image processing software

I need some advice on software for processing afocal digital images. The only software I currently have is the the one supplied with the camera and it is very limited. I plan to purchase 'Images Plus' but note a lot of work is done in Adobe Photoshop. The full blown 'Photoshop' is not within my budget. Is 'Photoshop Elements' adequate or even necessary if I purchase 'Images Plus'?
Also, I recently downloaded the current version of 'Registax' and it crashes the whole system every time in final processing. Anyone else experiencing this? My system is old by todays standards. PII 350mhz Win 98se.

Hi Bob,

I've used Images Plus almost since Mike U. first introduced it for us... it is a powerful, fine-tuned (he continually adds tweaks and improvements to it), suite that is complete unto itself. I do use PhotoShop for the final polish, but that's only because I have more familiarity with it from using it for years (I'm slowly weaning over more completely to IP).

IMHO, you will not find a better program than Images Plus to fill your needs! Many mundane tasks are automated... cropping and centering planet images, stacking deep-sky shots, etc... and alignments as close as 1/10th of a pixel are made (much closer than the PhotoShop capabilities)!

Here's a sample of what it did for one of my own humble digicam attempts (taken through an 8" reflector), that I prepaired for a show 'n tell I did at a recent club meeting. Not that I know what I'm doing mind you, just to show that anyone can do it when you've got decent software!

Paul

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