Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available Now

After what seems like forever, Adobe finally made available it’s answer to Apple’s Aperture software. The long awaited and long tested Adobe Photoshop Lightroom was available for purchase today and until April 30, you can score a copy for $199, after which the price jumps to $299. Lightroom was designed for both professional and amateur digital photographers alike allowing you to work with only the tools you need for a given task while accelerating your workflow. Version 1.0 also sports new features from the previous beta and Adobe has also updated the Camera Raw software including those used by the Nikon D40 and D80, and Pentax’s K10D for a total of 150 supported cameras.

The 1.0 release adds a set of new features to those in the version 4.1 beta. The Library module gains advanced keyword tools to help photographers filter through large collections, and an improved import dialogue with more flexible file handling to allow more choice when determining file location.

The new Key Metadata Browser provides quick access to key information tags. It provides an improved ranking and rating system, says Adobe, with color labels and a pick/reject system.

The Develop module gains Virtual Copies and Snapshot tools. These provide multiple versions of the same image for comparison, without having to save physical versions. A new tool provides precise controls over hue, saturation and luminance, and the final release offers Clone and Healing brushes for sensor dust removal.