Lightroom Beta 4 now available

[peterkrogh]

The beta 4 of Lightroom is being made available today for general public download.  At this point we can see something that will likely  be very close to the final v.1 implementation of the develop controls.  The Library, and the file handling tools are still under construction.  

Here's a few thoughts:

I have currently put this software into real production for the following use only: When I need to make a Master File, I open my DNG into Lightroom and make adjustments there, and then create a TIFF file.  I'm finding that I can greatly reduce my use of additional Layers by adjusting the image in RAW conversion.  I am NOT using it to adjust every image from a shoot on ingestion for a couple of reasons.  First, the Develop controls, while very near to finalization, have not been totally locked down yet.  Second, and more importantly, Lightroom does not yet put a full-size embedded preview into DNG files.

The develop controls are really outstanding, with unprecedented control over the tone and color of your images.  Check out Fill Light, (Hightlight) Recovery, as well as the color controls to see how powerful they can be.  Try dragging down the Luminance Slider for Blue in an image with white puffy clouds and you'll see instant polarizer effect.

I suggest importing individual files by Reference when you want to make a Master File.  I have set up Lightroom as a Helper Application in iView, so I can select one or more images, and open them into Lightroom with a Right-Click.

I would continue to expect that any work you do in the beta version of Lightroom may not be available to you at a later date.  This means don't build big libraries of adjusted files (tempting as that may seem right now) unless they are considered to be experimental libraries.  The reason that Master File workflow is okay to do is that once the files have gone through Lightroom, the resulting Derivative file becomes the most important version of the file.  So the Virtual changes that are stored in the Lightroom Library are essentially expendable.  This would not be the case for thousands of images that have been adjusted for proofing.

Have fun playing, and feel free to discuss the software in this forum.
Peter

[danaltick]

Looking forward to trying it out.  I will use it in the manner you described above.  Interestingly enough, I will be at a Photoshop seminar all day today listening to Deke McClelland http://www.photoshopseminars.com/class/64.  I always enjoy these seminars.  I haven't heard Deke yet.

Dan

[johnbeardy]

The Helper Application doesn't seem to work with Windows - it seems to be something to do with filename lengths. Best to drag and drop.

John

[danaltick]

Looks like you have to have an Adobe ID to download Beta 4 https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/entitlement/index.cfm?e=labs%5Flightroom.  Not sure how to get one.

Dan

[rfreschner]

Dan -  If you type in your email address, check the "no, I will create one now" for the password and click on continue you should be all set once you fill in the rest of the info.

[danaltick]

Rick,

I will give that a try this evening when I return from work.  Thanks.

Dan

[danaltick]

Peter,

I'm using Lightroom for my derivatives now like you mentioned above.  I do like it.  One thing I may do though is add an _LR suffix to those derivatives that come from Lightroom instead of ACR.

It is kind of nice too that Lightroom can be used in the same way for my JPEG shoots from my compact camera; much easier than using Photoshop for those global type adjustments.

I can see also that like the iView catalogs, it will be important to backup the Lightroom database.  Haven't looked at that yet.

Dan

[ErwinC]

Peter, Dan,


Wenn you use Lightroom for your derivatives, does this mean that Lightroom finally recognizes the ACR settings? Or do you set the settings all over again?

Erwin

[Randy Sailer]

Wenn you use Lightroom for your derivatives, does this mean that Lightroom finally recognizes the ACR settings? Or do you set the settings all over again?

When I look at previously processed images (used ACR then converted with Adobe DNG), the initial view shows the image with the changes, but as Lightroom continues to process, the changes disappear from the what I see on screen. I am guessing that Lightroom starts out using the preview, then creates its own view of the image.

If I don't modify the image, the original changes (using ACR) still show up still show up when I reopen with ACR/Photoshop. I guess this means that Lightroom is not recognizing the changes from ACR, but is able to see the preview in the .dng and uses it until it builds its own image... The ACR changes are not lost by opening in Lightroom, but I haven't experimented to see if changes made in LR can be seen by ACR, iView, Photoshop, etc...

Randy

[Dwight]

I've become curious enough about lightroom - considering info about it is everywhere - to download beta 4. I'm looking forward to trying it out soon. I am wondering what the reason is behind adobe developing lightroom. It seems, from what I've been reading, that lightroom is going to become a replacement for Bridge and ACR - and maybe even photoshop. Is that right? Why would adobe be developing products to compete with current products? If lightroom is to be used to augment Bridge/ACR, then why not just improve those features? Or, is lightroom an attempt to become the one stop this does it all program? And finally - do any of you see any leveling off of this constant cylce of learning new software, incorporating it into your workflow, getting the bugs worked out, just in time for the introduction of the newest and latest thing so it can all begin again? Okay, that last question was just a joke....no one can answer that one.

[peterkrogh]

The point behind Lightroom was to start from a clean slate and develop an application that was built from the ground up for digital photography. Bridge and ACR will still be there.

Eventually, you will probably be able to do almost all of your digital photography editing in Lightroom, but it has a long way to go at this point.
Peter

[rfreschner]

Second, and more importantly, Lightroom does not yet put a full-size embedded preview into DNG files.

Peter - Have you gotten any indication of whether or not this functionality will be in the release version?

[peterkrogh]

I am under the very strong impression that this will be in the release version.
Peter

[rfreschner]

I am under the very strong impression that this will be in the release version.

I sure hope so as I've liked a lot of what I've seen so far, but won't bother with it if it doesn't have this capability.  Thanks Peter!

[peterkrogh]

Angel,
Poke around the forum.  There are a number of discussions of Aperture.
Peter