Today Adobe hosted a live online presentation of the up coming Creative Suite 4. It kinda failed on that side. For me (and others) it was so choppy and slow that it was unwatchable. Still the new features have been announced and though we’re not seeing a exact release date yet you can probably expect it soon.
There’s lots inside, though this update looks mainly evolutionary and not revolutionary. There’s some good videos over on the CS4 learning center that you can check out to get a visual.
A few of the things we’ll see are…
Interface update:
A new adjustment layers panel:
Mask Panel:
New 3d features:
Updates to Bridge:
Focus Blending (from multiple images):
And one of my favorites, Content Aware image scaling (this is like the Liquid Resize product we saw talked about last year:
So, what do you think? Super. Blah. Overpriced. Are you gonna get it? What are your favorite new features? Post up those comments folks.
Many of you who follow me on twitter know that I’ve had many stability issue’s with Lightroom 2. I know others have had problems as well. We’ve been waiting for some bug fixes.
Well Adobe Labs made 2.1 available today. It won’t be in automatic update yet, but it’s worth getting manually. Though I have not used it much yet I do see indications that there are some good improvements. Brushes may even be working smoother now. I won’t make this long. It’s time for bed. Go get it for yourself and share a comment about what you find.
It was bound to happen sooner or later, but sooner finally arrived A bit later that some had expected, but it came. The Canon 5D MK II is official, and looking really good. It’s been announced for Nov release. Here’s my favorite highlights.
Update 11/08: The MK II is said to be shipping mid to lat November. The date is not solid as of this update.
21.1-megapixel full frame sensor:
DIGIC 4 processor, significantly lower noise, ISO range of 50 to 25,600:
1920 x 1080 HD video capture with mic input:
3.9 frames per second (14 frame Raw burst):
15-point Autofocus:
3.0-inch Clear View LCD:
Live View Shooting:
Auto Lighting Optimizer (helps even out harsh lighting):
Delivery is scheduled by the end of Nov. Body only price will be around $2700 USD. Kit version with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens will be around $3500 USD
On a personal note I can say that I can’t wait to get this in my hands. Canon took too long to get it here, but from the look of it they’ll be back in the contenders ring with Nikon. Since this is their #2 pro body. I’m curious what the new 1D will bring us. It can’t be far behind, since the specs on this would turn the current 1D into an electronic oldie. There’s a few more views of the new MK2 below. What ya think? Lets get the comments rolling.
by Gavin Seim: With the introduction of Lightroom2, we got localized corrections with brushes for neat things like exposure, brightness, clarity etc. I made some pre-designed brushes for Burn, Dodge, Skin Soft and the like. Nothing fancy, just simple functional brushes.
How to install LR Brushes…
Adobe has not made a really simple way to import the brushes, but it’s not that hard. Just follow these directions. This is a bit of a workaround. I’ll update it when Adobe makes an easier way. I’m on a Mac, but it will be basically the same for you Win users. Shortcuts are in parenthesis, and remember you can click any image for a big view.
Step 1:
Go to your “Develop” module (D) and open your presets panel on the left. Right click on one of your develop presets. This will bring up the contextual menu and from there click “Show In Finder” or on a Windows machine it should say something like “Show In My Computer”.
Alternatively, you can get to the presets storage folder by simply going to Lightroom Preferences (Settings) then to the preset tab. Click the button that says “Show Lightroom Presets Folder” (see image below).
Step 2:
Now you’ve brought up the folder that contains your develop presets. Now that we need to back out of that folder to it’s parent folder. In the parent folder you should find the “Local Adjustment Presets” folder. Simply drag, or paste your brush presets into the “Local Adjustment Presets” folder, then restart Lightroom.
Step 3:
When your back in Lightroom you can simply go to the “Develop” module (D) and select the “Adjustment Brush” (K) Click the the “Effect:” menu/drop-down. You’ll get the brushes drop-down and inside you’ll see a few defaults, as well as the new brushes you just added.
It’s that simple, using this method you can download and install brush presets to your hearts content. You can also save your own brush presets from the same menu.
Adobe is going to officially announce CS4 on 09/23/08. We mentions this on the last broadcast, but it warranted a post. There’s a thread on the forums and many think it’s a bit too early and that the updates are too small for what Adobe charges.
On the flipside Scott Kelby says it’s going to be impressive, and I have to give some solid wight to his opinions. I’m gonna be keeping my eye on it for sure. Whatever it turns out to offer, it’s worth signing up to get a look.
