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 Replies: 31 / Views: 7,494 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1327 Posts |
Ok what editing software do you guys use. I don't really like mine and what to get something else. I am using a demo version that came on my dell. so what is some good one to use. either free or cost. I know that Photoshop is one of the best but it cost a lot so is there any close to that but cost less.
Also I am looking for a software that makes it easy to put pictures side by side.
and what software has it were you can crop a circle.
I know there is a lot of question but my main one is what is the best software
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1454 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I dont do any editing except for to crop and resizing the picture. I usually use a program I have used since I first started using computers which is microsoft pictureit 2001 platinum, its 7 cd's of stuff to load. I guess I just use it more because it resizes pretty easily and its one I have used the most, I have all the adobe stuff and alot of other photo editing software that I use when I draw a picture with the wacom tablet but when it comes to pictures of coins all I use is that one program to resize the picture so it will upload on this forum and be under the 100KB size
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
I use a soft wear that came with one of my Digi cameras called Ulead its an ok program, wont do circle crops but its reall a pretty good program for crop, and resize of files I'm pretty sure it can cut and paste pics together but Ive never used it .
Rick
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Valued Member
Australia
205 Posts |
I've been using Photoshop for a while and can't go back. If you take good pictures (i.e. set white balance, have suitable lighting), you can probably get away with simply using the free Microsoft Photo Editor (comes with Windows) to crop and paste obverses/reverse together.
Peter
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Valued Member
United States
236 Posts |
I have photoimpression- and have used photo shop- but I find that for most of my auctions, my Sony 10X digital MVC FD73 does just fine- But for photo projects that you want split obv and rev in the same frame, I think photo plus does a great job. Drat it- I no longer have that program and wish I had it back. Irish raider has a couple sites listed that I think I will try- Thanks! Dewey
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
As a Macintosh user, I have a wide variety of graphics applications available as part of the OS and written specifically for Apple and us MacHeads. While Preview, iPhoto, Appleworks, and Image Capture (all organic to OS X) are sufficient for image editing for one purpose or another, Photoshop in its Mac version is top of the line (albeit expensive), and the Canon software (ImageBrowser, Photostitch, and ArcSoft) which came with my S2 IS is OK (but just "OK"; essential for downloading movies off my camera), I have long since evolved to using Graphic Converter (now at v.5.9.x) for almost all my image manipulation and editing since it's so easy to use. It's user-friendly, inexpensive ($30), AND available for Windows. http://www.lemkesoft.com/en/index.htm . GC does about all the editing/manipulation of graphics that most people will ever need and will also convert to about every format (e.g., jpeg, bitmap, tiff, gif, transparent gif, Photoshop, Paintshop to name a few). http://www.flydragonsoft.com/ although most of us work primarily with jpegs. However, with my new Canon S2 IS and all it's built in image sizing and compression capabilities, it will be far easier to be able to upload directly off the camera without sending bloated 250kb or 2mb images (25kb to 100kb is best for more images unless larger images are required to look at a coin's tonsils)... once I figure out how to do it. Fred Edited by Morgan Fred
08/20/2006 2:05 pm
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
If you want top notch graphic editing software I suggest a program called 'The Gimp'. I have used just about everything mentioned above...including about 5 different versions of Adobe Photoshop. I used to use nothing but photoshop. The Gimp is better than anything I have ever used...it works almost just like Photoshop and costs much much less...in fact it's absolutely free! It has TWAIN interfaces for all your scanners and digital cameras. It's really a joy to use. You can find it by going to http://www.sourceforge.net and doing a search for The Gimp. You will have to install GTK runtime which operates a lot like microsoft's .net framework...only better :-D If you want to use it and need some help...I have instillation instructions all typed up ready to e-mail out to you. Send me a PM and I will hook you up with instillation instructions. I promise you won't be let down by this software. Storm- Edit: This software has a platform independent version as well so you can use it on Mac OS and Windows...it comes standard on most linux instillations. Edited by stormbind
08/21/2006 8:45 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan Fred
As a Macintosh user, I have a wide variety of graphics applications available as part of the OS and written specifically for Apple and us MacHeads. While Preview, iPhoto, Appleworks, and Image Capture (all organic to OS X) are sufficient for image editing for one purpose or another, Photoshop in its Mac version is top of the line (albeit expensive), and the Canon software (ImageBrowser, Photostitch, and ArcSoft) which came with my S2 IS is OK (but just "OK"; essential for downloading movies off my camera), I have long since evolved to using Graphic Converter (now at v.5.9.x) for almost all my image manipulation and editing since it's so easy to use. It's user-friendly, inexpensive ($30), AND available for Windows. http://www.lemkesoft.com/en/index.htm . GC does about all the editing/manipulation of graphics that most people will ever need and will also convert to about every format (e.g., jpeg, bitmap, tiff, gif, transparent gif, Photoshop, Paintshop to name a few). http://www.flydragonsoft.com/ although most of us work primarily with jpegs.
However, with my new Canon S2 IS and all it's built in image sizing and compression capabilities, it will be far easier to be able to upload directly off the camera without sending bloated 250kb or 2mb images (25kb to 100kb is best for more images unless larger images are required to look at a coin's tonsils)... once I figure out how to do it.
Fred
Fred, you're far better off taking the best-possible pics with the camera, and doing any manipulation on the Mac afterwards. Cameras are for taking pics, not making pics. Their processing and memory capacity is extremely limited, and compromises have to be made to make manipulation software run on them. Over the next couple days I'm going to write a quick how-to concerning camera settings for coin photography, using my S2 IS as the example camera. There are, literally, only three or four things you need to play with on the camera to maximize its' potential - lighting and coin/camera placement are far more important once you have the basic settings right. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by SuperDave
Fred, you're far better off taking the best-possible pics with the camera, and doing any manipulation on the Mac afterwards. Cameras are for taking pics, not making pics. Their processing and memory capacity is extremely limited, and compromises have to be made to make manipulation software run on them.
Over the next couple days I'm going to write a quick how-to concerning camera settings for coin photography, using my S2 IS as the example camera. There are, literally, only three or four things you need to play with on the camera to maximize its' potential - lighting and coin/camera placement are far more important once you have the basic settings right.
Dave, I'll be VERY interested in your how-to on the S2 IS. I'm not real fond of reinventing the wheel and really don't want to spend the time on trial and error experiments. This camera has so many functions that the combinations of settings runs into the hundreds (thousands?), so it would take my a month of Sundays to get it all figured out. I've been experimenting with lighting over the late spring and summer and have yet to find suitable bulbs although I have a number of lamps and shades. I used to use 50w 110vac standard lightbulb base blue photographic bulbs when photographing paper diagrams, drawings, charts, and figures for various film cameras to eliminate the yellow tint, but such blue bulbs seem to be no longer available, at least at camera shops; online, there's many varieties labeled "blue lights", but they run up into the hundreds of bucks with specialized fittings. I've tried many off-the-shelf incandescent, flourescent, decorator, and "energy saver" bulbs (all with standard screw-in bases), but none have been satisfactory. Of course, for macro settings of coins, the built-in flash is insufficient at such close range. Thanks! Fred |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quick answer for lighting: Use small (MR16-R20) bulbs in fixtures that will allow you to get them as close to the camera as possible, so as to give the most direct light onto the coin. You want the lighting as perpendicular to the coin as you can, and the camera must be perpendicular to the coin, to get best results.
The S2 IS has an excellent White Balance adjustment, so the color temperature of the bulbs you choose is essentially irrelevant.
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
I'm a little slow responding to this thread - reloctated to Prescott, AZ and the subscription notice got lost in my inbox.  Dave, what is the nature of the MR16-R20 bulb? And where do you get them? I've managed to find only one camera store in all of northern Arizona (Flagstaff Mall) and it carried only cameras, batteries, and a few tripods with very little specialty equipment. Fred |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan Fred
I'm a little slow responding to this thread - reloctated to Prescott, AZ and the subscription notice got lost in my inbox.
Dave, what is the nature of the MR16-R20 bulb? And where do you get them? I've managed to find only one camera store in all of northern Arizona (Flagstaff Mall) and it carried only cameras, batteries, and a few tripods with very little specialty equipment.
Fred
You can get them off the shelf at Home Depot - they're standard in track lighting and such. The idea is to get the light source as close as possible to the lens, so that both face the coin at the most similar possible angle. Another possibility are those little G8 or G9 halogen bulbs that come in desk lamps - those are even smaller than MR's and Par's and therefore able to get closer to the camera. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
Actually, I've got one of those little halogen lamps. Guess maybe I'll have to dig it out, dust it off, and give it a try. I happened to be at Home Depot earlier today, but didn't check the lighting section since I hadn't read this thread before I went. But, I picked up a 2'x2' piece of masonite painted white on one side that I plan to use as a stovetop cover for coin photography. Getting geared up here!
Thanks, Dave!
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New Member
United States
7 Posts |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by crossbow1974
USE ULEAD.
Hi Crossbow and welcome to the forum! We're pretty friendly here most of the time, just like a family... which is why the forum's name was changed to "CC Family". I've gotta ask: what is ULEAD? Fred |
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Replies: 31 / Views: 7,494 |
Posted 07/29/2006 3:04 pm
