Adobe announced the release of Lightroom Beta 4 today at Photokina. This version is a substantial update for both Windows and Mac users. I've been testing various builds of Beta 4 on a Mac since the Iceland Lightroom Adventure, and I can tell you from experience, that it's worth the download.
Of all the new features, and there are plenty, take a look at the Develop module in Beta 4. New tools such as Fill Light are some of the most photography-friendly and useful image processing controls I've ever used. I really like refining my pictures with Develop in Lightroom.
One word of caution however... Lightroom is still under development itself. And the team has been very candid about the fact that things will change between the betas and final release. So don't get too married to features, and keep in mind that work you do in the beta version may not carry over to the final release -- Beta 4 included. This is for testing and enjoyment only.
That being said, whether you're on Mac or Windows, Beta 4 is a substantial move forward for Lightroom. You might want to take a look at it.
Technorati Tags: digital photography, software, The Digital Story
Lightroom looks likes it maturing nicely, with quite a few more features than Beta3. I like what I am seeing with release. I really like the print options.
Hi Derrick,
I download lightroom beta 4 last night and I did notice that all my images' settings were deleted (all .cr2 setting went to default). I'm not doing critical work in it, but I did export all my images that I had been working on for a DVD slideshow prior to installing beta 4.
Is their a way for me to get those settings back?
Also, importing doesn't work for me, If I try to import a shoot of say 9 images, maybe one or two will get imported. :(
I'm thinking of just using appzapper to remove lightroom and all the .pref files and reinstalling. What do you think?
On a positive note I like some of the new features like vibrance and the new interface look.
I still haven't decide if I'll go with Aperture or lightroom. Once lightroom is finalized, I guess I'll have to see if Aperture will start running faster (once 1.5 is released next week) The fastest mac I will have is the 24" iMac with the 7600gt. Right now I'm working mainly on a 2ghz Macbook (not pro) with 2gb of ram and lightroom works great, even with my 9mb RAW files and non-mirrored dual displays (1280x800 & 1680x1050).
Looking forward to your next show.
Weird things can happen as you move from one beta version of lightroom to another. I've had things go whacky from one build to another. Unfortunately, I don't have any specific advice.
As for Lightroom vs Aperture... you're right. You will need to compare the final release of Lightroom against the current release of Aperture to make any determination. Currently I use both, but Aperture contains my master library.
Can you shoot directly to Lightroom with the Nikon D2x or Canon 5D or any other digital cameras?