The mobile version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the company’s photo processor and image organizer, is now more powerful. Adobe Systems announced this week that it has released new Lightroom apps for iPhones and iPads and all mobile devices running the Android operating system. The apps offer new editing power for Apple and Android-powered gadgets.
For iOS users, Lightroom 2.4 carries full support for raw image handling, which means photographers can have access to the original and uncompressed photo data rather than a compressed format such as JPEG. The image can then be transferred directly to an iPhone or iPad. Previously, the desktop version of Lightroom and Camera Raw were the only Adobe products that offered this. Images can be transferred via Apple’s camera connection adapters as well as with Eye-Fi wireless cards.
With Lightroom 2.1 for Android, users also can capture raw images on their mobile devices and create DNG file formats with the help of a newly added Pro mode. Images taken with Android devices can also be transferred via Wi-Fi, letting shooters edit and share files without their PCs.
Good News for Photographers
Alexis Gerard, founder of the Future Image Web site and co-chair of the Mobile Photo Connect mobile imaging conference, told us the addition of the raw photo capability is a significant addition for Lightroom.
“Adobe sees high-end shooters migrating from the desktop,” said Gerard. “The most interesting thing is the inclusion of raw capability. That’s significant for professional photographers and serious hobbyists.”
The updated mobile version of Lightroom also gives users access to additional linear and radial selections, editing tools that allow localized adjustments to specific parts of a photo. It also automatically syncs revised images with the desktop or Web version of Lightroom that users already own, saving them the trouble of importing and exporting files to or from the desktop as long as they are connected to the Internet.
Available for Download
The new Pro mode of the app features manually adjustable settings for ISO or light sensitivity rating, shutter speed, depth of focus and white balance depending on a device’s camera utilities. Users can launch the Lightroom camera directly without opening the core app itself with the help of a built-in widget.
In announcing the product, Adobe said it wanted to transition the app from a normal companion level to an individual app. Adobe is also looking for ways to keep up with the competition, since Instagram and photo-sharing app VSCO Cam have both developed apps that appeal to higher-end users.
Lightroom for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, while iOS users can visit the respective iTunes sites for iPhone and iPad versions. Features in the Apple edition of the app are only accessible to users with current subscriptions to the Adobe Creative Cloud service or via a free Creative Cloud trial.
