Lightroom update brings Leopard support, Flickr upload

Photography enthusiasts have quite a few options when it comes to working with RAW files, but Adobe is betting a new SDK will make Photoshop Lightroom a favorite once third party developers start building plug-ins.

The Lightroom Export SDK is available as a technology preview and is included with Lightroom version 1.3, which was released Friday. The SDK utilizes the open source Lua language and ships with example plug-ins for Flickr and FTP uploads. The idea of the development kit is to extend the Export dialog box with additional functionality.

"Once we get feedback from the developer community we will evaluate how to expand the SDK to other aspects of workflow outside of image export," explained Tom Hogarty, product manager for Photoshop Lightroom. "The end result will allow photographers to further customize and streamline their workflows. This technology preview will give developers an opportunity to provide feedback and shape the way Lightroom's architecture will be utilized."

Hogarty said that although Adobe has received numerous requests to add image manipulation plug-ins like those in Photoshop to Lightroom, the current focus of the company is to enhance the workflow by connecting the application to additional services.

Lightroom 1.3, meanwhile, is a necessary download for Mac OS X users who have or plan to upgrade to Leopard. Adobe previously noted that users of Apple's latest operating system may run into interface issues while using the program.

Alongside Lightroom 1.3 -- a free upgrade that costs $299 USD at retail -- comes Camera Raw 4.3, which adds support for seven new cameras: the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, Canon PowerShot G9, Nikon D3, Nikon D300, Olympus E-3, Olympus SP-560 UZ, and Panasonic DMC-L10.