Poser is definitely a content and character creation software, and DS is mostly a content use program.
I don't know. I do pretty well at the creation side of things in Studio.
I'm RE-learning Poser's creation tools, but I am very badly handicapped at the moment by not having access to the litany of Pro-only features that are necessary for creation to be even remotely efficient in Poser.
Both programs do very well for creation - it all just comes down to how an individual user chooses to use the tools. They're both very nice pieces of software, and elegant in their own ways.
I've spent years trying to eliminate people's fears of using Poser, creating tutorials and openly demonstrating that it's not going to jump out and bite people if they try to use the cloth room or the hair room...haha. Inevitably it becomes a battle over render engines, lights and materials...issues of the final render, since DS users are accustomed to ease of use in this area.
You can't force someone to learn something if they don't want to, unfortunately. You also can't convince people to change their minds if they're not open to different viewpoints. I started out with Poser 4 and kept with it until 7, then picked it up again on 10 to get Nataani's conversion done... have 11 standard right now, and probably will be on this version for some time yet.
I am re-learning a lot of the interface and tools that it has... and finding more and more that I'm being crippled on the creation side by the fact that I don't have the Pro version.
Studio is MUCH easier for me to understand, and I pick up new techniques in it a lot easier as well. Poser is very frustrating for me to work with, and at times leaves me literally cursing at my monitor. When that happens, I close it and walk away, because it's time to give it a rest. LOL
But - again, I have to stress - not everyone is willing to listen to different viewpoints, and not everyone wants to learn the other side. Many vendors and freebie makers stick to one program or the other, and that is perfectly okay. But both pieces of software are equally capable of final rendering, artistic output, animation, and content creation. Each program has it's own strengths and weaknesses. It just comes down to how individuals choose to use the tools they have. That's all.
I'm still not comfortable in Poser. I probably never will be. But I'm getting more familiar with the menus and tools now, so I'm going to call that progress.
Hope you're resting like you need to be, Sky, and hope you're doing well. Sorry for being so quiet lately, I've just got a whole lot lumped on my plate right now, so I haven't been posting as often as I usually do.
@Maja - I think the biblical items you're producing are beautifully well done. I don't do a lot of biblical renders myself, but they really are very nice items, and I did download them and install them for a "just in case" in the future.
Thank you for what you offer to us - it's very kind of you and definitely appreciated.