As I've been predicting for a while, the RAW management space (I'm still the only one using the term, but I'll keep at it!) is really heating up.
Apple just trucked out Aperture 2.1 with editing plugin support, and now Adobe launches their Lightroom 2.0 beta.
Headline features (for me):
- Output (print) sharpening based on PK Sharpener! Update: It is unclear to me whether this print sharpening takes the print DPI into account...
- Non destructive retouching, including dodge & burn. This is similar to Apple's dodge and burn plugin, except that it is stored as parameters, like every other operation. It can thus be re-edited later. Aperture's retouch tool can do this too, but that doesn't do dodge & burn. Update: This is really more a dodge and burn, not a retouch. It doesn't have the stamp/healing functionality of Aperture's brush tool.
- Improved organisational tools. Basically it seems Lightroom now has a similar system to Aperture.
- Nice filtering of images
- Panorama support through Photoshop
There is loads more of course, but these I find the most interesting.
In a sense this really sucks, since it makes me think again about Lightroom. The two apps are awfully close, but especially the output sharpening support could mean no more round-tripping to Photoshop for printing. That's a big deal to me. I'll have to see how their new image management tools work, since Aperture kicks total ass in that area.
I'll be reviewing both packages soon.
