Luminar updates slide to April

[MCAsan]

Skylum planned an update for both Luminar versions that was supposed to be out in Feb, then March, and now they say mid April. For those shooting m43, my understanding is that the auto lens corrections for m43 uses raw file data, not a 3rd party lookup table.



Windows

• Added batch processing feature.
• Added Auto Lens distortion correction.
• Added Auto Chromatic aberration removal (and removed manual).
• Added Auto defringe.
• Added flip/rotate feature.
• Added changing language settings
• Added full-screen view mode.
• Added zoomed image moving with spacebar. Can be used in hand, brush, erase, clone & stamp, free transform.
• Added Free Transform mode.
• Fixed DPI issues with a side panel and sliders dimensions.
• Speeded up all filters - did lots of optimizations, refactoring.
• Fixed colorspace issues on export and in a plugin mode.

MAC

• Added Auto Lens distortion correction.
• Added Auto Chromatic aberration removal.
• Added Auto defringe.
• Added DCP profiles support and logic for switching.
• Greatly speeded up RAW image opening.
• Speeded up all filters - did lots of optimizations, refactoring.
• Added new cameras support.

 

[fcortese]

And we are still waiting on their DAM piece to Luminar. IMO, they are making sure that the product/upgrades they release will not be slipshod.

 

[MCAsan]

IMHO things missing:

• feature parity between Windows and MacOS versions. (I wonder if that will not be before next year)
• DAM (it will be interesting to see if migration tools are included to move folks from Lr, Bridge, Aperture...etc.)
• edge aware tools (brush, eraser....etc.)
• luminosity and color range masking (in ACR, Lr, Topaz Studio,.....etc.)
• auto lens corrections (this seems to be fulfilled in April)

Interesting that DCP switching is included for MacOS in April. That is something that many older and more expensive apps do not have. Note that seems to be Mac only...at least for the time being.

 

[whiteonline]

And we are still waiting on their DAM piece to Luminar. IMO, they are making sure that the product/upgrades they release will not be slipshod.

Sounds like a nice idea. But software release timelines are not normally pushed out for reasons outside of incompleteness/non-functionality. IMO, the Skylum folks over-promised (perhaps on the Windows side?). Not anticipating great things.

 

[maflynn]

Not anticipating great things.

I think they bitten off more then can chew, by working on a windows app, and trying to udpate the mac app at the same time.

I agree, I'm not holding my breath on them with regard to having a DAM component that meets my needs.

 

[robgendreau]

Skylum is kinda like the proverbial shark that has to keep swimming or die. They need features to get sales and upgrade fees in order to keep financing improvements. In that they are similar to most software developers I guess. But something blah like exif date changes or smart albums is probably not gonna get as much attention as say a bunch of trick filters or fancy selection tools. Even most people commenting here speak of comparisons like that, and not the boring organizational stuff. I don't envy them. I also don't upgrade their products anymore, as I already have some that have been abandoned; hope that doesn't happen to Luminar. Or Aurora.

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

Skylum is kinda like the proverbial shark that has to keep swimming or die. They need features to get sales

I always thought that their instaslider thing and movable sun rays were like Apples Animoji! Nothing more than a gimmick, really.

 

[MCAsan]

The sun rays you can do in Ps in a far more realistic style using luminosity masking, blend if, and blur.

I deleted all my Skylum software. The only plugin set for Lr and PS I have kept is Topaz Studio.

 

[robgendreau]

The sun rays you can do in Ps in a far more realistic style using luminosity masking, blend if, and blur.

I deleted all my Skylum software. The only plugin set for Lr and PS I have kept is Topaz Studio.

Interesting you mention that. I originally was using Nik's plugins to Lr, and then they seemed to be on the way out. Seemed at the time that there were basically the Topaz people and the Nik people among the photographers I admired. I stuck with Nik, and then when Macphun's Tonality popped up I jumped to that, and then to their Creative Kit. Seemed like they were bent on being Nik killers (although Google kind of did that, at least until DxO came to the rescue, maybe kinda sorta (still miss Silver eFex). Then maybe Topaz killers. But then they switched gears and went into Aurora and Luminar, and I was gone.

Meanwhile, Topaz did their own Luminar killer, if you will, with the free Topaz Studio. Can't believe they are given that much away free. I like their model: I only have to pay for the richer, deeper tools I want. And they have some really nice effects. My friends swear by their denoising too.