Sometimes 2nd hand versions of Photoshop are sold in Astromart.
I have Photoshop CS2. I am getting CS 4. I have used the trials of CS4 and 5. Basically CS2 did virtually everything so I did not see the need for an expensive upgrade.
Main advantage of CS4 and 5 over CS2 is in CS4 and 5 every tool you use to process the image creates a new layer so you can go back easily and alter an earlier step in your processing to see what effect that has.
In CS2 you could do that if you create a new layer every time you want to alter something, so its a convenience thing. I don't know if members here find that aspect a great advantage or something that makes the program want even more memory than it already does??
There's also a tool called vibrance which started I think in CS3 or 4. Its not bad but not worth a lot of money.
What is mostly useful in PS are curves and levels, layers, colour balance, histogram, shadows/highlights, selective colour occassionally, hue/saturation, high pass filter and that's about it. I am sure basic versions of PS can do those.
I am not even sure the 16bit nature of CS2 is important. I heard Rob Gendler does his processing in 8bit or used to.
Greg.
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