Snapshots!

HEAVEN!

Targeted Adjustment Tool ala LR is also nice though I would like a 'clear all' button like with the local adjustment brushes.

Given that Bridge/ACR now is as sophisticated a developing tool as LR2, and with the far better useability and integration of the Bridge CS4, if you don't buy into the 'library' way of working in LR (like myself), and if you own CS4 anyway, there really is no disadvantage at all in using a completely enclosed CS4 workflow. Been very very happy with CS4.

Now if only the bugs in the Review mode in Bridge would be sorted out...

There is! I just tried the targeted brush, and after a bit of searching I found the "Clear" button (but I don't remember where...I think it was on the lower right side.)

I couldn't find a way to stop using the brush, until I tried by selecting the hand tool, which solved the problem. Is there another way to let go of the brush?

Please elaborate on exactly what you're looking for. Then I can tell you whether that functionality is achievable with 5.2 or not.

Hi and thanks, the input from someone on the 'team' is extremely valuable here!

With the tool set to 'parametric curve' you can make changes BUT the parametric curve window doesn't open up, unlike with the other 4 options (hue/saturation/luminance/greyscale) where using the tool opens up the appropriate panel alongside.

Unlike in the past where adjustments to these values would have been inputted manually, I think it would be important to add a 'return to default values' button in the appropriate panel/pane. It's a pain in the neck to make a whole bunch of tweaks, decide you want to start from scratch and have to enter a whole bunch of boxes to type '0'.

That said I'm still salviating over the added usage brought by these tools. As a wedding photographer you can imagine what a combination of the targeted brush and the local adjustment tools will do for me! I've only processed one wedding with CS4 so far, it took me almost double the time in ACR for all that CS4 is faster. But those pictures look PERFECT when they go to PS to batch for printing! Local Adjustments are extremely addictive, now you can get perfect pictures that you wouldn't have bothered with in the past particularly, hey the tool is there, why not lighten up that corner a bit!

BTW did I miss something or is there no DNG converter in the 5.2 update?

It's the same with all the new brushes. You have to learn new keyboard shortcuts. Z for zoom or H for hand will bring you back and it's faster than clicking. Does anyone have the keyboard shortcut for returning to the 'Basic' pane from anything else?

Ben, there is a DNG Converter 5.2, but it is not included in the CR plug-in download package. Starting with the 5.2 release, we have decided to separate out the downloads of the CR plug-in and DNG Converter application, because most users have indicated to us that they tend to use one or the other, but not both (among other reasons).

So, if you wish to download the DNG Converter 5.2, it is a separate download.

That depends.

If you are using a tool that does not have its own special panes (examples of such tools are the Zoom tool, White Balance tool, etc.), then you can navigate all the panes using Cmd-Option-{1 through 9}, where Cmd-Option-1 is the Basic pane and Cmd-Option-9 is the Snapshots pane. On Windows, replace Cmd with Ctrl, and replace Option with Alt. Note that on the Mac, Cmd-Option-8 is usually mapped to universal access by Mac OS X, so unless you change this preference in System Settings, you will not be able to use Cmd-Option-8 to access the Presets pane.

If you are using a tool that does have its own special pane (e.g., Adjustment Brush, or Spot Healing) then you can press a key like H (to access the Hand Tool) which will go back to the regular panes.

Very good point...begging the many questions raised to this day about the other 3 modules neglect in the development of LR. Although some improvement, mainly it seems in the print module, have been made recently, the poor slideshow and moderately better web module need a renewed kick in the rear by adobe...IMHO.

Hey Eric,

One thing I would love to see under the adjustment brush menu is "clarity". If it's there now, my apologies- I havent' seen it. Keep up the great work!

Thanks,
John

Already there as well as Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness and Color tint. Note that these are "control channels" and have been tuned to work locally so there's not a 1:1 absolute relationship between these controls and the global controls. But they're close except for -Sharpness ain't "blur" it's more of an un-sharpness that tends to smooth. The effect is very subtle...(some might say TOO subtle).

:~)

The other thing I think is lacking is the ability to darken from the dark side kinda like the Shadows slider in Parametric Curves...you can use Exposure or Brightness to darken but it's darkening down from above not darkening from the bottom up.

I wonder what Jeff can (or cannot) say regarding distorsion correction (a la DxO) in LR/ACR... or if there has been any talk at all on that ...

Another thing I wonder is how far will LR go? Will it eventually become a photographer's replacement for PS?

Just wondering about the future...

Anybody who knows can't say...and anybody who says, can't know (unless his initials are TK).

Well I share the first name of TK... shouldn't I be privileged to half of what u can't say?

re: Windows XP Pro

I just downloaded, unzipped, and installed CameraRAW 5.2. Then I ran “CameraProfiles.exe” that came with the zip download. I’m sure it installed a lot of profiles I don’t need. Anybody know where (what directory) these profiles are stored? I want to delete unnecessary files.

C:\Document and Settings\all users\application data\adobe\camera raw

Note that any profiles you make up for yourself using the DNG converter will be stored in 'user name' rather than 'all users'.

Ouch, when you have shortcut keys that need two hands you might as well use the mouse. Try doing ctrl/alt/6 to quickly get to the vignetting pane!

Shame that ACR can't use perhaps shift/# to get to any of the adjusment panes whether using the normal or special panes. Would make life easier rather than having to keyboard shortcut out of local adjustments then keyboard shortcut back into the required pane.

Give you an example, on a given picture I will usually do basic corrections, then vignetting if needed, then local corrections. When working through hundreds of proofs from a wedding as fast as possible it would be nicer to have a more streamlined shortcut system.

Just a thought.

Thanks for the great new additions to ACR5.2!

I do have a question though-about sharpening.
How do the new output sharpening options in the Workflow Options relate to the sharpening settings on the Detail tab?
Do they replace/override or enhance the user settings?

If the Output sharpening replaces the user-defined sharpening, the latter would be for preview purposes only I guess (that is an option in the preferences after all...).

But, I assume the Detail tab settings are for input sharpening, and the output sharpening options are for, well...so they if that's the case, the output sharpening does build on/enhance the Detail tab sharpening?

Is some workflow/best practices rethinking in order with this new option-whether to use the detail tab, or to tone that down a bit etc?

Thanks for any insights on this!

Martijn

In Camera Raw, there are 3 explicit sharpening stages, corresponding to the stages in the "sharpening workflow" originally proposed by Bruce Fraser: capture sharpening, creative sharpening, and output sharpening.

Capture sharpening is handled in the Detail pane. It is enabled by default (amount = 25). It can be disabled by setting amount to 0. The last major revision to capture sharpening occurred with CR 4.1.

Creative sharpening is handled via local adjustments and is new to CR 5 / LR 2. By default there is no creative sharpening, since by default there are no local adjustments to an image.

Output sharpening is set via the workflow options. By default it is disabled.

Capture & creative sharpening are applied to the image at its original, native resolution. Output sharpening is applied after any image resampling that is required to bring the image to its output resolution.

Thank you very much, Eric, exactly what I wanted to know!

Martijn

I think a big "hats off" to the camera raw team is in order for creating the targeted adjustment tool. Whoever came up with that one deserves a raise (or some paid vacation).

John

Would it be possible to have different settings for output to reflect the media being printed on ala PK Sharpener?

Output Sharpening via Lightroom 2.x and Camera Raw 5.2 and above already have matte and glossy settings...

But not the choice of inkjet or contone, etc, my mistake, I meant choice of printing device.

Thanks, Jeff. Having now played around w/ the targeted adjustment brush, I wonder if the Adobe folks (Eric, are you there?) could make it even more targeted: incorporate a (lasso) selection tool such that non selected parts of the image that have similar pixel values remain unaffected when making changes. I know you can similarly accomplish this task with the local adjustment brush, but the way the targeted brush works is just so cool... This little ACR "plugin" is really becoming more like "Photoshop Raw" with each new iteration.

John

Yes, I am listening ...

Effectively what you're describing are refinements to the local correction model. We're working on 'em.

Well I'm glad to hear that from an authorized person! And glad too to read Eric's message !

I too feel a kinda nostalgia for point curves, lacking the ability to alter tone and contrast in specific tone zones of a local area, eg nail down everything from shadows to midtones and boost highlights, just as John said above.

Btw I know that a parametric curve can do the job too, for point curves maybe that's just nostalgia - but for the moment I feel easier to alter contrasts with a point curve than with a parametric one.

Huh...that's the first time I've been called an "authorized" person...

:~)

To be clear, I don't work FOR Adobe...I sometimes work WITH them on projects. So, nothing I ever say is what one would call "authorized"...just my own opinion.

Well, I'm still exploring these latest features in ACR5.2 and LR. The adjustments available in ACR and Lightroom are certainly very slick to use. Thanks to the Adobe team for the speedy update to ACR to provide support for the latest cameras. My plans to get a 5D MkII have been hampered by my local dealer going bust, but I have fallen for a new Powershot G10. Having ACR support meant lots of fun from day one.

I'm also trying hard to improve my sharpening skills so I get the best from my images. Get it right and images taken with good glass really do look stunning. Is anyone planning an update to Bruce Frazer's book on Sharpening to cover the new features added since CS2? I know Jeff has been very busy with the Camera Raw book (which I shall pre-order shortly) and his joint effort with Martin Evening.

A few OpenGL support issues aside (my PC didn't like it at all), CS4 is great. It definitely gets a big thumbs up from me. A new version will have a few niggles, but all will be sorted in due course.

Thanks to all of you for your useful posts.

Jo

xxxxcellent....

In PK Sharpener, there is a distinction between inkjet and contone. Which, if any, of the LR output sharpening options would be as effective for contone as the PK Sharpener contone option?

Thanks
Dan Dill

Windows

I presume this is the same in Mac, anyway...........

With an image open in ACR, I choose Load Settings........, can I delete that change with the image still open in ACR, or do I have to choose Cancel and open the image again?

Thanks.

D.