I'm close to a decision to upgrade my 5D to 5D2 - as I have CS2, that means I'll have to use DPP (which I get on with quite well) or DNG coverter (which I have to use for LX3 conversions anyway) as I'm holding off Pshop upgrades as I want to spend the money on Silver Effex Pro. 2 questions, i) if Silver Effex Pro works as a plug in, is it equally compatible with CS2 and CS4? ii) is there any upgrade in ACR latest/CS4 by way of B&W conversion compared to CS2 which would invalidate Effex Pro decision? Oh and question iii), does the stitching tool in CS4 compare with 3rd party offerings such as PTGUI?.

Of course there is a photomerge tool in CS2 which I haven't yet tried but will do - it only works in 8 bit is that also true of CS4?

I think you should consider more carefully where the technical priorities are. If you are putting probably around a couple of thousand into up-grading the camera, because the image quality and resolution will be that much better, you don't want to find yourself crippled in post-processing with a third-rate application like DPP. You should be using Lightroom or buy an up-grade from CS2 to CS4 and use ACR 5.4. That will balance your post-capture processing potential with the camera up-grade. Then comes the B&W conversion subset (in that order unless your whole imaging life is B&W, which for most people it isn't). Silver Efex is a very nifty and effective piece of software. I have it, I've used it and I like it. That said, I've also done A LOT of B&W conversion straight out of LR 2.5 and ACR in CS3 and CS4, which has survived peer review very successfully. So while Silver Efex has its own set of advantages, you can really do a lot of very high quality B&W without it.

The B+W palette in CS4 doesn't compare with silver effects, it doesn't have the grain effetcs of the midtone contrast ajustments.
With CS5 expected around April next year you have to ask is it worth the cost now only to upgrade again in possible 6 months? only you know the answer to that question.

PS CS4 stitching is a valuable tool in some cases, but I wouldn't consider it as a credible solution for serious pano work.

Autopano pro and PTgui are significantly ahead in terms of performance, scalability, control and quality of results.

Cheers,
Bernard

You can use Photoshop to add grain to an image. Frankly I think this is an outlier usage and I don't understand why some people think it's so important to stick with the artifacts of yesteryears' more limited technologies. Grain is something we used to tolerate because we had no choice, except for some kinds of images where it periodically contributed to "atmosphere". You can combine Photoshop's B&W adjustment layer capabilities with a number of other adjustment layers and techniques to do all kinds of effective grayscale portrayals of an image. Don't get me wrong - Silver Efex is a nice application. I have it and I like it, but in the case of the OP I would still argue it takes back seat to first class raw conversion software.

Yes you can add grain in PS, but the beauty of SE is it's a one stop shop, it's all there in the one interface, along with film presets, control points, vignette. It's got a side by side preview, contrast ajustment, it's so much more in one place.
If I'm honest I can't see much if any difference between raw from CS2 and raw from CS4, and many would argue that other software will do a better raw conversion than PS. There is a school of thought that the cameras own software will do a better job as it understands and uses all the data better (debatable).
Do you really think it's worth spending £600 now with a new version probably only 6 months away? Is the difference in raw conversion really that much better?

I am currently using CS4 photomerge, but am considering one of the programs you mentioned. Which do you recommend?

I can't think for someone what 600 quid of expenditure is "worth" - that's up to them and how urgently they need better software and better results. And no - camera manufacturers are generally better at making cameras than making conversion software, particularly in the case of Canon. Have you actually downloaded and used DPP? I did when I got my 1DsMk3. That experience lasted for seveal hours, whereupon I uninstalled it and went back to Lightroom. In the long run it doesn't matter when you buy Photoshop or Lightroom. Once you've paid the entry ticket, you are on the up-grade train and those typically cost about a third the price of the application.

No I have to admit I haven't used DPP for years, but it doesn't sound like you tried it much either, a few hours is hardly time to get the best out of software, and to be fair it is free unlike photoshop.

Some software needs very little trial time to size it up - especially in hands of experienced practitioners. "Free" can have its price too.

Ditto, and +1 on AutoPano Pro (or Giga). I would however ignore it's color editor if you work in larger color spaces, and instead rely on your raw processor's color output initially then CS for final color tweaking...

bjanes,

both programs have their strengths and weakness's, if you want more control over the process, then PTGui is the choice, but if you are more into a automated process with less ability to tweak then Autopano Pro or Giga is the one. I, like Bernard, use both and would not want to be without either.

I am sure you would have liked me to have pointed out just one, but I would not be telling you the truth and you will down the track want to buy them both.
PTGui is currently better at dealing with HDR / bracket images IMHO, or at least I am getting better blended files from PTGui when using bracket shots

Good luck - its a lot of fun

Henrik

Yes, my view also.

I would tend to advise Autopano pro if there were to be only one with HDR out of the picture.

Cheers,
Bernard