Adobe ships Lightroom 2 with 64-bit goodness

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 30 July 2008 05:39

Business IT - Technology

Adobe has released the latest version of its photographic software Lightroom 2 with 64-bit support for both the Mac OS X 10.5 and Vista platforms. Lightroom 2, which focuses on workflow for professional and serious amateur photographers, is Adobe's first 64-bit product for the new generation operating systems and promises to provide better performance with very large image files.

Changes to the Library module make it easier to organise large collections of images, even when spread across multiple drives. One example is a mechanism that suggests keywords based on those previously used.

Adjustments such as dodging and burning can be restricted to a particular area. Also new are support for dual monitors and the provision of a variety of print templates supporting mixed sizes across one or more sheets.

Improved batch processing simplifies the importation of large quantities of photos with automatic renaming, organising and adjusting. Other changes include improved nondestructive editing, enhanced output sharpening, and better integration with Photoshop CS3.

"A worldwide community of photographers provided valuable insight and feedback, as part of the Lightroom 2 public beta program, ultimately helping us deliver a better product," said Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Lightroom and Camera Raw at Adobe.

"We've considered their requests which helped us develop useful features that make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly refine, enhance and present brilliant photographs."

So how much does it cost, and what else is new in photography software? See page 2.