Lightroom vs Bridge: I don't get it

[LoneWolf121188]

What's the difference? Seems like you can do everything in Lightroom that you can in bridge, plus a lot of small edits. What can Bridge do that Lightroom can't?

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

They're different programs.

Lightroom can function as a standalone program. It has basic Camera Raw adjustment features in it and maintains your images for you. You can also print from it. Its interaction with Photoshop is very limited, though. Mainly just an export option, and cannot add to PSD files without introducing layer flattening at some point in the process.

Bridge is a Photoshop companion program. It works alongside Photoshop as an image viewer (think Finder on steroids). It doesn't manage your images for you, but navigates through your custom organization. It has many quick shortcuts to useful scripts and automation tasks in Photoshop. By itself, Bridge isn't spectacular, but the way in which it incorporates back and forth with Photoshop is a great thing.

 

[stagi]

Lightroom has some extra functionality that you don't have in bridge like brushes which can let you fine tune part of an image so you don't need to open it up in photoshop. Just gives you everything bridge can do plus a little more.

 

[panoz7]

Bridge is more akin to a file browser where as lightroom has full fledged database capabilities. Think browsing your music library via finder versus browsing it in itunes. Lightroom also stores your library information separate from the images allowing you to browse, keyword, and sort images that are offline. This is a big plus if you have a large image library.

There isn't too much that lightroom can do that bridge combined with ACR and Photoshop can't; it just makes everything easier.

 

[dimme]

Bridge can also view all adobe file types such as Illustrator indesgn etc. So if you work with a lot of different file types and do not want the image library features of lightroom, Bridge is fr you. I use Bridge at work because I deal with lots of file types and need to keep moving things into specific folders.

 

[maflynn]

What's the difference? Seems like you can do everything in Lightroom that you can in bridge, plus a lot of small edits. What can Bridge do that Lightroom can't?

This was one question people asked when LR first hit the streets. Given the Lightroom offers a wide and powerful set of editing, organization and cataloging. LR is geared for photographers who wish to use DAM software. Non destructive editing is probably the biggest feature that LR has.

 

[bocomo]

Bridge can also view all adobe file types such as Illustrator indesgn etc. So if you work with a lot of different file types and do not want the image library features of lightroom, Bridge is fr you. I use Bridge at work because I deal with lots of file types and need to keep moving things into specific folders.

this^^^^^^^^^

Camera Raw+Bridge is very similar to Lightroom

lightroom is for photos only

(also, adding keywords is a LOT smoother in lightroom)