Image processing: Does LR4 do anything that PS CS6 doesn't?

Merluza

Merluza

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This may have been dealt with elsewhere but I couldn't get anything much useful from the search, so if that's so perhaps someone can point me in the right direction.

Regarding image processing are there any advantages in using LR4 over PS CS6? I have PS CS6 so it's really a matter of any benefits of having LR. I'm sure I could use the sort function to my advantage but it's really the processing that I care about at the moment. I know they both use the same Raw engine, which I love in PS, but some people seem to find the process better in LR so I'm wondering what else it offers, does the programme give better results or are there other benefits?

I understand it's use as an image sorting and filing programme but presence of the image processing bit just leaves me confused and I don't want to add another programme that just sits there.

Thanks
 
Since moving to Lightroom a couple of years ago. I barely need to touch PS for most of my work. You soon learn to learn the workflow and find that all the adjustments / sharpening / exposure are at your fingertips. As Ben said, it's also great for batch processing. You'll love it!
 
I have CS4, PE10 And Lightroom 4. The latter only for about a month but after fiddling with hundreds of my photos I find I am 95% LR & use PE10 for the rest of the time. CS4 rarely gets a look in.

So LR4 + PE10 but looking at getting PE11 & I am very happy :thumbs:
 
TBH I'd see LR4 and CS6 as companions rather than competitors. LR4 for global batch edits and CS6 for more advanced pixel level editing.
 
The image processing is the same between LR4.x and ACR 7.x as long as they are of the same update version. The editing options are laid out differently, but they are the same options. I think it is currently LR 4.3 and ACR 7.3, but are both about to be updated.

I find ACR works for me, and find myself using Photoshop less and less. If LR could straighten images the same way as ACR, then I may have made the switch.

There are cataloguing options, easy web dissemination of images, tethering options and bookmaking software built into LR, whether you'd find any of that useful, only you can say.

You can download a trial to see if you like it any better. :shrug:
 
redhed17 said:
The image processing is the same between LR4.x and ACR 7.x as long as they are of the same update version. The editing options are laid out differently, but they are the same options. I think it is currently LR 4.3 and ACR 7.3, but are both about to be updated.

I find ACR works for me, and find myself using Photoshop less and less. If LR could straighten images the same way as ACR, then I may have made the switch.

There are cataloguing options, easy web dissemination of images, tethering options and bookmaking software built into LR, whether you'd find any of that useful, only you can say.

You can download a trial to see if you like it any better. :shrug:
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What don't you like about the straighten tool in LR - I find that easier to use than the ACR one?
 
As everyone has already said LR and CS6 are more of a partnership rather than either or. My workflow tends to be, I choose my keepers and raw conversion, crop, straighten etc before transferring to CS6 for final levels tweaks, localised edited and cloning and sharpening.
 
Thanks everybody, this is helpful. I'll probably have a go with the trial and see what happens.
 
redhed17 said:
I find ACR works for me, and find myself using Photoshop less and less. If LR could straighten images the same way as ACR, then I may have made the switch.
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Good short tutorial here. It took me, as a new user, a few weeks to realise you could hold control down when you have the crop icon on the photo & it changes to a straighten icon. But Still use Picasa for my catalogue/crop./straighten needs :clap:

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter-archive/lightroom/articles/lir1am_straighten/popup.html
 
I don't think anybody has said it yet, so I will; download the free 30-day trial and set up a small group of original images (copies of course and unprocessed) in a test folder and try LR out. You will then be able to answer your own questions as to the suitability and people here will be able to answer specific questions that might arise during your investigation.

Anthony.
 
DayDreamer said:
Good short tutorial here. It took me, as a new user, a few weeks to realise you could hold control down when you have the crop icon on the photo & it changes to a straighten icon. But Still use Picasa for my catalogue/crop./straighten needs :clap:

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter-archive/lightroom/articles/lir1am_straighten/popup.html
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I found out about the pressing the Control key to get the straighten tool last week, but thanks for pointing it out, as others may not know about that option, but it still didn't fix the problem for me. And the problem is you can't zoom into the image when you straighten with LR, (unless someone knows different? :shrug:) but you can with ACR. (and Photoshop) I don't want to draw a line with my nose up against the screen, I'd rather make the image larger, because sometimes the part of the image you have as a reference to straighten to is very small.

It is obviously not a big problem for the vast majority of LR users, because I haven't heard of anyone else having the problem. But coming from ACR, (and Photoshop) I've seen a different, and for me, better way of straightening. :shrug:

While I was watching the Creativelive's Photoshop week, last week, one of the instructors said that the teams who work on LR and Photoshop + ACR are separate. I don't know how true that is, but the way the straighten tool works has slipped through the gap. ;) :lol:

And before someone says it is not a big thing, it is a big thing for me. ;)
 
Lightroom performs non destructive editing, this means that the original image file is never touched. I believe that the edits made in CS6 are saved to the actual image file. I'd always advise making copies of the originals for safety but LR does give a second chance, it also allows a multitude of "what if" type edits which can be very useful sometimes.
 
Photoshop is a far more powerful and accurate tool, if you know how to use it.

Lightroom you can quite easily pick up and use, and is far better for batch stuff. I'd never process more than 30 images using Photoshop.

The Photoshop outcome is just better though, because of so many things you can't do in LR.
 
One thing that's been eluded to is that Lightroom is not only non-destructive but can also create virtual copies, now if not you had layers or could adjust something back in the history without having to redo everything...
 
Digitalize said:
Photoshop is a far more powerful and accurate tool, if you know how to use it.

Lightroom you can quite easily pick up and use, and is far better for batch stuff. I'd never process more than 30 images using Photoshop.

The Photoshop outcome is just better though, because of so many things you can't do in LR.
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Thats why is so expensive
 
fred2511 said:
Thats why is so expensive
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Probably because it required more development and production than Lightroom. Also, being a professional tool, they charge what they can get away with. As Photoshop upgrades are a business expense write off for most of us, it doesn't matter.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Probably because it required more development and production than Lightroom. Also, being a professional tool, they charge what they can get away with. As Photoshop upgrades are a business expense write off for most of us, it doesn't matter.
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I'm not a professional but a serious amateur, i shoot digital and film and the only area i'm not sure about is post processing, i use Aperture and Nik software with good result but there is no much tutorial for those.
£650 is a lot if money if i'm not going to use it but i keep seen photoshop tutorial everywhere .
I have been tempted buying it but i always end up spending the money on gear :)
 
fred2511 said:
I'm not a professional but a serious amateur, i shoot digital and film and the only area i'm not sure about is post processing, i use Aperture and Nik software with good result but there is no much tutorial for those.
£650 is a lot if money if i'm not going to use it but i keep seen photoshop tutorial everywhere .
I have been tempted buying it but i always end up spending the money on gear :)
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Get elements 11 then or use GIMP its free and almost as good as cs.
 
I will start with element, costo as a great deal and download the 30 day trial of cs6 and see if i miss it when it expires.
 
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