Adobe Releases Lightroom Beta 4
Adobe on Monday released the fourth beta of its Lightroom application for processing RAW files from digital cameras, unifying its Mac and Windows versions and rebranding the tool under Adobe's Photoshop lineup.
Lightroom Beta 4 integrates technology Adobe acquired from Pixmantec in June. The Danish company's RawShooter workflow management and processing technology has been added to Adobe's RAW engine for Lightroom, bringing features such as a "vibrance" color strength adjustment.
The RAW format, which provides uncompressed picture data, has become the centerpiece of digital photography, as once high-end cameras reach the consumer market. But RAW images are just that, raw data in proprietary formats, and require tools to process them into standard file formats.
Adobe's goal with Lightroom is to offer consumers the simplest such tool for managing RAW files, and the company says it has no plans to compete with Apple's Aperture feature-wise. Lightroom is intended to offer, "the RIGHT knobs and switches, in the cleanest, least cluttered, easiest to use package," Adobe says.
New features in Beta 4 include a new "curves" adjustment that enables users to visually obtain the color tone they want by dragging the histogram. Users can also now convert files into Adobe's Digital Negative Format (DNG) after importing them into Lightroom, as well as utilize new organization options and search filtering to find specific images.
Adobe says the Lightroom beta has been a hit thus far, with over 325,000 individuals downloading the pre-release software.
"From the moment we introduced Lightroom beta we opened up the process to photographers, making them a part of our 'virtual development team' and allowing them to tell us exactly what this application needs,” said Adobe vice president Deborah Whitman. "Engaging with this community has helped us build a better workflow solution and has made watching its evolution more exciting and dynamic."
The company is shooting for a final release in early 2007 for both Windows and Mac OS X. The product will be officially branded Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, with pricing likely fall between the $100 USD Photoshop Elements and the full $600 USD Photoshop package.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Beta 4 can be downloaded from FileForum.