Lightroom 3: Bottled Lightning
Posted by RustyHill - 03/09/10 at 01:09 pm
Accelerated Photography
Adobe Lightroom 3 offers performance improvements that speed image processing from import to publishing eye popping images online, in print, or by video. Lightroom 3 is targeted for passionate amateurs to pro photographers. This software builds on the strengths of Lightroom 2, and is well worth upgrading.
New for Lightroom 3:
- Profile-based lens corrections
- Perspective corrections
- Tethered capture
- Drag and drop online publishing
- Import and organize video files
- Export video slideshow
- Noise reduction
Improved for Lightroom 3:
- Faster interactive performance
- Smarter imports
- Raw processing engine
- Flexible watermarks
- Multi-image print layouts
- Vignetting
- Sharpening
Smarter Imports
Lightroom 3 provides enhanced efficiency, allowing users to import images faster and simpler. As part of the import process, images can have developed settings applied, and a backup copy can be saved to a second hard drive.
New Image Process Engine
Adobe has rewritten and improved their raw processing engine. These improvements result in enhanced image quality. The images have better color tones, and sharper features. Lightroom 3 provides the user the choice of upgrading images that were processed with Lightroom 2, or Lightroom 1. Like other aspects of Lightroom, this feature is a nondestructive process.
Improved Noise Reduction
The new raw processing algorithms also enable significant improvements in both color and luminance noise reduction. Much higher levels of noise reduction can be used without softening the image.
Lens Correction
This is a cool new feature that can automatically or manually correct geometric distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting. Automatic corrections uses lens profiles. The lens profile can be manually selected or automatically selected based on the lens data saved as part of the EXIF data by the camera. If your lens does not have a profile, corrections can be manually applied.
Perspective Correction
After applying the lens correction, a perspective correction can be applied by selecting “Manual” in the Lens Correction Panel. By adjusting the vertical, horizontal and rotate sliders, the image can be adjusted so that it looks like it was taken straight on. This new feature can also creatively distort, stretch and/or rotate the image.
Lightroom is now in its third generation, and with each version, has seen extensive improvements. The first two versions were good, and with version 3, Lightroom is coming into its own. All the features complement one another, and create a user friendly, dynamic product.
Contact: www.adobe.com
Cost: $299 US, upgrade $99 US