PhotoStudio 5.5 has the image editing tools new digital camera owners need to get started. But although it covers the basics, it doesn't offer as full a suite of tools as do other image editors.

Unlike PhotoImpact or Paint Shop Photo Album, for example, PhotoStudio doesn't have a dedicated approach to organizing images. There are albums, for example, under which you can catalog pictures for easier access. PhotoStudio instead provides a Browser function. Using this tool, users can open up a window that combines a folder pane on the left side and thumbnail portraits of images on the right. This kind of previewing and selecting is all right for basic file access, but it's not built to do much more than that.

PhotoStudio supports scanners by letting users scan images directly into the program. When it comes to editing pictures, the program provides access through a toolbar that can be moved anywhere on the workspace. Users can also get to editing functions through the menu. When you scroll over one of the tool icons a caption lets you know what tool it is.

All the standard tools are here, so you can fix red eye exposures, adjust contrast and brightness, crop, resize and perform other operations. Like the better photo editors, it lets users adjust several files at once--for example, you can adjust the brightness for every file in a folder with one click. When it comes to saving files, however, the program limits you to only nine graphics formats. Other image editors--even those that cost less--support many more formats.

A few extra touches to the program make up somewhat for its limited file support. One is the support for 3D text, which you can overlay on your photos. Other PhotoStudio special effects include image templates that can turn your photos into watercolors, oil paintings, or surround them with neon lights or frost. You can even animate it to make special effects. But PhotoImpact is much more sophisticated in its special effects, and only costs between $10 and $20 more.

PhotoStudio is a fairly simple program with basic editing tools and a few extras. But because it costs more or as much as more powerful image editors, consumers will want to compare its feature set carefully with that offered by competing programs.

Pros: Simple basic tools and a few extras will appeal to novice digital photo hobbyists.
Cons: Limited file support, scant documentation, and a hefty price keep this program from the top of the list.