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(More customer reviews)Reviewing a new release of Photoshop is a bit like tackling Mt. Everest as the program is so huge that it is simply impossible to cover in depth without writing a book. Still, given that the program is far from cheap, some basic information might help a few people decide whether it's worth the price of admission.
Since this review is for the upgrade, I assume you have used Photoshop before and have basic familiarity with how it works. Primarily, you should ask yourself whether the increased functionality of CS3 over CS2 (and possibly older editions if you haven't kept up with past upgrades) is enough to justify the purchase. I'll cheat a bit and tell you up front that it is easily worth it and then spend the rest of the review trying to explain why.
The first big change that I noticed came when I opened my first file into the Camera Raw utility. Two new sliders have been added. One helps recover blown highlights and the other retrieves blocked shadows. These functions certainly have limits but both proved themselves useful almost immediately. Within reasonable limits, you can definitely push exposures further while maintaining the integrity of your photos at the highs and lows than you could have dreamed of in the past.
Also, you can now use the Camera Raw utility on JPEG and TIFF files as well. It is important to remember, however, that it will not be as effective. Raw files are literally raw and unprocessed so that you can set the assumptions in your computer instead of the camera locking it in when processing the image. Since some of the original data is discarded in the process of making a JPEG file, you won't get the same benefits but this is still a worthwhile tool.
The next benefit I found in CS3 was the addition of filters that can now be used similarly to adjustment layers. Never again will you have to apply a filter and leave a permanent effect that can neither be reviewed nor edited in the future. CS3 allows us to convert layers into Smart Objects and any filter applied to that layer will then be stored and available for editing, deleting, etc. I am most grateful to the folks at Adobe for what is surely one of the most requested upgrades in the history of Photoshop.
Beyond the few items I've mentioned already, there are many other changes. Everything from the Print screen to the basic user interface has gone through an overhaul and in virtually all cases I would suggest that the change is an improvement. Bridge thumbnails have been sped up dramatically, a new Quick Selection tool is a huge help, a major breakthrough in converting color images to Black & White has been implemented... and on and on. I wasn't kidding when I said it would take a book to cover it all. In the final analysis, let me say that in just a week of using this program, I'm already 100% sold on it. I know that I have not yet uncovered many of its benefits and it will probably not be until some of the CS3 reference books hit the street that we can start mining the program's full potential. But I would buy this if I all I got was the new Camera Raw program and the non-destructive filters. Everything else (and there is a LOT) is almost gravy after that. Anyone serious about editing photos should buy the upgrade to CS3.
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Adobe PhotoShop CS3 Upgrade Windows
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