Lightroom, Pro's Con's????

Bubbles22 · Dec 29, 2011

What are your thoughts? I was thinking about buying Lightroom 3 for $200 as it is on sale right now. I missed the black friday $100 sale. However, I heard they are going to come out with a Lightroom 4 around May. I just don't know if I can't wait that long. Plus would there be anything that I need on the upgrade probably not. I just take pics of my family and such and I'm ready to try and start using the RAW files. I want my pictures to look better than what I am given with the JPEG.

Mena · Dec 29, 2011

Im trying it out with the free 30 day thing and so far its worked great for my needs in processing RAW.

Seelow · Dec 29, 2011

I really don't know of any cons expect not having it. If your on a MAC you can go with aperture its cheaper and does a lot of what lightroom does. You won't be disappointed with either. I use lightroom3 and don't a bad thing to say about it. If your not shooting raw now the sooner the better.

thierry · Dec 29, 2011

Definetly go for Lightroom 3. Its awesome, and they may not release 4 for another year. You never know. You can get it for $179 right now.

Amazon.com: Used and New: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3

jwbryson1 · Dec 29, 2011

Loves me some LR3.

Robin Usagani · Dec 29, 2011

No cons

2WheelPhoto · Dec 29, 2011

Seelow said:
I really don't know of any cons expect not having it. If your on a MAC you can go with aperture its cheaper and does a lot of what lightroom does. You won't be disappointed with either. I use lightroom3 and don't a bad thing to say about it. If your not shooting raw now the sooner the better.

+1 times infinity. Once you play with the trial version ans see what all it does over the competion and "second best" programs, you'll like it. I haven't tapped everything it does but peek here: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photography-equipment-products/265412-lightroom3.html

enzodm · Dec 29, 2011

And in case you are student or teacher, look at student/teacher edition

TenaciousTins · Dec 29, 2011

I adore Lightroom 3. go for it!

GeorgieGirl · Dec 29, 2011

Love mine.

MLeeK · Dec 29, 2011

Get the trial and start watching tome youtube tutorials. You will decide then if it is for you or not.
The cons are it's not a pixel editing program. It's only cataloging and developing of images. You can't clone, work in layers, textures, create a composite, create a card or album or poster-anything that requires pixel based editing.
It only works in ProPhoto colorspace. ProPhoto is the largest gamut colorspace and most monitors cannot even see it. When you convert to sRGB for web or printing you do lose some of the color and the image changes. For me it was a real problem-for most photographers it's not.

The Pro's are definitely many many many for a few, minimal cons.

If you need to also have a pixel based editor then you may want to look at PhotoShop Elements 10

KmH · Dec 29, 2011

As mentioned, Lightroom's main function is image database (catalog) management. Since Lightroom is only capable of opening 1 image database (catalog) at a time, you need to put all of your images into a single catalog. However, you can organize that catalog into collections.

Lightroom is very good for adding keywords and image ratings to images during image ingestion, because keywords and ratings are what make the database search feature effective. Lightroom was designed for working photographers that routinely produce a lot of images. Lightroom was designed as a compliment to Photoshop CS. Adobe expected Lightroom buyers would already have Photoshop CS, rather than use Lightroom as their only image editing application.

If one does not spend the time and effort to keyword/rate images as they are uploaded, Lightroom's main function becomes virtually useless.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to pay for software and then ignore it's primary use.

Lightroom's Develope module uses Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). Lightroom' Develope module is a Raw converter. While Lightroom can edit JPEGs, JPEGs only have an 8-bit color depth leaving little, if any, editing headroom regardless the image editing application used. Elements or CS5 would have the same limitations when trying to edit JPEGs.

Photoshop Elements 10 is the consumer version of Photoshop. Elements includes an image organizer (an image browser), and a truncated version of ACR. Elements can edit pixels, has layers, selection tools and functions, masking, and many other features needed to do graphic arts type things like make posters, cards, albums, add textures, etc.

Photoshop CS5 also includes Bridge (an image browser), and virtually the same ACR that Lightroom 3 has in it's Develope module. CS5 has even more tools, features, and functions than Elements does.

You may find some of these tutorials helpful: Photo Editing Tutorials

Audible_Chocolate · Dec 29, 2011

I love lightroom! great program and would be lost without it.

xposurepro · Dec 29, 2011

I would not hold out for Lightroom 4 .. that's a long time away and considering your usage upgrading would purely be a want and not a need anyway. LR3 will work just fine for you.