This is the first of a three part series introducing the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Public Beta Program and the upcoming new features and enhancements to the new version.

Some of the new features included for you to play with in the Lightroom 3 beta are:

• Brand new performance architecture, building for the future of growing image libraries
• State-of-the-art noise reduction to help you perfect your high ISO shots
• Watermarking tool that helps you customize and protect your images with ease
• Portable sharable slideshows with audio—designed to give you more flexibility and impact on how you choose to share your images, you can now save and export your slideshows as videos and include audio
• Flexible customizable print package creation so your print package layouts are all your own
• Film grain simulation tool for enhancing your images to look as gritty as you want
• New import handling designed to make importing streamlined and easy
• More flexible online publishing options so you can post your images online to certain online photo sharing sites directly from inside Lightroom 3 beta (may require third-party plug-ins)

Also you can see a video with some new features:

Or simply download and see it yourself:

• Adobe Lightroom 3 Beta

Some of the new features included for you to play with in the Lightroom 3 beta are:

• Brand new performance architecture, building for the future of growing image libraries
• State-of-the-art noise reduction to help you perfect your high ISO shots
• Watermarking tool that helps you customize and protect your images with ease
• Portable sharable slideshows with audio—designed to give you more flexibility and impact on how you choose to share your images, you can now save and export your slideshows as videos and include audio
• Flexible customizable print package creation so your print package layouts are all your own
• Film grain simulation tool for enhancing your images to look as gritty as you want
• New import handling designed to make importing streamlined and easy
• More flexible online publishing options so you can post your images online to certain online photo sharing sites directly from inside Lightroom 3 beta (may require third-party plug-ins)*

For more details on the new functionality in the Lightroom 3 beta:

• Watch 3 short videos about what’s new in the beta
• Read the blog post from the Lightroom team to learn about the vision behind the features included in the beta.
• Find helpful resources on the new NAPP Lightroom 3 beta Resource Center.
• Read the release notes (PDF) for detailed information

The Lightroom 3 beta program is available to the public, so that means anyone with an Internet connection can download it and start putting it to the test. You do not need to own (or have tried) a previous version of Lightroom. The version of Lightroom 3 beta software available for download is offered in English only. You can download the beta and use it until the product expires. The current Lightroom 3 public beta will expire on April 30, 2010.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta is available as a free download to anyone on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Visit to learn more and download the beta. Feedback can be submitted on the Lightroom forums Users also can connect with Adobe at www.facebook.com/lightroom or www.twitter.com/AdobeLR, and can add the tag #AdobeLR3beta to tweets about the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta

This update includes camera support for the following models:

• Nikon D300s
• Nikon D3000
• Olympus E-P1
• Panasonic DMC-FZ35**
• Panasonic DMC-GF1

**Note that in Europe and Japan this model is marketed as the DMC-FZ38.

Unfortunately, due to a metadata difference between these cameras, files from the DMC-FZ38 wil not be supported until the next Lightroom update.

• Lightroom 2.5 includes a correction to the demosaic algorithms for Bayer sensor cameras with unequal green response. Olympus, Panasonic and Sony are among the more popular camera manufacturers affected by this change. But the demosaic correction provides only a subtle visual improvement to the processing of those raw files.
• Lightroom 2.5 corrects for the following problem in Lightroom 2.4. Lightroom 2.4 on Windows continued to display the import dialog when a memory card was detected regardless of the preference setting “Show import dialog when a memory card is detected.”

Nik Software announced that its popular Complete Collection, which bundles all of the company’s award-winning digital imaging software tools, is now also available as a Lightroom Edition at a special price of € 299.95 (incl. VAT).

The Complete Collection for Photoshop has been updated to include Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 support as well and also includes installers for Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture. Current registered owners of the Photoshop versions of Nik Software products can download and install the Lightroom compatible versions free of charge at http://www.niksoftware.com/lightroom/ .

“The availability of the Lightroom versions of our entire product line completes a journey that we began approximately 3 months ago to rapidly update all of our software products for Lightroom compatibility,” said Michael J. Slater president and CEO of Nik Software. “Our goal at Nik Software is to deliver the tools that photographers need on the platforms they prefer in their everyday workflow.”

With the Complete Collection Lightroom Edition, each individual software product is installed as a plug-in for Lightroom 2. Once installed in Lightroom, Dfine 2.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Silver Efex Pro and Sharpener Pro 3.0 are accessible via the Photo>Edit In… menu. Edits made using the plug-ins within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. Each product also takes advantage of Lightroom and its efficiencies for every day tasks, like the ability to edit multiple images in one session, saving time for photographers.

All Nik Software products included in the Complete Collection feature Nik’s patented U Point® technology which revolutionizes the way photographers edit. U Point powered Control Points give photographers precise selective editing functions without the need to create complicated selections and layer masks. This innovative technology is easy to use and works directly on the image, empowering photographers to make selective enhancements in a fraction of the time needed by using other methods.

Pricing and Availability

The Complete Collection Lightroom Edition as well as the Complete Collection Aperture Edition (MSRP: € 299.95 incl. 19% German VAT) are available in electronic form directly from Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) or in boxed versions from Nik Software and through specialty camera retailers. This applies analogously to Nik Software’s Complete Collection for Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Elements (MSRP: € 599.95 incl. 19% German VAT). A complete list of resellers may be found at www.niksoftware.com/resellers/.

Customers who currently own Photoshop versions of Nik Software products may use their product keys to install the Lightroom versions.

Product Descriptions

About Dfine 2.0

Dfine improves the quality of digital photos by easily eliminating Contrast and Color noise as well as “banding” while maintaining rich details. Automatic noise reduction streamlines workflow and U Point technology provides unprecedented selective control and power. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/dfine/

About Viveza

Viveza, powered by U Point® technology for direct on-image editing, is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images. For the first time, corrections and enhancements to brightness, contrast or color can easily be made in a fraction of the time needed by other tools without the need to create complicated selections or layer masks. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/viveza/

About Color Efex Pro 3.0

Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography. Widely used by many of today’s professional photographers, the award-winning Color Efex Pro includes U Point technology for superb selective control and offers 52 traditional and stylizing filters that let users quickly and easily perform high quality retouching, color correction and creative enhancements. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro/

About Silver Efex Pro

Silver Efex Pro provides complete power and control to create professional quality black-and-white images from color digital photographs, and features award-winning U Point technology for precisely controlling detail and tonality. Advanced imaging algorithms protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black-and-white film types, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine help produce the highest quality black-and-white images possible while providing more freedom to experiment. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/

Sharpener Pro 3.0

Sharpener Pro 3.0 is the most advanced and powerful sharpening solution for photographers, eliminating the guesswork typically required for achieving superior printed results while providing the most control possible. New adaptive sharpening algorithms, award-winning U Point technology for selective sharpening, and sharpening soft proofing that allows inspection of results before printing all combine to ensure images have the desired sharpness of detail with repeatable, professional results. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/sharpenerpro/

About Nik Software

Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions for the growing digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (www.upoint.com), Dfine®, Viveza™, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.

• Canon           EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i/EOS Kiss X3 Digital)
• Canon          PowerShot SX1 IS
• Epson           R-D1x
• Hasselblad    CF-22, CF-22MS, CF-39, CF-39MS, CFH-22, CFH-39
• Hasselblad    CFV
• Hasselblad    503CWD
• Hasselblad    H2D-22, H2D-39, H3D-22, H3D-31, H3D-39, H3DII-22, H3DII-31, H3DII-39, H3DII-39MS, H3DII-50
• Kodak          EasyShare Z980
• Nikon            D5000
• Olympus       E-450, E-620
• Panasonic     Lumix DMC-GH1
• Pentax          K-7
• Sigma           DP2
• Sony            A230, A330, A380

Note: Hasselblad support is for the 3FR file format only.  The Hasselblad FFF file format is not currently supported.

Lightroom 2.4 Bug Fixes

The Lightroom 2.4 update includes several bug fixes.  The following is a list of items FIXED in this release.

• Web galleries with a Collection Title of six characters would not export or upload
• The crop aspect ratio could revert to the last selected ratio even when reset to original
• The crop aspect ratio in Quick Develop could be lost after a crop adjustment
• The crop aspect ratio lock could be lost after an orientation switch
• Images could preview incorrectly when imported using the MTP/PTP USB protocol
• Sony .ARW files may not have been recognized by Lightroom’s import dialog
• The Japanese language configuration of Lightroom on Mac OS X 10.5 could fail to switch to the print module if the HP B9180 was set as the default printer
• Metadata options that are intended for use were dimmed incorrectly when exporting DNG files
• The Japanese language configuration of Lightroom on Mac OS X was missing a shortcut for “Zoom Out”
• Several translation and shortcut corrections were made for the eight additional languages introduced with Lightroom 2.3

About Viveza

Viveza, powered by U Point technology for direct on-image editing, is powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images. Corrections and enhancements to brightness, contrast or color can easily be made in a fraction of the time needed by other tools without the need to create complicated selections or layer masks. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/viveza

Viveza installs as a plug-in filter for Lightroom 2 and is accessible via the Lightroom Photo>Edit In… menu. Edits made using the plug-in within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. Viveza also takes advantage of Lightroom and its efficiencies for every day tasks, like the ability to edit multiple images in one session, saving time for photographers.

Pricing and Availability

Viveza retails for $249.95.  Current owners of Viveza may download a free update at www.niksoftware.com/lightroom.

Nik Software also announced that all of its remaining photographic filter products are being updated to support Lightroom as well, beginning with Color Efex Pro 3.0. As these Lightroom-compatible versions become available, current owners will receive updates free of charge. All products are expected to be available by the end of the second quarter of 2009.

Customers interested in purchasing all 5 Nik Software products for Lightroom or Aperture only may pre-purchase the Nik Software Complete Collection for Lightroom or Aperture for $299.95. Customers who pre-purchase the Complete Collection for Lightroom or Aperture will receive email notification for each product as they become available.

These updates include camera support for the following models:

• Nikon D3X
• Olympus E-30

This update also includes preliminary support for the recently announced Epson R-D1x (and R-D1xG).

The Lightroom 2.3 update includes several bug fixes.

Fixes originally provided in the Lightroom 2.3 Release Candidate

• In the Windows 64-bit version of Lightroom an sFTP upload process could cause Lightroom to crash.
  Slideshows could return to the first image randomly during playback.
  A memory leak could cause Lightroom to crash while attempting to process files with local adjustments.
• Canon EOS 5D Mk II sRAW files could process with artifacts in Lightroom 2.2.
• Lightroom 2.2 could cause disc burning to fail for Windows customers.

Fixes new to the final version of Lightroom 2.3

Attempting to undo(CTRL-Z) a single step in Lightroom 2.2 on Windows could cause a series of previous actions to be undone.
Lightroom 2.3 now provides language support for the following additional languages:

• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Dutch
• Italian
• Korean
• Portuguese (Brazilian)
• Spanish
• Swedish