Adobe goes live with Photoshop Lightroom 2

Image editing software maker Adobe has launched the latest version of its Photoshop Lightroom package of workflow and RAW processing tools.

Dual monitor support, a host of new non-destructive localized corrections, and 64-bit support for both Intel-based Macintosh computers and Windows Vista environments top the list of headline features for the latest version, which has become a staple tool for many professional and serious amateur photographers.

An improved Library module is designed to make sorting and searching for images faster and easier than in previous versions. Enhanced intelligent keywording also promises to help speed the process at the front end of the workflow.

Improvements to the Develop module include the addition of the Local Adjustment Brush first seen in Lightroom 2 beta versions. The brush, which allows for area-specific exposure and color adjustments, is arguably the most substantive upgrade in the latest version.

Other new features that carried over from the beta testing phase include better vignetting control, improved camera profiling that more closely resembles default processing for each particular model, and a range of new print-side options.

RAW conversion is at the heart of what Lightroom does, and for the latest release Adobe has updated their RAW file handler to support images from the latest Olympus DSLRs, the E-420 and E-520. As before current Photoshop and Elements users can download Camera Raw 4.5 independent of Lightroom.

Lightroom 2 went on sale this morning through Adobe's webstore. The package is priced at $99 for the upgrade, or $299 for the full version.