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What I Like about LR 1.1
You are in for a treat! Lightroom 1.1 is available today and I think you'll be amazed at what Adobe has done in the short time since the original release of 1.0. I still can't believe they are calling it a 1.1 release. When I first saw the list of new features and improvements I envisioned a 1.5 naming or even 2.0.
All of you who bought version1.0, don't worry. The upgrade to 1.1 is free. All you need to do is go to the Adobe site: www.adobe.com. This upgrade, in my opinion, is the best deal of the year. (Depending on how large your library is it will take some computer time to migrate your old "library" to 1.1's new catalog system, but it's worth the wait. Catalogs are so much easier to deal with than a single "library" and give you a lot more flexibility.)
I spent the last several months completely rewriting my book to make it 1.1 centric---and I've come to love several of the new features. (Photoshop Lightroom Adventure, by the way, goes to press Friday and should be available in a couple weeks.)
I'll be writing about the new 1.1 features in more detail in coming weeks but here is short list of some my favorites.
1. New catalog system. Now you can easy integrate one part, or all, of one catalog with another. You can also open different catalogs from within the application (although you still can only have one catalog open at a time.)
2. Huge improvement to sharpening. Away goes the single slider, replaced by four sliders (Amount, Radius, Detail, and Masking) which give you complete control over all aspects of image sharpening. The Masking slider controls a mask that selectively "blocks" sharpening from unwanted areas. (Potential downside to the new sharpening controls: You might spend more time getting sharpening just right, and less time shooting!)
3. Improved Noise Reduction. I shoot 1600 ISO a lot, and LR 1.0 was sorely lacking in noise reduction capabilities. I often ended up in Photoshop to do the job right. Noise reduction is much "stronger" now, but not so strong that you can completely blur an image like you can using Photoshop's Reduce Noise filter.
4. Edit metadata presets. Now you can edit an existing metadata template from within the Import dialog box. Sounds like a small thing, but I find it very useful to make small changes in an existing template rather than start from scratch and create a new one every time.
5. Clarity. This new Develop module feature was originally called "Punch" which is exactly what it does. It imitates a popular Photoshop Unsharp Mask filter technique to give certain images a nice "pop". It works especially well on images such as this one, putting an emphasis on the girl (my daughter!) rather than the background.
6. New Metadata Browser options. New fields have been added so you can search your catalog by specific Apertures, File Types, ISO's, and even camera models. (Frankly, it's been so long since I used 1.0 I can't remember the exact differences, but trust me there are now a lot more choices.)
I haven't even started on the under-the-hood improvements that affect performance and RAW image processing. But we'll have plenty time for all that and more. Have fun!
Very nice touches there!
Genuine tools that will be a great help!
:D
Beware, there are some issues http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bc2cf0a/
I completely disagree with you in your assesment of this ugrade. With the exception of the clarity tool (from ACR 4.1), the "better than before" noise reduction, and faster Library response (1.0 was very sluggish once you got a few shoots in) the upgrade is mostly superficial. I don't think Adobe is listening anymore. Users have been asking for dual screen support, a more robust library module and a way to export projects. None of that is present in this upgrade.
After waiting eagerly for LR 1.0 and now for this upgrade after many promises and hype from the Adobe people, Iam truly dissapointed. No doubt that LR is a very good tool with lots of real potential from a company that brought us Photoshop. But I expected much more and it is now obvious that we will have to wait for v. 2.0 and shell $$ for that upgrade to see if LR becomes a mature solution. I am sorry, but most definitevily going back to Aperture.
David, not sure what you mean by "a way to export projects". LR 1.1 has an Export Catalog function that allows you to export and combine one catalog (no longer called library) or part of the catalog with another catalog. I think that is very important, and a major step forward. As for you going back to Aperture... I've said this all along: I think it's great that Lightroom has competition. Keeps everyone on their toes.
I agree with you that the export catalog function ia a hugh step in the right direction. If it odes what I think it does. I have been trying to understand its functionality. Is there a place in the Adobe website that explains how that works? How do you integrate catalogs?
I also agree that it is good that there are options. While I hope Apple and Adobe learn from each other, I also hope that in some respect they stay different. After all, what is the fun of having to solutions exactly the same?
While I much prefer Aperture Library methaphor, I am glad that LR took a different approach. It may send me in Aperture way, but I know of several photographers that I would ster toward Lightroom instead of Aperture becaudse of it.
Never mind, I found it. I must admit I was wrong. This is a major and most welcome move for Lightroom. The export catalog is very nice and the performance improvement are great.
Dave,as you dive deeper into LR 1.1 I think you will find all kinds of cool changes. Some are very small, but useful. For example,in the Develop module select the crop tool and then select View >Crop Guide Overlay from the menu bar. You will see a bunch of choices from Grid to Golden Spiral. Try the different overlays. I thought they were hooky at first but now I really like some of them! Adds a new dimension to cropping. As for information on using 1.1: Lightroom Help under the Help menu is very good. And, of course, there is my book... which is written just for 1.1. Enjoy!
Thanks! I will check it out.
For those who have the Scott Kelby Book on LR he just release a pdf chapter just on the new changes on 1.1
I think the "spray" tool is nice too.
Lightroom should come with a manual. It doesn't. Im not impressed. I want my money back.
i am new to light room and have just discoverd your site. i have used appiture and capture one. light room is best suited for my style of work rate. i have one small issue, and i appologise if you have allready gone through this. when i import my raw files and they come up in the library module the pics look perfict, but then one by one they change slightly, the color tone and contrast change, the change is not a big one but i have to addmit i struggle to get it back to how they first appeard (as shot).
i have been informed by a few photographers that it is a preset setting, which i know all about. but my preset is set on none.
i only have that as an issue, exporting the files after i have finally achieved what i want works perfictally.
please can you help me.
Vaughan, it could be you have set LR to apply an "Auto" setting on import. If you don't want this, go to the Lightroom Preferences and in the Presets tab make sure "Apply auto tone adjustments" is unchecked. (This LR 1.1 I'm talking about.)
thanx mikkel, but i had already unchecked the "apply auto tone adjustments". i thought it might be that. is there any thing els that i might of done wrong on install, and dose this happen to any one els. and i have the lr1.1
Ok, let's see if I can make sense of what is happening to you in LR. LR processes RAW files in a particular way. If you compare the "default" processing of LR with the "default" processing of another RAW converter (say, DCRAW or the Canon or Nikon RAW software) you'll likely see a difference. An analogy is the the way different film developers produced different looks with the same film. So... when you load a RAW file in LR, the first thing you see is the thumbnail version rendered by the camera. This will be replaced with LR's rendering, which will often look different. If you shoot JPEG plus RAW and in the LR preferences select "Treat JPEG files next to RAW files as separate files" you will see no change to he JPEG thumbnail, and a change to the RAW file. Do this and you'll clearly see what I am talking about. If you don't like the default LR setting, you can create a new default setting in the Develop module under Develop> Set Default Settings. You can make a default do exactly what you want. Hope this helps Vaughan!
Congrats dude..
Last time i have seen this page with pr3.. Now it is pr4..
great improvement:)
regards,
glycoscience
When i import my raw files and they come up in the library module the pics look perfict, but then one by one they change slightly, the color tone and contrast change, the change is not a big one but i have to addmit i struggle to get it back to how they first appeard
Thesis