Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 (Universal) Available for Pre-Order at $199

[1/29] [Updated]Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 (Universal) Available for Pre-Order at $199

After a year of public betas, Adobe will ship Photoshop Lightroom on February 19, 2007, but it can be pre-ordered today at a special introductory price of $199. A free trial download will be available on the February 19th date as well.

Photoshop Lightroom is Adobe's software product built especially for digital photographers who shoot and work with large volumes of images. It streamlines the photographer's workflow from importing RAW images directly from digital cameras to managing the collection of those images to applying most re-touching effects non-destructively to presenting the results or to exporting to Photoshop for further work on those few special images that require it.

Adobe says that over 500,000 photographers participated actively in the public beta program through beta 4.1, the last one. There were over 1 million downloads altogether. So, the final 1.0 version of Photoshop Lightroom has many new features and changes from the public betas.

New Features in the Final Version

Since the last beta there are significant changes to the Library and Develop modules complementing improvements to the Slideshow, Print and Web components. Here is the final interface (click on it or here to see five large images of the component interfaces):

While in the Library module, new advanced keywording tools help photographers filter through large collections, and an improved import dialogue with more flexible file handling allows more choice when determining file location.

The new Key Metadata Browser provides quick access to key information tags with an improved ranking and rating system that now incorporates color labels and a pick/reject system that sorts and locates photographs faster than ever.

New to the Develop module, Virtual Copies and Snapshot tools help present multiple versions of the same image, providing the most choice to clients without the confusion of saving separate physical versions.

Additional tools added include a Hue, Saturation and Luminance targeted adjustment tool for precise and intuitive image edits. Clone and Healing features provide non-destructive edits to eliminate sensor dust across one or many images.

Photoshop Lightroom supports over 150 raw file formats in addition to JPEG and TIFF. The latest camera models supported include the Nikon D 40 and 80, and Pentax K10D. Upon import, files can be converted to the Digital Negative specification (DNG) or renamed and segmented by folder or date.  DNG is an industry-wide initiative to create a universal file format for solving workflow and archiving issues. It aims to eliminate barriers to new camera adoption while giving professional photographers the confidence that their digital body of work is securely archived and will remain accessible as digital imaging technology evolves.

Requirements

The requirements are Mac OS X 10.4 or later; a G4, G5 or Intel Core Duo CPU; 768MB RAM (1GB recommended); 1GB of free hard disk space; a monitor with 1024x768 resolution; and a CD-ROM drive. We have been using the beta versions on a 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo and a 2.33GHz 15" MacBook Pro C2D.

Compatibility

Photoshop Lightroom has been tested with beta versions of Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" due out this Spring. If needed in order to run on Leopard when it comes out, Adobe plans to provide a free update.

Adobe has also tested to ensure that the final version of Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 is compatible with the files or databases made by the final Beta 4.1. Files from earlier betas may not be compatible. This will not affect original digital photograph images and they may simply need to be re-imported into Photoshop Lightroom 1.0.

Pricing and Availability

The special introductory price of $199 is good through April 30, 2007, at the Adobe Store or resellers like Amazon.com. Thereafter, Photoshop Lightroom will sell for an estimated street price of $299. Photoshop Lightroom beta 4.1 will expire on February 28, 2007. A trial edition will be available for download on February 19.

We will post a review when Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 becomes available. [Update: Added Amazon.com as another source per a note from reader Mark Gipson.] [Bill Fox]