In order to use Photoshop to open RAW files, you'd have to upgrade to CS4 or first convert the RAW files to DNG (there's a converter available that's free.) The downsides to upgrading are the cost, the learning curve (not really relevant if you'd have to re-familiarize with CS anyhow), and the hardware requirements. That said, if your 'pooter will handle CS smoothly, it will probably handle CS4 pretty well, but there's real performance to be gained by running a 64-bit OS and a graphics card that supports hardware acceleration.
The upsides to upgrading are full support of 16-bit workflow, potential performance gains (hardware dependent) and taking advantage of what will ikely be your last chance to upgrade at relatively moderate cost.
One other option, if you are satisfied with CS for general editing tasks, is to buy Lightroom, which runs about the same as a Ps upgrade. Lightroom uses the same converter as Ps, but it's made to be an image library management tool and culling tool as well as a converter. One of the great things about Lightroom is the fact that it is easy to copty/paste conversion settings across multiple images, and to store presets for conversion.
Message edited by author 2009-05-11 20:26:37. |
