Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 29, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 is now available. The new version of the comprehensive tool for professional photographers offers powerful features for managing, processing and presenting large volumes of digital images. Improvements include dual-monitor support, nondestructive corrections to selected image areas and a redesigned search function. These capabilities simplify the entire photographic workflow from capture to finished image. As Adobe’s first application with 64-bit support for Mac OS X 10.5 on Intel Macs and Microsoft Vista 64-bit systems, Lightroom 2 offers improved memory performance that noticeably accelerates work with large image files.
“We received valuable feedback and suggestions on the Lightroom 2 public beta from the worldwide photography community, contributing to a better final product,” says Marcus Riess, Business Development Manager Digital Imaging at Adobe Systems. “The many suggestions incorporated into new features will make it even easier for customers to select and optimize subjects and present brilliant results.”
Smarter, faster and more precise
The improved Library module layout provides more intuitive image management. Searching across different drives and the practical Library Filter bar help users find photographs quickly and easily. Keyword Suggestions helps photographers find suitable terms by generating new suggestions from existing keywords. New dual-monitor support gives photographers greater flexibility and maximizes the second monitor’s role in the workflow.
The updated Develop module can precisely correct parameters such as color, exposure and tone scale in selected image areas without affecting others. The new Graduated Filter extends Lightroom 2’s tools, allowing larger image areas to be edited with gradually increasing or decreasing adjustments to exposure, sharpness and saturation, individually or in any combination. Photographers can print more efficiently and save paper and ink by quickly arranging differently sized images on one or more pages using templates. Intelligent algorithms automatically calculate optimal sharpening for monitor display or printing, speeding production of optimal results. Developers can extend Lightroom workflows using web, export and metadata SDKs available from Adobe Developer Connection at http://www.adobe.com/de/devnet.
Innovative handling of RAW data
New RAW technology gives photographers access to flexible camera profiles. These profiles are the visual starting point for working with RAW data, while image settings vary between users. To reduce uncertainty, Adobe supplies preset camera profiles closely reproducing the appearance photographers expect from their favorite cameras, while custom profiles can also be created. The profiles work with Lightroom 2 and Camera Raw 4.5 and are available free from Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com, together with a DNG Profile Editor for creating and testing custom profiles.
Camera Raw 4.5 and DNG Converter 4.5 can also now be downloaded from http://www.adobe.de and support more than 190 cameras, including the new Olympus E420 and E520.
“One of the most important reasons for Lightroom’s success among photographers is the community input Adobe has incorporated into the product,” says Scott Kelby, President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. “Adobe addresses photographers’ current issues and challenges. The result is a complete solution that not only meets users’ needs but feels as though it was created especially for us. Together with Photoshop’s extensive capabilities, Lightroom 2’s improvements give photographers the freedom to achieve professional results quickly.”
Pricing and availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 is available immediately from the Adobe Store at http://www.adobe.de/store and specialist retailers for approximately €295 including VAT. An upgrade for registered customers costs approximately €115 including VAT. Recommended system requirements are Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.5 with a 1 GHz PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel processor, or Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate or Enterprise with an Intel Pentium 4 processor, plus 1 GB RAM and a screen resolution of 1,024 × 768.
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