When it comes to the best professional photo-editing software, experts agree that Adobe Photoshop CS2 is the de facto industry standard. But, this is a $650 professional-grade software package, and you might need to take a class in order to overcome the steep learning curve. Photoshop CS2 is capable of almost any type of modification you desire, but it is certainly not easy to learn or understand. The next version of Photoshop, Photoshop CS3, is set for release mid 2007. A major change will be the optimization of the software (called Universal Binary) for new Intel-based Mac computers. For now, CS2 is the current version.

According to CNet, Adobe Photoshop CS2 is “for serious professionals working with still digital media.” The application has new features, and it integrates much better with Adobe’s other products including Bridge, Adobe’s image organizer which now comes bundled with CS2. Photoshop CS2 also has tools for correcting optical lens distortion and image noise. Professional photographers say there’s really no substitute for Adobe Photoshop CS2. When working in the RAW format, CS2’s advanced Camera RAW plug-in lets you completely rebuild a photo from the ground up. For non-professionals, however, photo-editing software in the $100 price range includes the most important features of Photoshop CS2 — without the learning curve or expense.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 (*est. $80) currently has a slight lead over Corel Paint Shop Pro XI (*est. $85) . Elements is favored over Paint Shop at both PC World and PC Magazine. If you are currently using Elements 4, however, you might want to consider before upgrading. Several reviews note that Adobe has removed a few of the more advanced features for the latest version, so if you are a current Elements user who relies on advanced features, you might want to check before upgrading to see that your favorite features are still there.

Although a handful of features are missing from version 4, Elements 5 has added some new tools. Reviewers particularly like the improvements to its organizer, which makes it easier to tag and rename photos so you can find them later. A new curves tool allows the user to make fine adjustments to both contrast and color at the same time (this tool is a simplified version of the curves feature in the $650 CS2). Paint Shop Pro has also enhanced their curves function. However, as with many Paint Shop Pro functions, you are tied to a dialogue box, making critical adjustments difficult to see on screen.