Lightroom worth the cost?

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Koolpc

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Fickle
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I am thinking of getting Lightroom 3 and was wondering if it worth the cost? I have seen it but don't know how to use it but would learn.

Photoshop is just way too much for me to buy at the moment.
 
Download the free trial version from the Adobe web site and try it for 30 days. That way you can see if you get on with it.
 
I will try the 30day free trial then.

Seeing as i really can't afford Adobe PS, will Lightroom still give me a lot of scope with PP?
 
I'm hooked on it. Can't imagine how I'd manage without it.
 
Koolpc said:
I will try the 30day free trial then.

Seeing as i really can't afford Adobe PS, will Lightroom still give me a lot of scope with PP?
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Yes it does.

What kind of photography do you prefer and you will get a more specific answer but all the WB/cropping/straightening etc can all be done in LR.
 
AliB said:
Yes it does.

What kind of photography do you prefer and you will get a more specific answer but all the WB/cropping/straightening etc can all be done in LR.
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Thanks.

As for what type of photography well, family pics, Landscapes, architecture
 
I am processing 95% of my work in Lightroom only.
Amazing software
 
Definitely. v2 was good, v3 even better. Lens corrections and perspective control are both really useful, a huge step forward in my opinion. The noise reduction in v3 is excellent as well.

Lightroom was designed for photographers, unlike Photoshop. Think of it as a digital darkroom. Use it for developing your images.
 
Been looking at some video tutorials of Lightroom 3, lots to learn!!
 
I'm in the same situation and wondering if this software is worth the money for an amateur or is it best to start off using this level of software?

I'm also interested in how and where you would purchase this from, as in boxed or download etc. If downloaded, can you run the software on two mac's i.e. iMac and Macbook Pro at the same time?

I have PE8 which allowed me to install on two computers but this was a boxed version.

Mark
 
Excellent software, if you cant afford PS to compliment it for the things LR cant do use Elements 8 works fine with that also
 
I ordered my LR boxed (you have the option of boxed or download) because I like to have the physical product in case of disasters. I have it installed on 2 PC's and it's fine with that.
 
I used to loathe lightroom, probably because I could not be bothered to learn how it works.It took my ages to suss CS3 out and I kinda lost the will to live with learning about anymore Adobe products.

However, I decided to get my backside in gear and learn how it works and i`m so glad that I did. I find, for volume, low processing work, it is simply superb. Fast,easy to use and is a godsend.

For stuff that needs more than a quick process, you may find that you will still need photoshop in some guise. I do anyway.
 
If I was starting digital again I wouldn't buy Photoshop. Lightroom yes, definitely, and possibly Elements for a few things that LR can't do.

I hardly ever used PS since I got Lightroom, and now lens corrections have been added to LR in v3, I can't see what I would use PS for.
 
Peter_Hartland said:
Excellent software, if you cant afford PS to compliment it for the things LR cant do use Elements 8 works fine with that also
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AliB said:
I ordered my LR boxed (you have the option of boxed or download) because I like to have the physical product in case of disasters. I have it installed on 2 PC's and it's fine with that.
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fracster said:
I used to loathe lightroom, probably because I could not be bothered to learn how it works.It took my ages to suss CS3 out and I kinda lost the will to live with learning about anymore Adobe products.

However, I decided to get my backside in gear and learn how it works and i`m so glad that I did. I find, for volume, low processing work, it is simply superb. Fast,easy to use and is a godsend.

For stuff that needs more than a quick process, you may find that you will still need photoshop in some guise. I do anyway.
Click to expand...

jerry12953 said:
If I was starting digital again I wouldn't buy Photoshop. Lightroom yes, definitely, and possibly Elements for a few things that LR can't do.

I hardly ever used PS since I got Lightroom, and now lens corrections have been added to LR in v3, I can't see what I would use PS for.
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Thanks guy's, much appreciated..!
 
AliB said:
I ordered my LR boxed (you have the option of boxed or download) because I like to have the physical product in case of disasters. I have it installed on 2 PC's and it's fine with that.
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I'm curious, are you able to update both installed copies?
 
Excellent :thumbs:; thanks.
 
jerry12953 said:
I hardly ever used PS since I got Lightroom, and now lens corrections have been added to LR in v3, I can't see what I would use PS for.
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If that is the case, then I had better dig deeper into LR.
 
95%+ of my images are processed in LR3 - takes a fraction of the time compared to PS - just copy and paste edits to a whole series of pictures.
 
fracster said:
If that is the case, then I had better dig deeper into LR.
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its well worth the effort, 80% of my images never see CS5 now, the only time I export are if thoses images will require work likely to need multiple layers or masks
 
Thanks both, I will delve further into it..........:thumbs:
 
I have both Lightroom 3 and Bibble 5.1 pro and they are very good programs , I think that Bibble is an easier program to use out of the box and can be used in locallised areas to brighten / darken an image , http://bibblelabs.com/products/bibble5/
 
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I have Bibble too and found it a waste of money - it has never lived up to it's promises.
 
I would recommend lightroom to anyone, and Aperture on the Mac. Both these tools i cannot live without. It makes everything go so much faster! Sorting photos becomes a breeze and as somone previously said , in most cases you can do about 95% of the editing in lightroom alone.

Definately worth it!
 
fracster said:
If that is the case, then I had better dig deeper into LR.
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The four sliders at the top of the develop module will develop your images. I got a bit carried away with the "recovery" slider at first, but by checking the histogram you can see whether you need to turn down the highlights.

Use "black" to add apparent saturation, open up shadow areas with "fill light", adjust overall exposure with "exposure". Correct colour temp (if necessary).

In v3, sharpening and noise reduction are very good. Lens corrections can be done manually and/or automatically, and you can now correct for converging verticals if you wish - why not? Large format in a tin!

It may be that if one were very skilled at using PS, one could get marginally better results, I suppose. But that's not for me.

j
 
OK, had a delve and played with a few images,can I ask what collections and snapshots do?
 
Collections give you a useful place to group pictures together without moving them from their parent folders. Good for exports etc.
 
smoothedit said:
Collections give you a useful place to group pictures together without moving them from their parent folders. Good for exports etc.
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Fettled, thanks......:)
 
Just checked. Snapshots is where you can save a version at a certain point of editing. Useful for going back to or showing transition in editing.
 
How does one do that?

Sorry for the dumbass questions.

Ignore, just found it...........:)
 
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Snapshots:

I dont use it that often, but it acts as a kind of history. You can delete certain points without having to reset right back to that point....

Does that make sense?
 
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mstphoto said:
Just wondering - as my mate and I both want LR3, would it be possible to split the cost and install on our PCs.
Could be a © issue methinks
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No.

The licensing terms (same as for Photoshop IIRC) say that you can install it on two computers owned or used by you.

https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/faq/

Subject to the terms of the software license agreement, the primary user of the computer on which Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 is installed may install a second copy of the software for his or her exclusive use on either a portable computer or a computer located at his or her home, provided that the software on the second computer is not used at the same time as the software on the primary computer. Lightroom is sold as multiplatform software, which means it can be installed on either Mac OS X or Windows.
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