Adobe announces Lightroom 5, with auto-perspective correction and new Healing Brush
Adobe on Monday announced the availability of the latest version of its prosumer photo editing software, Lightroom 5, bringing improved workflow features and functionality highlighted by a new perspective-correcting "Upright" tool.
First released as a beta in mid-April, the final version of Lightroom sports a new Healing Brush and an Upright tool that automatically corrects perspective for images with skewed elements. Adobe has also added a new Radial Filter and the ability to create off-center vignettes.
In addition, the latest Lightroom features new tools to improve user workflows. A Smart Preview function allows users to edit offline images when away from their primary image storage device by keeping a smaller version of the image locally. When a user edits the Smart Preview version, those changes are saved and automatically applied to the original once the user reconnects to the primary image repository.
The new version also adds PNG file support, a true full screen mode, and assorted drag and drop capabilities for moving pictures between folders. It also gives users the ability to publish directly to Behance, as well as assorted new keyboard shortcuts to ease transitions between regularly used features.
Lightroom saw its last major version change in March of last year with an update that added geotagging support, as well as improvements to handling highlights and shadows. The latest iteration builds on its predecessor, Adobe reps said, by adding features that the Lightroom community continually requested.
Lightroom 5 is available for both Mac and PC platforms. Mac users will need a multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support, running OS X 10.7 or higher. Lightroom 5 requires 2GB of RAM, with 4GB recommended, 2GB of available HDD space, and a 1024x768 display.
PC users must have an Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon processor with 64-bit support, running Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8. Users should have at least 2GB of RAM, though 4GB is recommended, as well as 2GB of HDD space and a 1024x768 display.
The software is available from Adobe's website for $79 when upgrading from an earlier version, or $149 for new users. Those already subscribed to Adobe's Creative Cloud service will find that the new software is included in their memberships.
First released as a beta in mid-April, the final version of Lightroom sports a new Healing Brush and an Upright tool that automatically corrects perspective for images with skewed elements. Adobe has also added a new Radial Filter and the ability to create off-center vignettes.
In addition, the latest Lightroom features new tools to improve user workflows. A Smart Preview function allows users to edit offline images when away from their primary image storage device by keeping a smaller version of the image locally. When a user edits the Smart Preview version, those changes are saved and automatically applied to the original once the user reconnects to the primary image repository.
The new version also adds PNG file support, a true full screen mode, and assorted drag and drop capabilities for moving pictures between folders. It also gives users the ability to publish directly to Behance, as well as assorted new keyboard shortcuts to ease transitions between regularly used features.
Lightroom saw its last major version change in March of last year with an update that added geotagging support, as well as improvements to handling highlights and shadows. The latest iteration builds on its predecessor, Adobe reps said, by adding features that the Lightroom community continually requested.
Lightroom 5 is available for both Mac and PC platforms. Mac users will need a multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support, running OS X 10.7 or higher. Lightroom 5 requires 2GB of RAM, with 4GB recommended, 2GB of available HDD space, and a 1024x768 display.
PC users must have an Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon processor with 64-bit support, running Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8. Users should have at least 2GB of RAM, though 4GB is recommended, as well as 2GB of HDD space and a 1024x768 display.
The software is available from Adobe's website for $79 when upgrading from an earlier version, or $149 for new users. Those already subscribed to Adobe's Creative Cloud service will find that the new software is included in their memberships.
Comments
Neat software from adobe. I don't use it, but the screenshots are impressive.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=621943721152063&set=a.432768056736298.106864.432763186736785&type=1&theater
"File transfers in a zip" sounds really stupid. And the fact that the tagline is neither capitalized nor punctuated is a dead giveaway.
Never mind what some comments have also pointed out; that the image is VISIBLY larger than the browser window it's in. How lazy can you get?
Let's hope that, WWDC ore sometimes in the near future, Apple will remember the "Pro" products and apps...
Aperture is my choice, but the lag in features compared to Lightroom starts to be embarrassing in some regards...
Today's release of Lightroom 5 has me seriously considering switching camps from Aperture. As someone who stores their RAW files on an external drive I can only see previews of my images when away from the drive, the Smart Previews feature of LR5 looks too cool. I ache of the ability to do lens correction within Aperture (without having to buy a damned plug-in, why should I!). If Apple doesn't announce overnight a major upgrade to their app I'll seriously consider the swap. Hopefully LR imports Aperture libraries, I'd hate to start from scratch.
Looks like they created a 4:3 window but imported a 3:2 image. Still, Adobe Stupidity to the max.
1. LR is a different tool compared to Aperture. The former does management and image manipulation at its core. The latter is a management tool with some manipulation tools added later on.
2. When you store the images on a drive and take it offline, what did you expect to see, exactly? Aperture allows you to define the size of the previews even, or don't limit them at all.
3. Lens Correction. No, not in Aperture. For that most people use Photoshop. If that's a good route to go I don't know.
4. Looks like LR can't import an Aperture lib. And from that link comes this:
Aperture adjustments, keywords and other metadata
Adjustments made in Aperture do not convert into Lightroom adjustments – and vice versa. This is mainly because the adjustment sliders are too different or have no equivalents in the other program. If you want to keep the ability to output pictures precisely as they were in Aperture, you’ve two alternatives:
Keep Aperture on your computer and open it whenever you need to reprint pictures
Export versions in TIF or JPEG from Aperture
Lightroom can’t read Aperture’s adjustments, but it’s important to know all your Aperture work is not lost and that your keywords and other metadata or information are not trapped in Aperture. Keywords, ratings and other metadata are covered by the industry standard IPTC. While this doesn’t cover everything (eg colour labels, custom fields), you should be able to transfer almost everything else.
Oh, and welcome to the forum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
Looks like they created a 4:3 window but imported a 3:2 image. Still, Adobe Stupidity to the max.
1. LR is a different tool compared to Aperture. The former does management and image manipulation at its core. The latter is a management tool with some manipulation tools added later on.
2. When you store the images on a drive and take it offline, what did you expect to see, exactly? Aperture allows you to define the size of the previews even, or don't limit them at all.
3. Lens Correction. No, not in Aperture. For that most people use Photoshop. If that's a good route to go I don't know.
In the past I guess 2) was just the case of you could see it but you couldn't play, but Adobe has just made that not the case. They've introduced with LR5 the ability to perform edits and do other things that you'd typically have required your original fill to do. Once you hook up again it syncs any changes, sounds cool to me.
As for 3), sure, use Photoshop for lens corrections, however doing it inside of Lightroom is a non-destructive change, it would be good for Aperture users to have this, and it is a feature many have sought in the app.
Both tools are photo management tools with the ability to non-destructively manipulate images, it all comes down to user preference. Thus far I've stayed with Aperture as I liked its tools more than I did LR4 when I played with the trial version for a month, however I'm sure I could get used to it given I'm highly familiar with the Creature Suite.
I don't have 'the laptop + desktop scenario' so never tried out to do offline editing. But I'm certain this is a much beloved feature for LR users who want to edit out in the field, or similar situations.
Good point on the lens correction topic; going out of Aperture, editing in PS and then re-importing the altered master can indeed be done better, like LR
seems to dodoes.If you're familiar with CS then I'd move to LR as well. It usually helps if you use the whole suite of software from one company.
Adobe is dead to me.
LR and Aperture don't have any way to share their non-destructive adjustments. They don't share anything to exchange. There are only two options: to save your edits you'd export as TIFF or PSD and import but then the edits are burned in. Or you can export the library's RAW masters, and then you naturally have the original to work with and none of your editing work. For people who do a lot of round tripping to use 3rd party plugins the former isn't that big a deal. You could also import the latter in addition in case you decide you'll get a better result. But it's a major undertaking. It sucks up 1,000% more of your time than you fear : )
Best way is to finish all you've got going in Aperture there and leave all your other libraries there too, and keep Aperture around if you want to revisit them or export something. Then begin all your new work in LR and resign yourself to the two eras not all being in your newer format. You can always go back and pull a library or two out that you want to use your newer tools on as it occurs to you. But the notion of bringing in all one's Aperture archived libraries into LR and retaining their non-destuctive edited nature and re-editing them is just not feasible if you have images going back since V2. It's kind of like the scanning of your closet full of 2,000 slides. After 300 you'll have had enough!!! : )