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In this review, we will deeply analyze the version 4.0 of popular Adobe software Lightroom. It is one of the most complete functional review available on the Web and can also be useful as a guide to the new features. We will not mention support for new cameras that are added at each major and minor Lightroom upgrade.

Let's start!

System Requirements

For Windows users, support for Windows XP has been dropped, so Windows Vista and Windows 7 are supported. This can cause problems to someone but it's a way to speedup backward compatibility tests in Adobe and Windows 7 is not much more resource hungry than XP (while Vista is) so it's an invitation to go with Windows 7.

For Mac users, support for 32 bit has been dropped and OS must be 10.6.8 or higher.

The RAW cache management has been changed with a strong reduction of cache file size (using compression) so that you can lower the cache size and, I would suggest, delete the cache so that you get rid of large/old style cache files.
Also a video cache file limit has been introduced in the preferences.

Generic changes

Import Module

Export Module

Library Module

Quick Develop panel

A new raw engine version has been introduced and it is identified by "Process Verson 2012" - PV2012. The new raw engine supports new features and should bring even more detail with better highlight preservation. The quick develop panel has been significantly changed, rearranging controls but...

you will see the new panel and all new features across Lightroom 4 only if the selected image(s) have the PV2012 set (if not, you will see Lightroom v3 panels). You can do it by selecting images and right click "Develop settings - Update to current process (2012)" or via menu (again "Develop settings - Update to current process (2012)").

These settings should be used top-down (starting setting exposure than tuning contrast and so on).

See in the following figure the comparison between Lightroom v3 and the new v4.

Lightroom 3 vs Lightroom 4 - quick developLightroom 3 vs Lightroom 4 - quick develop

Metadata panel

Develop Module

Tools - Local adjustments: new useful settings have been added to local adjustments:

Basic (editing) panel

The basic editing panel has been changed according with the changes in the quick develop panel already presented in the description of Grid Module.

Note that contrast is now 0-centered both for RAW and JPG (before it was for JPG only).

See in the following figure the comparison between Lightroom v3 and the new v4.

Lightroom 3 vs Lightroom 4 - developLightroom 3 vs Lightroom 4 - basic develop

Another important improvement is the organization of presets (quick develop, import, etc.) into folders and no more all the items in a (quite often very long) list.

Tone curve panel

RGB-curve

 

Map module

  1. a GPX file is not exported from a camera/card by Lightroom, you have to manually move it, then go to Map module in Lightroom, enable tools (keyboard 't') and click on the GPS tracklog icon gps-tracklog.
  2. tracklogs can be in other formats than GPX: there are converters for that, one for example is available at this link: www.gpsbabel.org.

Book module

Print module

Web module

New DNG Format

Price

Since the competition for RAW converters is quite tough and other softwares come with a lower price, Adobe has decided to significantly lower Lightroom price, basically to 50%! New licences for 149 $ / 109 € + VAT, upgrades for 79 $ / 62 € + VAT. This is very good news and completes our deep review.