You put the what in the where now?
March 22, 2013 8:59 PM Subscribe
Have had and have used Lightroom 3. Now have and will soon use Lightroom 4. Not exactly clear on the pixie magic involved in converting a LR3 catalog to LR4, though. What can you tell me?
I edit my photography using Lightroom 3 and have an extensive LR3 catalog kept on a portable external drive. I also, today, have LR4 installed on my computer. I'm looking for advice on workflow efficiency to 1.) be sure my LR3 catalog is as cleaned up/organized as I can make it be before I 2.) convert the LR3 catalog to LR4.
Also, I understand LR4 is not backwards compatible with LR3. What exactly does that mean and what steps can I take to avoid potential trouble?
I edit my photography using Lightroom 3 and have an extensive LR3 catalog kept on a portable external drive. I also, today, have LR4 installed on my computer. I'm looking for advice on workflow efficiency to 1.) be sure my LR3 catalog is as cleaned up/organized as I can make it be before I 2.) convert the LR3 catalog to LR4.
Also, I understand LR4 is not backwards compatible with LR3. What exactly does that mean and what steps can I take to avoid potential trouble?
It's no big deal. Way down at the bottom of the develop settings tower there's a "Process" drop box which will say 2010 on your LR3 images. All of the old LR3 UI elements will be there for you. On new imports it will be 2012, and you'll get the new LR4 UI elements. So when you upgrade to LR4 none of your old LR3 images will look different.
If you switch develop settings on your old images to 2012, it will attempt to preserve their look by translating old settings to new ones, but they may shift a little. Just don't do that.
LR4 is good. It's fast enough and the new develop settings produce much less haloing and funk when you punch up the shadows. Though if haloing was part of your look you might not really appreciate it. Not all the new features are All That -- I am looking at you book editor -- but at least it's painless.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:32 AM on March 23, 2013
If you switch develop settings on your old images to 2012, it will attempt to preserve their look by translating old settings to new ones, but they may shift a little. Just don't do that.
LR4 is good. It's fast enough and the new develop settings produce much less haloing and funk when you punch up the shadows. Though if haloing was part of your look you might not really appreciate it. Not all the new features are All That -- I am looking at you book editor -- but at least it's painless.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:32 AM on March 23, 2013
Agreeing with the above. My upgrade was seamless.
On previously imported images, you will see an exclamation point on the lower right corner. If you click it, you are invited to update the image so you can use the new tools. You can see a split screen before/after before committing. When I go back through old images, I usually update them. I find the new tools help me to make those images look even better.
posted by The Deej at 7:43 AM on March 23, 2013
On previously imported images, you will see an exclamation point on the lower right corner. If you click it, you are invited to update the image so you can use the new tools. You can see a split screen before/after before committing. When I go back through old images, I usually update them. I find the new tools help me to make those images look even better.
posted by The Deej at 7:43 AM on March 23, 2013
« Older Apartment Lease buyout AND rent for all the months... | Old record player skips with new records Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Backwards compatibility means that the older version will work with files created in the newer version. Why would you want to use LR3 when you have LR4?
OTOH, if you send LR4 files to somebody to play with on their LR3, that could be a problem in that it might not recognise all the changes you have made.
posted by GeeEmm at 9:51 PM on March 22, 2013