Lightroom 3

[Jonathan]

It seems you don't like Lightroom.  So it's likely you'll never be persuaded but....

>> when I meant takes over, I meant you have to physically import every file into LR before you can work on it

Yes.  That's it's strength   It's a database controlled application which makes for minimal file writes, high data integrity and speed (well, it will be fast at some things and slow at others -it depends of course which you want to do).  If you want to see the alternative then check out Hasselblad's Phocus software (the new version will process other manufacturers' raw files). It rewrites a 40 - 90MB file practically every time you move the mouse.  I prefer Lightroom.

>> LR 2.6 (the last one I tried) certainly couldn't.

I didn't know that.  It surprises me that they have changed that.

>> I couldn't help noticing also that LR keywords are in a proprietary format

No.  It puts them in the IPTC keyword fields.  So they are available to any app that can read those.  Like OS X - fire up Spotlight and type a search and the operating system will find your files independently of Lightroom.  I'll bet Windows 7 (or 8 or 9 at the latest) will also be able to do that.

The noise reduction is certainly better than 2.6.  I don't personally think it's as good as a dedicated noise application but I haven't tested it properly.  It's pretty good and very quick.

But if the app's not for you then it's not for you.  I know Phocus will produce better files out of the 'blad and NX2 will possibly produce better files out of the D3.  But for me LR is good enough and faster than anything else I know how to use.

[Hinfrance]

Thanks for the thoughts Jonathan.

I'm afraid I'm stuck with Vista at the moment. I haven't found anything else that will read the LR keywords, so far, apart from LR.

I suppose I never got very far because of the slow and clunky file importing and glacial thumbnail building.

And I think that having to import and catalogue every file is it's major weakness. Very useful if you want it, a complete pain if you don't. It means that all file management has to be done within LR, even though there are dozens of ways you might want to interact with image files other than through LR.  Opinions may vary^TM . I guess it's basically because I don't want to be coerced into only having one way of doing things.

Anyway, all this is for sometime next month.

[Jonathan]

>> Very useful if you want it, a complete pain if you don't.

Yeah - you're really trading up front and backend time (import / export) for process time.  I'd rather take the hit while I'm doing something else and then fly through the editing.  But other times I'll want to work with one file immediately without all the overhead.

BTW if you want speed then look at Photo Mechanic.  Very cool.  Very very fast.

[picsfor]

Ah back to the Vista thing again.

Why do i hate MS Vista? It should have been called MS Windows DOG it's so resource hungry and slow to boot.
Windows 7 really is much faster and much more efficient than Vista. Give LR a miss and get a Win 7 upgrade, and if your machine can't handle the upgrade - then you've explained why LR runs like a dog.

Not really sure what you're trying to achieve...

[Hinfrance]

I'm trying to join the gang Andrew

It's only LR that's runs so slowly, that's why it's noticeable.

I'll get Windows 7 when I upgrade the machine, probably in about a year's time. By then we should have a new broadband node in the village too, so it'll be like computer Christmas.

I'll take a gander at Photo Mechanic Jonanthan, thanks.

[Hinfrance]

Well I was itching to see what it looked like and I just got a discount code from Adobe, so I ran it.

It IS an order of magnitude faster than version 2x.  

I can hear the faint noise of my wallet starting to moan  . . .

[picsfor]

Yep - definitely faster 

AND the images look better when viewed in LR3 - but that's down to improved de-mosaicing algorithms!
and if Graham is looking in - the Slide Show feature is much improved.
Abers says the Print feature is much improved
Jonathan says the NR feature is saving him time

So between us - we've managed to justify 1 of us upgrading 

[Graham]

Yep - definitely faster 

AND the images look better when viewed in LR3 - but that's down to improved de-mosaicing algorithms!
and if Graham is looking in - the Slide Show feature is much improved.
Abers says the Print feature is much improved
Jonathan says the NR feature is saving him time

So between us - we've managed to justify 1 of us upgrading 

I don't have to look in, I'm omni-present!
      S'pose I'd better do it then.
             Thanks for the shove.
                          Graham.

[Hinfrance]

Does anyone know how to remove all of the adjustments made by LR? I have found how to reapply the 'defaults' but not how to remove everything all together and start again.

[Jonathan]

Reset button.  Bottom right in develop module.

[Hinfrance]

Alas, no it doesn't.

It does the same as ctrl+shift+R (or for you I guess cmd+shift+R), the reset shortcut from the photo develop menu - it reapplies the defaults. The only way to get back to the unaltered image that I have found is to disable the default editing in the preferences menu. Which I have now done and I bet every experienced user has done too. So now when I click reset or ctrl+shift+R it really does reset.

Early days . . .

[picsfor]

If i understand it correctly - you want the opportunity to play with a photo/ image and then, instead of undoing all the changes step by step in the edit menu, reset it all to how the photo was before you started experimenting.

If that's the case then you go into the develop module and select the "Settings" menu and the top option is "reset all settings" - and this will restore a photo to the state it was in before you started experimenting.

If you'd already processed the picture via another package then LR3 will not restore the picture to the pre-processed state for that other package - only the state in which the photo was imported to LR3.

Remember to export a copy of a picture if you like it before you opt to restore it to its original state.

[anglefire]

Can't you do virtual copies of the image, so you can easily do this?

You can in ACR by saving a preset in effect.

[picsfor]

As mentioned in previous comments - LR3 does not work the same way as ACR.

With LR you play around with the image and save it when you're happy with that version - then hit the reset button and start again - no presets or virtual copies need to be made up front as it appears are needed in ACR.

Same result - 2 different ways of going about it!

[Hinfrance]

The reset function only resets any changes you have made after interacting with the develop modules, either quick in library mode or full in develop.

In <edit><preferences><presets> LR defaults to "Auto Tone". Reset simply reapplies the auto tone. In order to get back to the raw image as it were, you have to turn this off.