Author: Tom Hogarty

Lightroom 2 beta Available

Version 2 of Lightroom is now available as a public beta, allowing the the photographic community to provide feedback on new features and workflow enhancements. It’s hard to believe that Lightroom 1.0 was released just over a year ago and Lightroom 1.1 shortly thereafter.  It really feels like the beta process never stopped and we’ve received a ton of great feedback through the feature request submissions, customer conversations, forum discussions, tradeshows and targeted customer visits. We’re glad to continue the process by releasing this version before it’s final to get your opinions on our progress.  This is different from the previous Lightroom beta in that we’ll be targeting feedback on new enhancements and aiming to release the final version sooner than we did in the previous year-long beta.   I’ve provided a few key notes below but I strongly recommend reading the entire Release Notes document available on Labs.adobe.com.

Beta Eligibility

Q: Who is eligible for the  Lightroom 2.0 beta?
A:
All Lightroom 1.0 customers.  Lightroom 1.0 customers can download and install Lightroom 2.0 beta for use throughout the beta program

Q: What about customers new to Lightroom?
A:
Anyone can download the Lightroom 2.0 beta and try it for 30 days

Q: How can new customers try the beta for the entire program?
A:
An invitation program  through labs.adobe.com allows Lightroom 1.0 customers to invite friends  to try the beta beyond  the 30 day trial until the beta expiration date

Q: When does the beta expire?
A:
August 31, 2008

 

IMPORTANT NOTES, PLEASE READ

Primary Known Issues

  • Lightroom 2.0 beta will not upgrade Lightroom 1.x libraries.  The beta is intended to be used for testing and feedback purposes.  Lightroom 1.x and 2.0 beta libraries will be migrated to the finished version of Lightroom 2.0.
  • While data loss is not expected, this is a very early ‘beta’ quality build and you should always work on duplicates of files that are securely backed up. 
  • Lightroom 2 beta will not overwrite or interfere with a machine that currently has Lightroom 1.3.1 installed. 
  • Develop settings applied in Lightroom 2.0 beta are not guaranteed to transfer correctly to the final version of 2.0.  This is particularly true for localized corrections.
  • The new Photoshop integration functionality is only available with Photoshop CS3 (10.0.1) and should only be used for testing purposes.  Metadata associated with the original file may not carry over to the subsequent file saved from Photoshop
  • Additional known issues are listed in the release notes.

New Features
Library

  • Streamlined Library Layout
  • Smart Collections
  • Powerful Filter Bar to search and refine images
  • Suggested Keywords for simplified keywording
  • 10k pixel size limit raised to 30k pixels
  • Output-based Collections

Multiple Monitors:

  • -Four flexible modes for an alternate window:  Grid, Loupe, Compare, Survey
    (Check out the Live Loupe mode!)

Photoshop CS3 Integration: 

  • Open files in Photoshop as a Smart Object
  • Select multiple images to merge as a Panorama
  • Merge multiple exposures into a single Photoshop HDR image
  • Load multiple files or virtual copies into Photoshop as separate layers in a single document.

Export Functionality:

  • Auto-add exported images to the Lightroom catalog
  • Auto Output Sharpening for images on export

Develop Module

  • Non-Destructive Localized Correction for dodging and burning specific areas of an image
  • Post Crop Vignette
  • Basic Panel Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Improved Auto Adjustment
  • Improved memory handling through 64-bit support on OS X 10.5 and Vista 64-bit.(Not limited to develop module)

Print Module

  • Picture Package for multi-page layouts
  • Print Module output directly to JPEG
  • Enhanced Print Sharpening based on PhotoKit Sharpener algorithms
  • 16-bit Printing for Mac OS X 10.5

Additional Resources

What about Lightroom 1.4?
Trust me, we haven’t forgotten about the photographers who are awaiting a replacement to the Lightroom 1.4 update that we released and subsequently pulled from Adobe.com.
Lightroom 1.4.1 and Camera Raw 4.4.1 are currently undergoing additional testing before we release them in the first half of April. Thank you for your patience.

Comments on 1.4 Release

The entire Lightroom team is extremely sorry for any problems we’ve caused our loyal customers with the March 14th 1.4 update. In our eagerness to get new camera support into customers’ hands as promptly as possible, we let some bugs slip past our testing that were frankly unacceptable. Compared to other Adobe applications, we’ve taken a much more aggressive approach to releasing frequent new versions with new features, but it’s clear we need to take a hard look at our release process to make sure that this aggressive approach doesn’t sacrifice quality. One thing that we may consider is continuing the community approach we’ve taken in the past by releasing betas of our updates, so that they can get the broadest testing possible before they are certified as final. The timing for what will need to be a Lightroom 1.4.1 release has not been determined but updated information will be posted to this blog when available. 

Important Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 Update

The Lightroom 1.4 update for Mac and Windows has been temporarily removed from the Adobe.com web site.  Those Lightroom users who have installed Lightroom 1.4 should uninstall the update and install Lightroom 1.3.1.(Mac, Win) until a further update can be provided. For those not in immediate need of the updated camera support available in Camera Raw 4.4 or the DNG 4.4 Converter, it’s recommended that you also continue working with the 4.3.1 versions. (Mac, Win)  This decision is based on the following errors that have been discovered with the recent update:

  • EXIF Time Stamp Error: There is an error in the EXIF time stamp update technology that causes Lightroom to believe that the files are out of sync with the correct time stamp as displayed in Lightroom. Any ensuing metadata update will attempt to incorrectly modify the EXIF time stamp in the original raw file itself.  This is the only metadata field that Lightroom will write to an original proprietary raw file. This error will not impact the integrity of your image data.  The Camera Raw plug-in also will incorrectly change the EXIF time stamp in files converted by the plug-in.  The information written to the XMP sidecar files or XMP metadata in the converted files will remain correct.
  • DNG Conversion Error(Windows Only): With the latest version of the Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 applications, Adobe has included technology to verify that the image data in a DNG file is unchanged from when it was originally converted to DNG.  Unfortunately, when converting to DNG using Lightroom 1.4 on Windows, the application will write an incorrect verification tag to describe the image data.  When Lightroom attempts to work with those files in the Develop module, the application reads that incorrect tag, believes that there is something wrong with the raw data and will present an error.  Rest assured, there is nothing wrong with the integrity of your image data or metadata.  For those that have already converted their files to DNG using Lightroom 1.4(Windows only) we recommend using the DNG 4.3.1 converter to convert the DNG files you’ve created with Lightroom 1.4.
  • Olympus Conversion Error:  There is an error in converting Olympus JPEG files to other formats in Lightroom 1.4 and the Camera Raw 4.4 plug-in. 

To uninstall Lightroom 1.4 please see the instructions per your platform:
Mac: Delete the Lightroom application in the Application folder(Mac) and Delete the following file:  Library/Receipts/Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.pkg
Windows: Choose the Uninstall Lightroom 1.4 menu item from the Windows start menu.  The Add/Remove Program utility on Windows will also achieve the same result. 

To replace the Camera Raw 4.4 plug-in with the 4.3.1 plug-in, follow the manual installation instructions provided on the download page linked above.

I will post additional updates to this blog as we have more information on the timing and scope of the future update.

Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4

The Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 updates have been posted to the following locations: Lightroom(Mac, Win), Camera Raw(Mac, Win).  The updates include support for the following new camera models:

Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi/EOS Kiss X2)
Fujifilm S100FS
Nikon D60
Olympus SP-570 UZ
Pentax K20D
Pentax K200D
Sony A200
Sony A300
Sony A350

Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 include corrections for the following issues:

  • Previous camera profiles identified in the Calibrate panel of the Develop module may have displayed poor results at extreme ends of the temperature and tint ranges. A new camera profile identified as Camera Raw 4.4 is now available and will be applied by default to all images without existing Camera Raw or Lightroom settings. The creation of new default profiles will also include the updated Camera Raw 4.4 profile. Images edited in Camera Raw or Lightroom with earlier profiles will retain the earlier profile value and visual appearance.
  • In previous grayscale conversions the Color Noise setting was disabled and this could result in an image with excessive noise when grayscale channel mixing is applied.  Both the tool and effect have been enabled in Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 providing the ability to reduce noise in grayscale conversions.  In order to return to the prior visual appearance, Color Noise reduction can be set to zero.

Lightroom 1.4 includes corrections for the following issue:

  • Compatibility with legacy printer drivers on OS X 10.5 (Leopard) has been updated. I’d like to thank everyone who commented on my earlier post regarding this topic.  Some valuable feedback was provided and by working directly with Apple and Epson we are able to provide a resolution through this Lightroom update. 

As always, don’t forget rule #5!

Note: The Camera Raw plug-in won’t be automatically updated via the Adobe Update Manager(AUM) until early next week.

Happy Birthday Lightroom

One year ago this morning at 12:01 AM Eastern Time, Lightroom 1.0 hit the streets, or Adobe.com at least, for the first time.  Lightroom isn’t the only Adobe product that shipped on February 19th. The Camera Raw plug-in was first released as a plug-in for Photoshop 7.0.1 on February 19th 2003.  And to the best of Thomas Knoll’s recollection, Photoshop 1.0 shipped on February 19th, 1990.  Jeff Schewe over at Photoshop News has compiled a great list of "Where were you?" on the launch dates of Photoshop 1.0 and Lightroom 1.0.  It’s a fun read and Jeff is encouraging readers to add their own whereabouts on those dates. I also looked back at some of the articles surrounding the launch of the Camera Raw plug-in in 2003 and Uwe Steinmueller’s February 19th review is still available on www.outbackphoto.com.  I had to chuckle when I read Uwe’s reference to "…the impressive list of cameras supported right now." That list only highlights about a dozen cameras of the close to 30 cameras supported with the first version of the plug-in but it’s worth noting that 5 years later we’re supporting over 180 camera raw file formats.  How’s that for impressive? (Insert shameless plug for DNG here given the rapid growth in
proprietary
file formats.)  
It’s been an incredible year for the Lightroom team with significant adoption and several updates to address the needs of our customers.
As noted on this blog earlier, we’re excited about the future even if it doesn’t necessarily take place on a February 19th.

DNG in the News

Recent weeks have seen a number of DNG related announcements:

  • Casio EX-F1: A 6 megapixel camera that captures 60 full resolution DNG files per second!(John Nack scooped me on this one)
  • Pentax K20D and K200D: These new 14.6 and 10.2 megapixel cameras from Pentax can capture directly to the DNG raw format.
  • Samsung GX-20:  The new DNG-capable Samsung 14.6 megapixel model is similar to the Pentax K20D but DPreview also looks at how it is different.
  • Noritsu Koki has announced their intention to support raw workflows at the photo retail level by utilizing the DNG format. 

For those not familiar with DNG, it’s the archival raw format that Adobe created to address the proliferation of proprietary raw formats.  With hundreds of undocumented formats introduced since the advent of raw capture, it’s no wonder that the concept of a raw standard has elicited quite a bit of discussion.   Much of the discussion revolves around the topic of file format obsolescence: Will I be able to open my raw files in 50 to 75 years from now?  This is a good question and a valid reason why photographers choose to use the openly documented DNG format but there are other more immediate benefits to using a DNG workflow:

  • Lossless compression of the raw data can reduce file size anywhere from 10 to 40% or more.  In a completely unscientific test I converted a small folder of Nikon D300 raw files to DNG and the folder went from 243MB to 125MB!  You could almost double the number of photos stored on a single drive.  I know ‘storage is cheap’ these days but it’s not free!  
  • It provides a documented file structure that can support writing metadata back to the file.  (No need for XMP sidecar files)
  • You can store an updated preview of the image in the DNG file that accurately represents your latest non-destructive rendering settings.  I think of it as a job jacket for my images.  I have the negative, the processing instructions and a ‘work print’ of how I last processed the image all within a single file.

With all of those benefits it’s no surprise that 40% of Lightroom users who aren’t shooting with a DNG-native camera have already decided to utilize the Convert To DNG option while importing their photos.

Scott Kelby’s Lightroom Wishlist

Scott Kelby posted a very articulate feature wishlist on his blog last Friday.  It really echoes all of the feedback that I’ve received from customer visits, tradeshows, seminars, user forums and of course our feature request form.  The best part however is the subsequent dialog in the comments section.  The tone and content of the discussion is overwhelmingly positive and reminded me of how enjoyable it was to work through various iterations of the Lightroom public beta in 2006.(Was it really that long ago?)

To be honest, the scope of Scott’s list and the subsequent comments could easily require 5 years or 5 more versions of Lightroom to
accommodate
but you’ll be happy to know that we’re listening and anxious to deliver new and improved versions of Lightroom. (Some requests like the ‘cold beer delivery’ comment could require special hardware modifications)  A big thanks to Scott for pulling his list together and sparking the discussion!

Printing on Leopard with Lightroom 1.3.1

There are several comments on this blog that describe printing issues with Lightroom 1.3.1 on Leopard.   For many these problems may not have existed before or perhaps the result is different from the current output of Photoshop CS3.  Before I dive into the details lets clear up a few definitions:

  • Application Managed Printing – this is when you set the printer profile in the application prior to printing.  Typically the profiles provided by printer manufacturers are designated by printer type and paper type.  You also have the ability to create custom profiles using a third party hardware device.  The most common error in Application Managed printing is forgetting to turn off the color management options in the settings available in the print dialog box.  I recommend this workflow to professional photographers.
  • Printer Managed Printing – this is when you tell Lightroom or Photoshop that the colors and conversion will be managed by the printer.  Adobe applications will send the printer a tagged file the printer will then convert to an internal specification.
  • Tioga – Legacy printer driver technology introduced with Mac OS X 10.0
  • CUPS – Leopard’s current printer driver technology introduced with Mac OS X 10.2

The root of the discrepancy between Pre-Leopard and Post-Leopard printing results is the behavior of the underlying printer driver technology.  Prior to Leopard, printer drivers could use either the Tioga printer driver technology or the CUPS technology.  With the introduction of Leopard, CUPS is required and Tioga is no longer a valid option.  There was a large ecosystem of Tioga-based printer drivers available prior to the Leopard release.  Leopard has been released with some CUPS-based printer drivers included and printer manufacturers are working to provide updated drivers based on the newer technology.(Epson has posted beta print drivers for its professional line here: Epson Beta Drivers)  But clearly, the support for the newer printer technology is nowhere near as widespread as the previous technology.  One point of frustration is that while older or partially compliant drivers can generate a print the results are less then stellar.  It may be fine for anyone printing out an invoice on their black and white laser printer but for photographers who have grown accustom to extracting the highest fidelity out of their software and printer, it’s unacceptable.  This is particularly true for those who use an Application Managed print workflow.  Printer Managed workflows may generate ‘ok’ results but I don’t know many photographers who are satisfied with ‘ok.’

My recommendation for those dependent on Lightroom’s print functionality is to seek out a fully Leopard compatible printer driver from the printer manufacturer.(Epson, Canon, HP)   This can be very frustrating for those using older printers that manufacturers may not choose to update.  As you can tell from Apple’s marketing, Leopard is a significant operating system(OS) upgrade and with OS upgrades come compatibility issues.  If you’re able to share your experiences through the comments section, perhaps it will provide workarounds until compatible printer drivers are available.  I will post updates on this issue as I receive new information.

Lightroom 1.3.1 and Camera Raw 4.3.1

Lightroom and Camera Raw will be updated to 1.3.1 and 4.3.1 respectively within the next week.  These updates provide corrections for issues introduced in the last release as well as additional Lightroom Leopard compatibility.

Camera Raw and DNG Converter 4.3.1 Update
For those experiencing the issues listed below, please update immediately to 4.3.1 using the downloads available here: Mac, Win.
The update will be available automatically via the Adobe Update Manager(AUM) within the next week.
-Compressed raw files from the Nikon D100 were read incorrectly in Camera Raw 4.3
-A possible artifact in Camera Raw 4.3 raw file support for the Olympus E-3 has been corrected

Lightroom 1.3.1 Update
[UPDATE 12/7 – Downloads now available here: Mac, Win ]
I will post an update when Lightroom 1.3.1 is available for download within the next week. Setting Lightroom’s preference to check for updates will provide automatic notification when the update is available. The update will provide corrections for the following issues:
-The Lightroom 1.3 Print Module could previously cause the application to crash on either OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1 during template usage.
-On Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1, the import process from a card reader or other device into Lightroom could fail to import all or a portion of the selected images.
-A decrease in Develop slider responsiveness introduced in Lightroom 1.3 has been corrected.
-The Lightroom 1.3 Develop module could cause the application to crash if adjustments were made in quick succession.
-Compressed raw files from the Nikon D100 were read incorrectly in Lightroom 1.3.
-A possible artifact in raw file support for the Olympus E-3 has been corrected.
-The Lightroom FTP Plug-in provided as sample code with the Export SDK did not function properly if the password was not saved with the selected FTP preset.
-Editing or creating a new FTP preset immediately prior to using the FTP plug-in provided as sample code with the Export SDK would cause the FTP process to fail.
-Using the Export as Previous option did not work with the FTP plug-in provided as sample code with the Export SDK.

Per my earlier post,
the Finder in Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.5.1 can crash when viewing files that contain Lightroom XMP Snapshot data created in the develop module.  This is an error in how the Finder reads metadata and will require an operating system update to solve. The error can be reduced for additional files going forward by modifying the Lightroom preference to *not* save Develop settings within JPEG, TIFF or PSD files. (Preferences: Catalog Settings: Metadata)

Lightroom 1.3 and Leopard

The Lightroom 1.3 release addresses many Leopard OS X 10.5 issues but a few outstanding problems remain or have been discovered.

  • Time Machine compatibility still remains unclear at this time.  Running Time Machine backup or restore operations while Lightroom is in use is not recommended until more information can be obtained.  Interim solutions:
    • Have Time Machine exclude the directories where Lightroom catalogs are stored and use Lightroom to backup the catalog files
    • Run Time Machine when Lightroom is not running.
  • There is a bug in the Lightroom 1.3 Print Module that can cause the application to crash on either OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1.  Minimizing the template preview in the upper left corner can help reduce the frequency of this issue.
  • The Finder in Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.5.1 can crash when viewing files that contain Lightroom XMP Snapshot data created in the develop module.  This is an error in how the Finder reads metadata and will require an operating system update to solve. (I believe that this occurs more frequently with JPEG or TIFF files)
  • Importing directly from a card may not copy all of the image files or may fail. Please copy the images to a local drive using the Finder first if you experience problems.

We will provide an update to address the print module issue but have not set a release date for that update.