Comments on Lightroom's Conversion Anyone?

[Michael_S]

For any of you actually using Lightroom, I was hoping you could throw this poor PC user a bone.

How does Lightroom compare to other raw conversions of the same files?  Particularly how does LR compare and contrast with ACR?

Anyone compared LR with C1, Bibble, Nikon Capture or anything else non-Adobe?

Thanks,
Michael

[ScottBuckel]

Michael,

I do not have a mac, but I have friends that do. They tell me that the conversions work as well, but the interface is easier to use.  From listening to the Pod casts on Lightroom, they are using the ACR code with a different interface, in fact, that is why Thomas Knoll's mname is on the splash screen for Lightroom.

Scott

[Michael_S]

Scott,
True about ACR being the core code for conversion.  You point out exactly why I made my post.  I am curious if the modified user interface yields better/different results than what today's ACR can give.  The Tone demo video shows some unique tools.

Thanks for passing along the findings of yuor Mac friends.

--Michael

[ScottBuckel]

Michael - I just got off the phone with a friend that uses lightroom.  He says he feels that the conversion of raw is better than ACR.  But then freely admits it may bethe interface is easier to use and he does a better job of doing the conversion.

Scott

[Bill_Green]

I think the additional controls give more freedom to tweak the image in the raw state using some of the controls similar to Selective Color in Photoshop. I find these controls to be extremely beneficial, but on a pure quality level, I think there are better programs out there.

[Michael_S]

Bill,
I invite you to look at the Raw Converter threads here in the Software Discussions.  If you see any threads you wish to augment or wish to start new ones, please do.  I'm always interested in other people's views of raw converters.

Thanks,
Michael

[thomas]

ive used c1 pro and acr but none of them even come close to the incredible colors and tones im getting from  lightroom, this is incredible, for me this will definetly replace acr

[peterkrogh]

Although LR uses the ACR engine, it is the new one, and the controls are much more flexible.  You can get *much* closer to a final image straight out of LR than you can with ACR.

BTW, the PC version now has parity with the Mac version.
Peter

[danaltick]

Just started working with the adjustments in LR.... very nice.  Peter, I see what you mean.  The curves control looks to be really nice too.  Going to have to spend a little time to figure out how best to use these new controls, but I'm definitely getting better color control.  Do you know exactly what the Fill Light and Black commands do?  Fill Light seems to be operating locally either on the shadows or highlights area, but not sure what parts of the histogram it's focusing on.  Blacks seems to be different from the ACR Shadows command too.  Also, I haven't yet figured out why I have to sometimes click twice on the sliders to start using them.

Dan

[johnbeardy]

Take a good look at the new Vibrance slider. It's an adaptive adjustment, not global like Saturation, and pumps up saturation of the less saturated image areas while leaving skin tones alone. It's very clever.

John

[danaltick]

Well, I've gotten somewhat familiar with the controls now.  The Vibrance slider is nice and the color control is amazing.  I like the interface.  A few questions though:

    1) I can't seem to save my edits
    2) When I make adjustments to the Exposure, Brightness, etc., the histogram doesn't change
    3) What does the Sync button do?

Dan