Only slightly OT: Adobe Lightroom release

Adobe has announced the launch of the finalised <A HREF="http://www.adobe.com/products/

photoshoplightroom/">Lightroom</A> at the very attractive introductory price of $199. I hope the price

is as good over here in the UK, but doubt it. <p>I find the Beta version works very well on most fronts,

and in particular handles B&W conversion in a sophisticated and flexible way. Printing is blissfully easy. I

use it exclusively for my M8 shots.<p>The full version has some additional tools that make it unlikely I

would want to do much editing in PS, though you can do that if you want.

I'm not clear from the Adobe website. Is this actually available now or in February. I have

been using the BETA of this program for some time.

I stepped thru the ordering process....short of actually ordering it...and i believe you can download the English and French version right now. The actuall "product", which the way they say it, means the actually CD in the box (a physical package, in other words) is not available until February..They said something in there about downloading now and getting a "product" later, but I stopped short of reading it. i tend to like to have the box and CD with stuff like this.

My order says - Pre-order Estimated Availability Date Sunday, February 18, 2007. There is also a disclaimer the date could change.

 

The date is still in-line with expectations and the beta is good for February anyway. Pricing is about right with the introductory discount.

 

Another nice touch is the recognition of the beta testers - http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/special/thankyou/

I have been trying to learn what I could about Lightzone and have read and heard that Adobe's product is supposedly an answer to that. What are the differences and similarities?

How specifically does it handle B&W conversion in a "sophisticated and flexible way?"

 

Is it intuitive for darkroom-experienced people or, for example, is it logical particularly for geeks?

 

Does it assume measurements with third party devices or does it terminate their utility (as is eventually inevitable)?

John: if you use the grayscale conversion facility, it offers a row of sliders for each of the

original colours that is now represented by grayscale and therefore allows for subtle

adjustments of the image that I've not seen in any other system.