It seems like I have to convert to DNG in order to work with my NEF files between Lightroom and Photoshop CS5.

Is there any better option? Let's say I'm doing panorama or HDR. Should I work with my NEF files in lightroom, process them as JPEG, then send them into photoshop CS5 to finalize. Or, should I convert them to DNG, modify them in lightroom, then export them into Photoshop CS5 from lightroom with the edits?

I see no reason to upgrade to CS6, considering I have my own copy of CS5, and CS6 would cost me a monthly subscription cost which isn't worth it (I'm not a creative professional, I sometimes don't use Photoshop CS5 in a given month, sometimes I only use Lightroom, the whole creative cloud subscription stuff is aggravating).

Do a camera raw update and it should work in cs5.

Process as 16bit tif or psd, not jpeg.

Unfortunately they stopped releasing camera raw updates for CS5, and the latest ones only work on CS6.

Any recommendations about HDR shots in particular? Panorama is a bit easier, but HDR it seems like Photoshop might be worse to use than say... a dedicated HDR program? For ghosting removal, inconsistencies in overlap, etc? HDR I'm a super-noob to in terms of how to edit the photo (whether to individually edit each individual HDR shot first before merging, then continuing the edit, or what). Panorama is a bit more simple to me.

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Jun 6 2014 06:36pm

I usually process most images in Lightroom first, depending on the job of course.

HDR? The overprocessed look is kind of a dead fad now. But it's still effective for a few extra stops in DR. Best way to stop ghosting and poor overlap is to shoot it properly tripod etc. I used to use photomatix a few years ago, not sure what it's like now, but it always performed better than the PS alternative.

I like HDR for the dynamic range. There's some amazing work that I've seen that just cannot be achieved with a single exposure. I don't like the over-HDR'd photos usually either, although there are some scenes that call for a little HDR effect (rather than just the bump in dynamic range).

I just need to shop for a proper tripod. I might just get the ballhead first since I have an old tripod, but I still don't know yet. Problem is when I want a tripod, I want it to fit in a backpack.