Which to Buy?

Neither of those is current. You’re taking a big chance buying old or used software.

For what you describe Photoshop Elements 5.0 should be fine.

Hmmm…thinks to self…is the OP comparing Elements 5 with PS 7?

Bob

You probably can’t buy Photoshop 5 legally; it’s too old. Same for 7. Two versions out of date and headed for three. Or do you mean Photoshop Elements 5?

Since updates beginning with Photoshop CS3 will be version limited I would go with version 7.0 which is the oldest version you will be able to upgrade to Photoshop CS3 from at a reasonable price. Versions older than that will either require you to pay full price for the latest Photoshop or it will cost you more than the upgrade when upgrading from 7.0 or later.

Robert

As other have pointed out, there’s little difference between two obsolete versions. Particularly if you want to use it with a digital camera; neither version 5 nor 7 were published in a time frame when digital cameras were common, so neither provide support for any cameras.

Photoshop Elements, an entirely separate program from Photoshop, would be the best choice for y’all because it’s designed for casual users but offers full digicam support.

Cheers,
Art