Software Selection - Need Help

[rpcrowe]

I attended a presentation by the NIK Software people last year and was very impressed with the capability of their products. However, I didn't order any of their products due to the cost involved. I am now attending some classes at San Diego Community College Continuing Education Division which makes me eligible to purchase selected software at student discounted prices.

I have taken this opportunity to purchase Lightroom 3 and I will install it today. I have Photoshop CS-5 on my computer.

I need to purchase educational versions of whatever additional software I need while I am still attending classes and thus still eligible for the educational discount.

NIK Software seems to have two collections which appear to include all of their software titles.

The first is the "Complete Collection - Ultimate Edition"
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/pr...ection/1434293

The other is the "NIK Complete Edition - Lightroom and Aperture Edition"
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/pr...ection/1434295

I am, of course, leaning towards the "Lightroom and Aperture Edition" since it is half the cost of the "Ultimate Edition" and since I will have Lightroom installed on my computer.

FIRST QUESTION:

My question is, what would I lose in capability by getting the Lightroom and Aperture edition.

NEXT QUESTION:

My Photoshop instructor recommended onOne Software "Perfect Resize 7 - Standard Edition" which is a follow-on of Genuine Fractals for image enlargement.

http://www.academicsuperstore.com/pr...Resize/1480675

Since I can obtain this software in the educational edition for half the price of the standard edition; is it worth getting or can I duplicate it using either Lightroom, Photoshop CS-5 or NIK Software?

[bambleweeney]

I have Nik's Silver Efex which I use in CS-5 for probably most of my black and white images. Highly reccomend it. Don't know what if anything you'd lose with the Lightroom/Aperture versions but I use it in CS-5 usually on a smart object which I suspect you could not do in Lightroom. In CS-5 the black and white image is on a seperate layer or embedded as a filter in a smart object - I suspect that in Lightroom/Aperture a seperate image would be produced (though I could be wrong) and I think it will only work on JPEG and Tiffs in which case I guess you could always import the image as a new layer in CS-5 with just a bit of hassle.
Perfect Resize also reccomended. I have a copy that I don't use often but if I crop and need to resize an image for printing it works really well and scrutinizing the difference between a CS-5 enlarged image and a Perfect Resize image I'd say that Perfect Resize produces a higher quality enlargement.

[jiro]

I would recommend you go with the Ultimate collection that is Photoshop, Lightrrom, and Aperture compatible rather than the one that is only compatible with LR and Aperture. If you are this serious with this expensive and very versatile plugins, along the road, you will eventually see the versatility of owning a copy of Photoshop later.

Perfect Resize 7 has a very unique algorithm for pixel data interpolation when enlarging images. If you will sell or display your work on larger sizes I will definitely recommend them to you. I tried to do a side by side comparison with it using Photoshop's bicubic algorithm and its result is really surprising. It can retain more detail and the contrast is really good.

Wait until more professional users here share their thoughts about the products. I personally use NikSoftwares' product and the thing that gives them the edge is the U-point technology. Hope this helps, Richard.

[shreds]

Richard,

I know you dont want to hear this, but it is the more expensive Nik Ultimate that will benefit you. You say you have CS5 already so you are more than halfway there.... no doubt at a price that will make most of sick with jealousy.

Jiro is right, the U-Point technology is fabulously easy to use.