The top (shoulder)screen has never had as much significance to me - I find that the viewfinder information is more important (when shooting through the viewfinder obviously) - there's a great deal of stuff shown here as well.

Its funny, but I think I've developed habits of checking certain things in one place and other things in another, even though the info may be available in both places. EG: I tend to set the camera up with key things like aperture / ISO etc using the rear screen - but for remaining frame count and battery level I find I always look to the top display. But I never refer to aperture or shutter speed from there. No idea why.

Both options offer a lot for the money - that LR deal sounds great! It might help if you described your preferred type of workflow - what file types do you process mostly - do you have a cataloging system in place or use a cataloging programme at present - what are the main adjustment processes you like to perform ?

Originally Elements was designed as a scaled down version of Photoshop with just the key 'elements' for photo editing, and it had more restricted operations. It's come on since then and each successive version has added features and reduced the number of restrictions - like layers in 16bit for example, so offers increasingly greater value in relation to full PS.

Lightroom was designed to develop on the increasing trend towards a RAW based workflow - the camera RAW plugin shared some controls and layout similarities to LR, as well as the desire for a better integrated image managment and editing solution - an 'all-in-one'.

The best choice depends on your own approachs - eg, is the use of layers for compositing or masking important. You can probably achieve very similar results using wither program, but the methods along the way will be very different.

Elements still uses the menu drop-down access to the editing panels, and is best used non-destructively with adjustment layers, so you work on each adjustment applying them before opening another, building up the changes step by step. LR is styled more like a traditional RAW converter, with multiple adjustments available on one screen or panel, to be moved around and finely adjusted in relation to one another.

Its an old version - what file types are you trying to open?

1 & 2 work best I think - great dynamic range but with the light sources coming across fairly naturally.

IQ aside, my question to the OP is do you really feel 20-40mm is going to give the freedom you need for travel photography? You said you had a trip coming up, and you normally use focal lengths between 10 and 70mm. Thats a massively bigger range, but more in line with the general requirements for travel photography.

I'm not a fan of superzooms, but is there not something in the 17-70 sort of (mid) range that could do the trick? I do like my 18-55 WR - light, reliable and good IQ IMO - but even that range is restricting for general 'out & about' shooting, both at the short & long ends.

Thanks for trying this out always good for us all to see the effects of this sort of adjustment. I like the highlight boost, gives it a little bit something extra - many thanks for your patience with all this

Brilliant! Many thanks - good to have that sorted out I suppose 'left' & 'right' is not all inclusive - left is only counter-clockwise if you're upright I suppose?

Agreed! ... and just imagine now, if that paint was shot with a high resolution sensor with aa filter simulat .....

Thanks for the link - these don't have any impact on me ... just tired people on a mundane journey. I don't think even high resolution modern technology would rescue these.

That means right doesn't it? I've seen these letters in PS 'rotate' dialogue - left is CW I think. Does anyone know what they stand for? In PS Elements its made a bit more intuitive - the buttons are labeled 'left & 'right'.

I've started to use PS CS2 (now available free) and when I first saw this I couldn't work out if was the same thing.