Lightroom 4 beta available

Class A · 01-10-2012, 03:32 AM

Lightroom 4 beta is available for download.

I reckon "Soft proofing" and "Photo book creation" will be important to many. Sadly, they still haven't added better cloning/healing support.

Hopefully Corel's AfterShot Pro (formerly known as Bibble 5) will become better with time and push Lightroom to better retouching support. It already can apply all adjustments locally, but there is no cloning/healing brush.

Last edited by Class A; 01-10-2012 at 04:14 AM.

eddie1960 · 01-10-2012, 07:17 AM

I heard they have added video support which was another complaint some had. personally i've been pretty happy with 3, and export to another program for anything that needs serious cloning/healing

iced · 01-10-2012, 09:08 AM

These are some of the videos for Lightroom 4 beta, explaining the new features. Launch Center – Lightroom 4 | Learn Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Digital Photography | NAPP

rtpguy · 01-10-2012, 11:36 AM

Thanks - guess we can still hope for improved clone/heal, fingers crossed.
I do light the new highlight and shadows controls, that's pretty slick, as well as painting de-noise and other adjustments to localized areas. Wondering if there are any options for auto-edge detection on the brushes.. ?

Anvh · 01-10-2012, 04:02 PM

here is another list.
Lightroom 4 Public Beta: What's New: Digital Photography Review

They also once again changed the way images are build up and it automaticly prevents highlight and shadow clipping.
they also add a few more local adjustment options and there is softproofing now for printing.

photolady95 · 01-10-2012, 04:17 PM

Thanks for this and the link. I tried Lightroom 3 when it was in Beta too but didn't care much for it. I use Elements 9 at the moment, along with PhotoShop 7. I'd like to get more used to Lightroom.

Smeggypants · 01-10-2012, 05:32 PM

I love Lightroom. Version 4 looks very promising. I'm very interested in the Book Module in particular.

Docrwm · 01-10-2012, 05:59 PM

Got an email today from Adobe about the Beta version. It looks promising but I'm finding I use Corel's Paint Shop Pro X2 more for anything to do with modifying my photos. The controls on LR are just counter intuitive for me at nearly every level, but I find that I "get" the Corel controls without much need to look up references or go to the help panel.

Why can't Adobe take a leaf from Pentax's book - really nice set of features in a really intuitive interface?

mtansley · 01-10-2012, 06:33 PM

Originally posted by Docrwm

Why can't Adobe take a leaf from Pentax's book - really nice set of features in a really intuitive interface?

It's a personal thing really. I find Lightroom's controls very intuitive and don't cause me any problem. I wouldn't want them to change.

Smeggypants · 01-10-2012, 06:36 PM

Originally posted by Docrwm

Why can't Adobe take a leaf from Pentax's book - really nice set of features in a really intuitive interface?

I think Lightroom is superbly laid out and very intuitive. Excellent set of features too and looking forward to the new features.

As with any software the key to speed is to learn the key commands

reeftool · 01-11-2012, 07:53 AM

I've really grown to love Lightroom in the past year. For processing RAW shots, I haven't found anything easier or better. It doesn't do everything but some plug in's are available to make up the slack. I'll be building a new desktop next month so I'll likely download the beta.

Ishpuini · 01-11-2012, 09:12 AM

Great! Looking forward to the final Lightroom 4!! I'm not installing this Beta, but it sure looks promising.

The per colour channel point curves will finally allow for some nice effects, esp negative images which can sometimes give very unexpected abstract results. Unfortunately no real channel mixer where input and output channels can be different. That would really have been great for false colour IR...

Overlooked by most is one feature that will free up much time for me: the ability to move multiple folders across volumes. I archive my folders from time to time, and having to move them one-by-one to my archive drive has always been a pain. Basically I had to move one folder, wait for the move to finish, and only then could I move the next folder; i.e. an iterative process with a lot of wait times. In version 4 I will be able to select all folders to be archived and move them in one transaction to the archive drive. While the files are actually being moved I'll be able to go and do sth else instead of wait...

I'm looking forward to the book module. I've been intending to do a portfolio for ages. I have done books in the past, but the publisher I used never allowed for enough pages for a portfolio. But they were perfect for my travelogues. The integration into LR4 won't allow me the flexibility I need for those, but thanks to this module I can see the portfolio becoming real in the near future!

Wim

loco · 01-11-2012, 09:21 AM

I'm very excited about this! Love Lightroom and already do the huge majority of my photo processing activity in it. Looks like this will give us even more capability! Really like the extra sliders for the contrast and exposure settings!

I'm cautious, though. I'll wait for a sale and a couple updates before I take the plunge.

civiletti · 01-11-2012, 09:52 AM

I have not downloaded yet, but the promotional videos suggest LR4 would be a worthwhile upgrade. In particular, the shadow and highlight sliders look to improve upon fill and recovery. The softproofing could safe lots of paper. The expanded touch-up brush is nice, though I do not like that mode of selection very much. I prefer NIK's control points which define edges more easily and accurately.

demp10 · 01-11-2012, 10:06 AM

I downloaded it yesterday and played around with the 3 most important new features for me.

PhotoBook - I was able to recreate a book I am working on (using the Blurb software) very easily and now it looks much better. No more exporting and resizing images. Controlling the background of pages and being able to add captions on the photos is great.

Softproof - It is quite reveling to see how your Epson Matte paper compares with the on screen image. It will save a lot of paper from test prints.

E-mail - I love this one. Instead of exporting, resizing, storing and attaching photos, now with one click can send an e-mail sized image through Outlook.

I did not spend much time on the Development module, but it looks that now they do a highlight recovery automatically as part of the RAW conversion.

So far it looks quite nice.

01-10-2012, 03:32 AM	#1
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Lightroom 4 beta available Lightroom 4 beta is available for download. I reckon "Soft proofing" and "Photo book creation" will be important to many. Sadly, they still haven't added better cloning/healing support. Hopefully Corel's AfterShot Pro (formerly known as Bibble 5) will become better with time and push Lightroom to better retouching support. It already can apply all adjustments locally, but there is no cloning/healing brush. Last edited by Class A; 01-10-2012 at 04:14 AM.

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01-10-2012, 07:17 AM	#2
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	I heard they have added video support which was another complaint some had. personally i've been pretty happy with 3, and export to another program for anything that needs serious cloning/healing

01-10-2012, 09:08 AM	#3
iced Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Southwest Ga. Photos: Gallery Posts: 309	These are some of the videos for Lightroom 4 beta, explaining the new features. Launch Center – Lightroom 4 \| Learn Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Digital Photography \| NAPP

01-10-2012, 11:36 AM	#4
rtpguy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NC Posts: 206	Thanks - guess we can still hope for improved clone/heal, fingers crossed. I do light the new highlight and shadows controls, that's pretty slick, as well as painting de-noise and other adjustments to localized areas. Wondering if there are any options for auto-edge detection on the brushes.. ?

01-10-2012, 04:02 PM	#5
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	here is another list. Lightroom 4 Public Beta: What's New: Digital Photography Review They also once again changed the way images are build up and it automaticly prevents highlight and shadow clipping. they also add a few more local adjustment options and there is softproofing now for printing.

01-10-2012, 04:17 PM	#6
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Thanks for this and the link. I tried Lightroom 3 when it was in Beta too but didn't care much for it. I use Elements 9 at the moment, along with PhotoShop 7. I'd like to get more used to Lightroom.

01-10-2012, 05:32 PM	#7
Smeggypants Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,536	I love Lightroom. Version 4 looks very promising. I'm very interested in the Book Module in particular.

01-10-2012, 05:59 PM	#8
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Got an email today from Adobe about the Beta version. It looks promising but I'm finding I use Corel's Paint Shop Pro X2 more for anything to do with modifying my photos. The controls on LR are just counter intuitive for me at nearly every level, but I find that I "get" the Corel controls without much need to look up references or go to the help panel. Why can't Adobe take a leaf from Pentax's book - really nice set of features in a really intuitive interface?

01-10-2012, 06:33 PM	#9
mtansley Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,139	Originally posted by Docrwm Why can't Adobe take a leaf from Pentax's book - really nice set of features in a really intuitive interface? It's a personal thing really. I find Lightroom's controls very intuitive and don't cause me any problem. I wouldn't want them to change.

01-10-2012, 06:36 PM	#10
Smeggypants Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,536	Originally posted by Docrwm Why can't Adobe take a leaf from Pentax's book - really nice set of features in a really intuitive interface? I think Lightroom is superbly laid out and very intuitive. Excellent set of features too and looking forward to the new features. As with any software the key to speed is to learn the key commands

01-11-2012, 07:53 AM	#11
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	I've really grown to love Lightroom in the past year. For processing RAW shots, I haven't found anything easier or better. It doesn't do everything but some plug in's are available to make up the slack. I'll be building a new desktop next month so I'll likely download the beta.

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01-11-2012, 09:12 AM	#12
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727	Great! Looking forward to the final Lightroom 4!! I'm not installing this Beta, but it sure looks promising. The per colour channel point curves will finally allow for some nice effects, esp negative images which can sometimes give very unexpected abstract results. Unfortunately no real channel mixer where input and output channels can be different. That would really have been great for false colour IR... Overlooked by most is one feature that will free up much time for me: the ability to move multiple folders across volumes. I archive my folders from time to time, and having to move them one-by-one to my archive drive has always been a pain. Basically I had to move one folder, wait for the move to finish, and only then could I move the next folder; i.e. an iterative process with a lot of wait times. In version 4 I will be able to select all folders to be archived and move them in one transaction to the archive drive. While the files are actually being moved I'll be able to go and do sth else instead of wait... I'm looking forward to the book module. I've been intending to do a portfolio for ages. I have done books in the past, but the publisher I used never allowed for enough pages for a portfolio. But they were perfect for my travelogues. The integration into LR4 won't allow me the flexibility I need for those, but thanks to this module I can see the portfolio becoming real in the near future! Wim

01-11-2012, 09:21 AM	#13
loco Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,846	I'm very excited about this! Love Lightroom and already do the huge majority of my photo processing activity in it. Looks like this will give us even more capability! Really like the extra sliders for the contrast and exposure settings! I'm cautious, though. I'll wait for a sale and a couple updates before I take the plunge.

01-11-2012, 09:52 AM	#14
civiletti Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Oregon Photos: Albums Posts: 1,435	I have not downloaded yet, but the promotional videos suggest LR4 would be a worthwhile upgrade. In particular, the shadow and highlight sliders look to improve upon fill and recovery. The softproofing could safe lots of paper. The expanded touch-up brush is nice, though I do not like that mode of selection very much. I prefer NIK's control points which define edges more easily and accurately.

01-11-2012, 10:06 AM	#15
demp10 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Atlanta Photos: Albums Posts: 602	I downloaded it yesterday and played around with the 3 most important new features for me. PhotoBook - I was able to recreate a book I am working on (using the Blurb software) very easily and now it looks much better. No more exporting and resizing images. Controlling the background of pages and being able to add captions on the photos is great. Softproof - It is quite reveling to see how your Epson Matte paper compares with the on screen image. It will save a lot of paper from test prints. E-mail - I love this one. Instead of exporting, resizing, storing and attaching photos, now with one click can send an e-mail sized image through Outlook. I did not spend much time on the Development module, but it looks that now they do a highlight recovery automatically as part of the RAW conversion. So far it looks quite nice.