The much anticipated Android release of Adobe Lightroom has finally made its way into the Play store, where it can be downloaded for free. Though it should be noted, if you want to use the app, you will need to have a current Creative Cloud membership and the most current version of Lightroom installed on your desktop. (However, if you are able to meet those requirements, feel free to grab your “free” mobile copy, too.)
The Android version of Lightroom, which looks exactly like the iPad version, is a condensed version of the desktop software and is meant to serve as a supplement to it. Consequently, if you were hoping to do all your editing on the go, the mobile version of Lightroom might not be the only app you want to have.
Pros And Cons
One of the things Lightroom shines at is how easily it makes it to organize large amounts of images and the mobile version, in my opinion, is the perfect accessory for doing that. It does offer basic editing options, but I find their limitations to be, well just that, limiting when it comes to editing on the go.
To that end, the options it do include some presets, as well as the ability to make adjustments to the color via white balance preset, color temp, tint, exposure and contrast. The editing options will also allow for adjustments to the shadows, highlights, blacks or whites, in addition to fine tuning vibrance, saturation, and, of course, clarity. There is also an auto setting.
The mobile version of Lightroom will look familiar to regular Lightroom users.
Pros:
- Well designed, user intuitive interface.
- Easily make basic adjustments to images.
- Expansive support for various image file types including RAW.
- Makes rating, culling, and flagging images very convenient. Great way to kill time while on the train, waiting for an appointment, etc…
Cons:
- Slight difference in colors/white balance after editing on mobile version, then syncing back to computer due to variations in color calibrations between the two displays. This, however, is not a problem specific only to this app.
- No custom crop dimension, can only use preset sizes
- Not multiple catalog friendly. Can only have one synced at a time.
Lightroom For Android
Alas, it will be interesting to see what features are added to the app in future updates. The mobile app, regardless of the platform, has some room to grow before it becomes the quintessential mobile editing app, at least for me. While Lightroom mobile may not be the final solution to all your mobile editing needs, it definitely serves a purpose. It performs well, as it’s supposed to, and is it’s wireless (so long as you are on a network) integration into the desktop version makes it a great way to stay organized on the go.
For the Android, you’ll need to have a smartphone currently running Android 4.1.x or newer. Unfortunately, Lightroom is not currently available on Android tablets; however, Adobe says there are planning a release of a Android tablet version. You can grab the Android app in the Play Store or the iOS app, here.
[ via Google Play ]
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