What does LR do that CS4 doesn't

andyb1375

Suspended / Banned
Messages
244
Name
Andy
Edit My Images
Yes
Morning Guys

Still pretty new to the processing side of things !

I have and use CS4 on Mac,I have downloaded LR2 trial and I am struggling with it a bit.

So my question is 'What does LR do that CS4 doesn't
 
LR is a different kettle of fish and if you think of LR as your batch processor and CS4 more as your individual file in great detail processor then that's more or less where they sit.

CS4 has been developed down the route of CS2,CS3...... and is an amazingly powerful image development/creation tool. LR came along later and simply allows you to apply a lot of adjustment to a lot of images AT THE SAME TIME which prior to LR was either not possible or a PITA!

CS4 works in a lot more depth than LR, LR works with a lot more images at one time.
 
LR also catalogues all your pictures on your hard disk - which means you never 'loose' a picture again!
 
I have both LR and CS4.

I find LR is laid out a lot more logically, I find it easier to find the tools i'm looking for.

LR sorts, stores, and inventories all your images making it possible to search them with a range of criteria, and also backs them up.

LR is great for batch editing images. I've found LR quite customisable, in terms that I can add watermarks in batches as I export, upload batches of images to my pixelpost site etc.

CS4 is probably the more powerful editor although I believe the gap was closed slightly with LR2.

CS4 is orientated more towards single image editing rather than batch. There is probably alot more you can do in CS4 that LR2 but I don't know where it is! At the minute LR2 does everything I need.
 
Thanks guys. I will just go off and play again.
 
As you're on the Mac, give Aperture a try if you haven't already.

Same idea as LR really, but I find it a little bit easier to use. I tried both and stuck with Aperture, I still use Photoshop CS4 for editing images of course.
 
What sort of editing do you do?

If you light edits to lots of images Lightroom may be a good option.

If you use layers a lot and spend a fair amount of time on each image you may be better of sticking with Photoshop.

What made you try Lightroom, is there something you feel that Photoshop can't do?
 
To me PS CS4 and Bridge do everything, Batch PP as well as filing and sorting all so easy can sort on any tags or metadata even on lens or f-stop in need be
Bridge can make contact sheet and web pages all so easy
To me Lightroom is a cut down mix of the two
 
To be perfectly honest the only reason i tried LR was that I have just finished editing some Wedding Shots and there was one shot that the couple wanted that didn't come out at all well because of a poor shot by myself.I can sort most things out in PS but in this case it was a lost cause. The photo is lost but couldn't see what the advantage was.
 
To be perfectly honest the only reason i tried LR was that I have just finished editing some Wedding Shots and there was one shot that the couple wanted that didn't come out at all well because of a poor shot by myself.I can sort most things out in PS but in this case it was a lost cause. The photo is lost but couldn't see what the advantage was.

I dont see what LR can do that Photoshop cant?
 
LR has speed over photoshop IMO. Of course, it's horses for courses, but if you're only doing basic edits like levels, recovery, tweaking exposure etc, it's quicker for me to zoom through them all through one interface, rather than taking them one by one from bridge (even just using the raw interface).

Obviously LR isn't as in depth as PS, no usage of layers, for example, but it's quick and handy for me. It's easy to find things, I can seperate things out how I want them and it generally makes my workflow quicker.

Depends what you're used to I guess
 
To be perfectly honest the only reason i tried LR was that I have just finished editing some Wedding Shots and there was one shot that the couple wanted that didn't come out at all well because of a poor shot by myself.I can sort most things out in PS but in this case it was a lost cause. The photo is lost but couldn't see what the advantage was.

The raw processing in Lightroom is the same as ACR. As a heavy Lightroom user I can't really see where I'd find something that I can do to an image in Lightroom that isn't is PS.
 
Exactly. Although persons not versed in graphic and image software will find LR a lot easier to use as its all very simplified and well laid out.

but lacking, there are many things you can not do and need PS for.
 
You're not comparing the same product though.

Lightroom isn't a replacement for photoshop, it's an additional tool. LR adds cataloging function and BASIC editing into one single program, and adds on a printing facility and the the ability to generate both slideshows and web galleries.

Photoshop doesn't have a catalog function built in, you have to use a seperate program.

It's not about which one is better, IMO both can be used side by side to get the best results, although I rarely use photoshop until the final stages before sending to print, as I just don't need to with LR.
 
Back
Top