You're missing something. Import gives you the choice of working on files from an existing location, or of using them in Lightroom's own internal database. I don't see much advantage to the latter. But once you've imported your files it's not fundamentally any different from using any other File Open dialog. You can also use Lightroom to copy the files directly from your camera to the hard disk, and have it do a lot of the donkey-work of cataloguing & standard conversions while it copies them, all in one pass.
Another benefit for me is that I can use the same workflow for camera raw files as for raw scanned tiffs. Lightroom allows me to use external hard drives that are connected by USB. That's how I work. It must have taken a dislike to you personally for some reason. Export is the same as Save. It's just a different word for the same thing. Think of it as Save As with a different dialog box. What does it offer that Bridge-ACR etc. doesn't? If you don't already have those then it gives you a good integrated system for converting raw files, managing your catalogue, doing some basic editing, printing and web. It's also considerably simpler and easier than Photoshop for basic photographic work. If you don't need the other stuff that Photoshop includes, then having to pay for it is a waste of money. If you already have Bridge etc. (I don't) maybe it doesn't give you a huge advantage - that's for you to decide. I believe Godfrey is a convert to Lightroom from these, so perhaps he can enlighten you. -- Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of J and K Messervy > Sent: 22 February 2007 07:13 > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List > Subject: Forgive my ignorance, but what use is Lightroom? > > I've just installed my free copy of Lightroom. My normal > workflow involves > Raw Converter, Adobe Bridge, ACR and Photoshop CS2. I > organise all of my > pics through Adobe Bridge and launch ACR and CS2 from there. > That works > well for me. > > Being offered something for free, I naturally checked it out. > Now I've got > to say the interface is not very user friendly. It tells me > that I have to > import a library of photos....why the hell can't I just open > and work on > photos I have saved already?! > > Fine I think, I'll import some photos and have a play. I try > to set up auto > import to import all of my recent photos. Nope, I'm told the > folder can't > be used. It appears that Lightroom will not allow me to use > external hard > drives that are connected by USB. WTF? I doubt too many > photographers > store all their images on their internal hard drive. I'm > sure as hell not > going to start trying to cram my 400 or so Gb of image files > onto my 60Gb > laptop drive! > > Anyway, I put that issue aside and managed to import a folder > manually from > my external drive. I tried developing a RAW file. It seemed > to work okay. > Of course, I then tried to save it as a converted file...no > save option???!! > It seems I have to 'export' it to CS2. > > Am I missing something obvious or is Lightroom an entirely to > restrictive > and useless application? What does it offer that the traditional > Bridge-ACR-Bridge-CS2 workflow doesn't, besides frustration? > > Please enlighten me before I remove the programme from my computer! > > James > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
