GIMP v Photoshop

[Guest]

Like many people, I prefer to download freeware for image processing.

 

I am of the opinion that if I had a bigger budget, I'd rather spend the money on optics, cameras, mounts, etc.

 

However, if any of you have used GIMP and Photoshop, I'd be very interested to know how much better Photoshop is.

[xanthic]

Photoshop CS2 is now free to download. The newer versions of Photoshop are more polished than GIMP and have more features. CS2 and GIMP should give you a big enough toolkit for most astroprocessing, levels, curves, layers, sharpening etc.

 

I bought Paintshop, as it has most of the features and was on serious discount on Amazon at the time (£25).

[glider]

I find capturing the data is only half the job, or maybe even only a third.

 

Good quality data still needs good post processing to get the best otherwise it's degraded in quality and  limited.

 

So for me it has to be CS3. I can't see the point of getting a more recent version of PS, it doesn't add any new Astro related functions.

 

The last time I looked GIMP was only 8 bit so seriously limited at the fundamental level, though it does appear to have the Astro related functions I'd like; levels, curves, etc.

 

If Gimp went 16bit my answer might be different.

[xanthic]

16/32 bit support is in the next version apparently - https://plus.google.com/+gimp/posts/hY3orKUQAGg

[Sheila]

never used GIMP photoshop for me.  Stands to reason free stuff maybe wont be as good.  And i think

you can get the early PS free

[catman161]

I use Photoshop CS2 and only because it's free and I hadn't heard of GIMP before downloading CS2. CS2 has what I need for planetary imaging which is what I do so I am happy with it for now.

[Guest Kheldar]

16/32 bit support is in the next version apparently - https://plus.google.com/+gimp/posts/hY3orKUQAGg

 

I've been hearing that statement rolled out for at least two years now

[xanthic]

I've been hearing that statement rolled out for at least two years now

I know... it was supposed to be introduced in their "Summer of coding" last year.

[Johnnyaardvark]

I have been using gimp for a while. Have used versions 5 and 6 of an old version of photoshop but tried GIMP out as I was looking for something free and legal for my father to use. He's not used GIMP yet though as it's too complicated really and he doesn't need all the features. But, I have stuck with it on my netbook. It can take a while to do things but if I'm patient my little old netbook can handle it I think taht's my netbooks fault not GIMP's.

 

Quite like it. It does pretty much everything that I have ever used Photoshop for. Tools are not in the same place so that has required and still requires a learning curve and hunting around. For free it's excellent.

 

I am tempted by the "free" version of CS2 but I am not sure it is official and truly legal to use? (http://forums.adobe.com/message/4976177) Comments on this are welcome as I am not sure.

 

So far with gimp I have not noticed any issues with 8 bit vs 16 bit partly as I would pre processing 16bit first and only do final processing in GIMP. My camera software outputs in 16bit e.g. for TIFFs so is  not a problem but I am still very much at the learning the basics end of AP.

[xanthic]

There is also Paint.NET - http://www.getpaint.net/ (which is free to use).

[+RonC]

I bought CS3 off Ebay, licence as well for £60 and use 'Noels Actions' which I think was £20. No problem with either (just my eye's!!)

 

Ron

Edited April 14, 2014 by Ron Clarke