins still work.

[Nikolai]

Question has probably been asked before and I missed it.....

Is it worth the upgrade from CS? :dunno
Do CS Plug-In's work with it? :scratch

Gimme the Pro's and Con's if you guys would please. :):
...going from 10D to 20D...:):
A lots of pros. The only con I can think of is that you need to pay again:dunno

HTH

[colourbox]

I've heard some say there's nothing new in CS2, and other raving about its value. The line seems to be drawn along how you use it. Do you think of yourself as a pro Photoshopper who gets into all the advanced features, or do you use the more basic controls? The pros are the ones who love CS2, and the light users don't see the point in paying the price. For example, much of the improvement in Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw is lost on those don't shoot in Raw.

This is my list of favorite upgrade features. If you can relate to these, you'll probably think it's worth it.

Pros

Beefed-up and more logical Camera Raw editor
MUCH improved batch Raw processing through Adobe Bridge
Lens Distortion un-distorter (removes barrel distortion, etc.)
Reduce Noise de-noiser
Select multiple layers at once
Vanishing Point for editing images in perspective
Smart Objects
Image warp envelopes
Spot Healing brush
Smart Sharpen (big improvement over Unsharp Mask)


Cons:

Product activation added to the Mac (was already in Windows)
Printing dialog color management terms were changed although the functions are the same
Many are put off by the changes in layer linking, even though it really truly works better now


For me, measured by savings in hourly labor, the upgrade pays for itself before you even get to the end of the new feature list.

[Khaos]

In reading this, the batch option for RAW and maybe the spot healing brush are the only bonuses for me. I already purchased Noise Ninja for the improved noise reduction and PK sharpener (which I recommend for anyone) for much better sharpening. So it looks like I'll pass.

[GraphyFotoz]

I've been playing around with it and I agree with CB.
Takes a little bit to learn the new goodies but looks to be worth it.
Many things I had as plug-in's in CS (some a PITA to use)are now part of CS2 and very user friendly.

I used PaintShop Pro for years but the more I play with PhotoShop the more I wanna delete the ole PSP! :D

[GraphyFotoz]

I'm sure it isn't for everyone. All depends on what you use it for.

In reading this, the batch option for RAW and maybe the spot healing brush are the only bonuses for me. I already purchased Noise Ninja for the improved noise reduction and PK sharpener (which I recommend for anyone) for much better sharpening. So it looks like I'll pass.

[USAIR]

:agree with evething said above.
I have had CS2 upgrade for three days and what I see so far is sweet
Love the smart objects,vanishing point,raw editor and the bridge (but I love bridges ):D
And you get a good training CD which helps with new features
Is it worth it well so far I think so :thumb

I do have a question can I uninstall other versions of photoshop?

Like ps7....I know I must keep CS
I am in need of some hd space :D

Thanks
Fred

[david_h]

For someone upgrading from PS7 I think it's worth it, for upgrade from CS not so sure.

In my case, I beefed up my Raw processing by adding Bibble, which I believe to be a better option than the Adobe Raw converter.

I tried CS2 and found the new filebrowser to be painfully slow on my elderly Thinkpad. The browsers in both Bibble and RSE are much much faster.

At some point I'm sure I'll upgrade from CS, but I'm in no hurry to do so.