I just downloaded the beta version of CS6. I'm having a tough time trying to figure out what the new features are and a tougher time trying to figure out how to use them. I've watched a couple of the videos that are floating around the internet, but I just feel like I need to go back a step (I have CS4). Anyone have any suggestions on how to get started with some of the new things? I can figure out how to do things the way I do in CS4, but that's not the point of the beta, is it?
Thanks! That was helpful, and I watched a video about the new lighting feature. When I tried the new blur features it made more sense, and I thought that will be very useful. My macro lenses can have harsh bokeh and so I've often used Gaussian blur. These two options give a much better, controllable blur. Very cool!
How do the onOne plugins compare to Nik's or Topaz Labs? I know that they do different things in some cases but have overlaps. I've never really looked at onOne's offerings, other than perfect resize. @agima
Been looking around some more and discovered lynda.com. They have a number of free videos on CS6 beta that are free. I've learned some things about features/shortcuts that aren't new but that I didn't know about. I'm getting more impressed, might just have to upgrade this time.
@agima Been playing around with the wide angle lens adjust - that is VERY cool! This week I've been shooting with some old manual lenses and discovered something interesting - my camera has IS in-camera and there's the ability to put in the focal length so the camera knows how to much to compensate. The really cool thing to me is that CS6 used that information to estimate barrelling and came really close to what my lens had. You can also indicate that a slanting line should be vertical and the program automatically adjusts. It was better and faster than using the skew tool. This is one tool I'll use a lot.
I used CS6 for about a fortnight and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. The blur tools don't do anything that I can't already do, admittedly via a different route, in CS5 and the content aware - move tool leaves a mess to be cleared up after you've made he move. And that's using a simple background like grass or snow. Imagine it trying to replicate a section of a bookcase or a busy street. It would have no chance.
And how often do you need to move an object from one place to another within your images anyway?
The lens distortion tool is OK but it's also been around for a while.
If you want to get it to correct distortion etc. for your own particular lenses, I believe that you can download from Adobe, a plug-in that you write yourself which will correct the very lens you're using.
As for upgrading to CS6, I shan't be bothering.
@jester Since I have CS4, I'm discovering content aware for the first time. The crop tool is similar to LR's crop tool but isn't constrained to the picture's borders like LR. I found that useful today, where I used the content aware fill feature to fill in some transparent corners, rather than lose feet because I can't keep a camera level. I can't think when the last time I cropped anything in Photoshop before today.
Lens profiles are a royal pain to set up, I did that for a couple of my lenses before profiles were available for them. You also have to do separate profiles for jpg and raw, they aren't interchangeable. Also, if you shoot with manual lenses, it's more difficult to set the profiles up and associate them to the pictures. And profiles won't correct perspective errors, what I find most frustrating to correct.
If I owned CS5 I might not be interested in upgrading, but since I have CS4, I'll most likely upgrade (depends on how much it will cost though).
@mtngal
Hi Harriet, I also found that new crop tool useful insomuch as it snapped to the boundaries but that was the only real improvement, for me, over the one in CS5. I didn't need the diagonals and the golden 'things.' (I can't recall the name!)
I find it's necessary to crop nearly everything, so I'm a bit surprised that you only do it rarely.
I've never actually set up a lens profile, I just know that it's possible, as my lenses are catered for by CS5, Not that I use the tool very often.
When you say,'perspective errors,' do you mean converging vertiicals?
These are almost impossible to correct successfully with even the best software. Unless the shot is taken with the plane of the front element of your lens vertically parallel to the front of the subject, any attempt at correction will result in distortion elsewhere.
Personally, I almost never attempt the correction as the solution always looks worse than the problem!
I have a friend who uses CS4 and he reckons that CS5 wasn't worth the bother of an upgrade and he's no intention of getting CS6 either.
Unless there's something going on within CS6 that I've missed, I think that quite a few people will keep what they've already got.
@jester As far as cropping goes, I've always used the crop tool in Lightroom because I hated the one in CS4. CS6 works much the same as LR, much better.
I was referring to converging vertical lines. I can't do it successfully in CS4, but was surprised that I could get fairly decent results in CS6. Granted, I wasn't taking the picture at extreme angles or anything, but I know I wouldn't have gotten as good results with what I previously had.
I also rather like the idea that you can edit video in photoshop now. I never use video but maybe someday I'll play around with it. I had at one point thought about buying the CS5 version with Premiere, but won't be tempted at all now, depending on pricing I'll probably get the Design Premium version. Maybe some day I'll spend the time to learn Illustrator (I've had 2 different versions but still haven't played with it).
But I can certainly understand why someone wouldn't want to upgrade, CS4 certainly does a whole lot of things that I've never figured out.
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http://www.computerarts.co.uk/blog/photoshop-cs6-10-things-you-need-know-123040
For me the key points are content aware move. - content aware was introduced in CS5 so check that out you will love it.
Adding blur is kinda cool but I use onOne for this.
I must say its about time they fixed the crop tool as the way it works now drives me nuts.
I was really hoping they would bring out the de-blurring tool they are working one but I guess its still early days.
The have also changed the liquify tool so it is much faster - thank god.
How do the onOne plugins compare to Nik's or Topaz Labs? I know that they do different things in some cases but have overlaps. I've never really looked at onOne's offerings, other than perfect resize. @agima
And how often do you need to move an object from one place to another within your images anyway?
The lens distortion tool is OK but it's also been around for a while.
If you want to get it to correct distortion etc. for your own particular lenses, I believe that you can download from Adobe, a plug-in that you write yourself which will correct the very lens you're using.
As for upgrading to CS6, I shan't be bothering.
Lens profiles are a royal pain to set up, I did that for a couple of my lenses before profiles were available for them. You also have to do separate profiles for jpg and raw, they aren't interchangeable. Also, if you shoot with manual lenses, it's more difficult to set the profiles up and associate them to the pictures. And profiles won't correct perspective errors, what I find most frustrating to correct.
If I owned CS5 I might not be interested in upgrading, but since I have CS4, I'll most likely upgrade (depends on how much it will cost though).
Hi Harriet, I also found that new crop tool useful insomuch as it snapped to the boundaries but that was the only real improvement, for me, over the one in CS5. I didn't need the diagonals and the golden 'things.' (I can't recall the name!)
I find it's necessary to crop nearly everything, so I'm a bit surprised that you only do it rarely.
I've never actually set up a lens profile, I just know that it's possible, as my lenses are catered for by CS5, Not that I use the tool very often.
When you say,'perspective errors,' do you mean converging vertiicals?
These are almost impossible to correct successfully with even the best software. Unless the shot is taken with the plane of the front element of your lens vertically parallel to the front of the subject, any attempt at correction will result in distortion elsewhere.
Personally, I almost never attempt the correction as the solution always looks worse than the problem!
I have a friend who uses CS4 and he reckons that CS5 wasn't worth the bother of an upgrade and he's no intention of getting CS6 either.
Unless there's something going on within CS6 that I've missed, I think that quite a few people will keep what they've already got.
I was referring to converging vertical lines. I can't do it successfully in CS4, but was surprised that I could get fairly decent results in CS6. Granted, I wasn't taking the picture at extreme angles or anything, but I know I wouldn't have gotten as good results with what I previously had.
I also rather like the idea that you can edit video in photoshop now. I never use video but maybe someday I'll play around with it. I had at one point thought about buying the CS5 version with Premiere, but won't be tempted at all now, depending on pricing I'll probably get the Design Premium version. Maybe some day I'll spend the time to learn Illustrator (I've had 2 different versions but still haven't played with it).
But I can certainly understand why someone wouldn't want to upgrade, CS4 certainly does a whole lot of things that I've never figured out.