8.5 (from 2 votes)

Radical New User Interface

Lightroom has a modular user interface designed to spotlight what photographers care about most: the image. Photographers can rapidly scroll through hundreds of images and use Quick One-to-One Zoom to instantly magnify the finer points within the image. The Lightroom beta addresses the varied needs of photographers, including the ability to view detailed before and after comparisons of non-destructive edits and dynamically preview print output of multiple images with flexible layouts.

High-Quality Raw Processing

Leveraging the latest Adobe Camera Raw technology, Lightroom supports over 120 native raw file formats, in addition to JPEG and TIFF, and incorporates raw conversion into a single workflow experience. Adobe continues to advance raw processing technology, as evidenced by the new split-toning controls that creates richer black and white images. This extends photographers’ creative control, providing new parameters for making adjustments and more freedom to deliver their photographic vision. The latest camera models supported by this beta now include Cannon EODS 30D, Epson R-D1s, Leaf Aptus 65 and Aptus 75, Olympus EVOLT E-330 and SP-320, Pentax *ist DL2 and Samsung GX-1S.

Pricing and Availability

Lightroom beta 1.0 for Windows is available for free download from the Adobe Labs Web site at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom. Recommended system requirements are Windows XP SP2, Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor, 768MB RAM and a 1024x768 resolution screen. The final shipping version for both Windows and Macintosh will be released in late 2006. Further details around pricing, system requirements and availability have yet to be determined.