The latest updates to Camera Raw (15.4), Lightroom Classic (12.4) and Lightroom Desktop (6.4) have been released to customers. These updates include new camera and lens support along with bug fixes. There are also some minor features enhancements to each of the applications.
Enhancements to Camera Raw, Lightroom Classic & Desktop
The main feature enhancements to be found in Camera Raw 15.4, Lightroom Classic 12.4 and Lightroom Desktop 6.4 are:
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Local ‘Grain’ adjustment slider
The ‘Grain’ adjustment slider will allow you to apply/refine grain effect to local areas of your images using masks. However, the related ‘Size’ and ‘Roughness’ sliders are global and thus affected by any additional adjustments made in the global ‘Effects’ panel as shown in below screenshots.
Grain Adjustment Slider in Masking Panel
Global ‘Size’ & Roughness’ share settings with ‘Masks’
2. Refine Saturation Slider (Curves – Global & Local)
The new ‘Refine Saturation’ slider is used to adjust how much colour saturation is applied with ‘Point Curve’s in both local and global curves. The purpose being to reduce the increase in saturation that occurs when a curve is applied to increase the contrast of an image.
Refine Saturation
3. Process Version 6
The current Process Version 5 (PV5) has been updated to Process Version 6 (PV6). PV6 contains some updates to the processing math used by PV5. The goal of the PV6 update is to reduce banding issues in adjusted images, while continuing to produce results that are close enough to PV5 that most images don’t need to be readjusted when updated.
New images open in Camera Raw or imported into Lightroom Classic & Desktop will automatically be processed using PV6. Any images that have already been edited in Camera Raw or Lightroom Classic & Desktop will remain as PV5 until additional edits are applied at which time they’ll automatically updated to PV6.
4. Color Mixer
Edit indicators (i.e. dots below Color icons) have been added to the Color Mixer tool making it more obvious that an edit has been applied.
Feedback – Color Mixer sliders and HSL TAT [Lightroom Classic]
When you hold down the Option/Alt keys while moving the ‘Color Mixer’ sliders the active hue is shown in colour, and all other hues in grayscale. While using the HSL TAT tool with Option/Alt key, two hues will be in colour.
Develop Presets [Lightroom Classic]
The Parametric and Point Curves can now be selected individually in Preset Creation/Copy Settings Dialog.
Adobe Cloud Syncing [Lightroom Classic]
The minimum version of Lightroom Classic that can sync files to the Adobe Cloud has been changed to 11.5
Develop Module Performance [Lightroom Classic]
There are number of performance improvements to be found in the Develop module:
- The selected image should render much faster than before when switching from the Library to Develop module.
- Improved navigating and selecting an image within the Develop module.
- Holding down the right/left arrow keys for image and turbo walk in the Develop module Filmstrip should see some improved performance.
- Faster image load time when launching or re-launching Lightroom Classic into the Develop module.
Disabled GPU Alert [Lightroom Classic & Desktop]
Enable GPU with a single click: Lightroom Classic and Desktop now auto-detects if the system GPU is disabled and gives you a pop-up option to Enable with just one click.
Lightroom Classic
Lightroom Desktop
The Camera Raw team seem to be a bit more aware of the potential irritation that the alert will pose for users who manually disabled the GPU in order for their copy of Lr Classic or Lr Desktop to actually work. In short, a ‘Don’t show again’ checkbox should also be present on Lr Classic and Lr Desktop GPU alert.
New Camera Support
Details of new camera support added since the last release can be found here
New Lens Correction Support
Details of new lens support added since the last release can be found here
Disclosure: As an Adobe Community Expert I receive a free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.