Repoussé
A cool new addition to the 3D panel in Photoshop is the addition of Repousse. It allows you to fully manipulate text in a 3D environment including adding textures, lighting, depth, and bevel. (Fans of shows like JJ Abrams' "The Fringe" will immediately get some ideas for how to use these 3D titles.) The text can then be further edited with blending options to help you get the look you want. The menu is simple to use without getting lost in deep menus
Mini-Bridge in Photoshop
A great and practical addition to CS5 is the inclusion of a Mini-Me version of Bridge into Photoshop itself. It functions as a collapsible window, but even in it's small size you can fully browse your pictures, navigate your folders, and even import photos from a camera. The convenience of being able to have your files right in front of you and not having to navigate away from Photoshop is a huge benefit especially if you are working on a complex composite involving several different images.
Merge to HDR Pro
Merge to HDR has been given a much needed overhaul and is now called Merge to HDR Pro. This automated feature gives you better control and more options for HDR (High Dynamic Range). This enables you to simultaneously adjust multiple photographs taken at different exposures. The resulting single image can be as surreal, or as naturalistic as you want it to be. Whereas most photographers have bought the 3rd party plugin Photomatix for their HDR work, Merge to HDR Pro is now a comparable option for which you don't have to pay extra.
I am still using my trusty 15" Macbook Pro with 2.0 Intel Core Duo processor. Even though my machine is several years old I had no problem installing and running CS5. There was a bit of a lag when I was doing processor intensive functions like content aware fill, but with such a complicated algorithm this was to be expected. Frankly, I was delighted that it was able to process as quickly as it did. (Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Hanke commented that when used with workstations using the new nVidia cards, Photoshop CS5 is leveraged heavily to take advantage of the power of these GPUs to speed up processing tremendously. While this feature was rolled out in CS4, it seems to have improved even more fully in CS5 with their increased utilization of nVidia's CUDA technology with cards like the Quadro FX 4800.)
Photoshop has never been a cheap purchase, but if you are already a Photoshop user than you can upgrade for no more than $349. If you are a filmmaker, I highly recommend considering the Master Collection or Production Premium. These packages will equip you with the tools and options that will greatly expand your ability to achieve your artistic vision.
If you are a photographer by profession or as a serious hobby and do not use Photoshop than I advise you to break down and buy! Programs like Lightroom and Aperture are great, but they cannot provide you with features like Content Aware Fill, Refine Edge, and all the many features that have made Photoshop the industry standard for many years.
If you are using Photoshop for photography, the Standard Version upgrade will probably fit best due to the fact that most upgrades made in CS5 are for you!
If you are a graphic designer, I suggest the Extended Version of this software being that Repousse and Puppet Warp are going to be useful tools for you.
Even though this is an upgrade that mainly targets photographers and graphic designers, this is another great upgrade by the folks at Adobe. The new options introduced are as powerful as they are easy to use. I am excited by the barriers that have been broken by these new features and I am looking forward to what they will think of next.
