The two main reasons I chose Pro over non pro are 64 bit support so I can use many more figures, etc and network rendering. I can't speak as to the benefit of the modeling tools in Pro since I do all my modeling in Hex. The ocean is handy in Pro but not really all that important to me. But those are about the only features I ever use that Pro has and non-pro doesn't. If you think you don't need 64 bit support, network rendering and an ocean primitive AND you don't do any modeling, go with non-pro. Especially if you're planning on just rendering stills. Either way, Daz has one of the best return policies in Poserverse so if you don't like it, you can ask for a refund. You could also purchase the book they sell for $30 and that comes with Hex and Carrara 6 Pro. While there is no upgrade path for 6 to 8 any more, you may find that the 6 pro meets your needs. And 30 bucks is 20 bucks cheaper than $50 (which is what C8 is on sale for right now).

http://www.daz3d.com/i/shop/itemdetails/?item=9166

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