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It may come as a shock, but with the pending releases of Lightroom 3 and CS5 currently on the brain, folks still have time to debate whether to use Lightroom or Adobe Bridge.
Really? This is still a question? *grin*
Actually, I can understand the confusion. Perhaps you started off with a copy of Scott Kelby’s Photoshop CS4 for Digital Photographers learned all about Bridge, incorporated Camera RAW into your workflow, only to feel bamboozled when you later discovered Scott also has a book entitled Lightroom 2 for Digital Photographers. Huh? It’s simple, before Lightroom came along many photographers used Photoshop and therefore Bridge to organize & process images. I have all four revisions of Scott’s PS 4 Photogs series, and Lightroom wasn’t on the scene until the 3rd book.
But I digress…
You want to know the differences between Lightroom & Bridge? You want to know absolutely which one to use & when? Let me break it down for you:
Defining The Programs
1. Adobe Bridge is a file browser. Cooler than Finder, hipper than Explorer.
2. Adobe Camera RAW is an image processor so good JPEGs asked for an invitation.
3. Photoshop is the ultimate program for manipulating raster images, but you knew that already.
4. Lightroom was designed from the ground up to be a single program solution for photographer workflow. Built around a database (Lightroom’s catalog files), users can quickly organize, process & output files.
The key is while photographers use Adobe Bridge, Camera RAW & Photoshop, Lightroom was built for photographers. It even says so in the Lightroom FAQ.
Investing in The Software
1. Spend $999 for Photoshop CS4 Extended which comes with Bridge & Camera RAW.
2. Spent $299 for Lightroom 2. Take the extra $700 buy a nice camera and Photoshop Elements ($79 after rebate).
Comparing The Workflows
1. Organize with Adobe Bridge. Process with Adobe Camera RAW. Composite/finish with Photoshop. Output with Adobe Bridge (PDFs, slideshows, websites) or Photoshop (print).
2. Organize with Lightroom’s Library module. Process with Lightroom’s Develop module. Roundtrip hand-off to Photoshop for compositing or effects. Output with Lightroom’s Slideshow, Print or Web modules.
The majority of photographer workflow can be done in Lightroom which is a single program versus Adobe Bridge & Camera RAW. What about Photoshop you ask? Lightroom isn’t Photoshop, and it’s not meant to be.
Differences in Program Workflows
1. As a file browser, Adobe Bridge is excellent for those moments when you need to preview digital files. Whether it’s external hard drives, downloaded Internet files, DVD/CD media or devices such as cameras or PDAs, Bridge has the ability to look at the files directly on the media. No import necessary.
Lightroom requires you to import files before you can make changes. Sure you can preview files, but it’s through the Import Dialogue screen.
2. Adobe Bridge reads multiple media types including video, vector & raster images, Flash & Quicktime, even PDFs.
Lightroom only reads JPEG, TIFF, DNG or RAW files.
3. Adobe Bridge can only work directly with files via connected drives or devices.
Lightroom writes all changes to the catalog database files, allowing you to do certain organizational tasks even when drives & devices have been disconnected. Plus DATABASE=SPEED.
Working Together
1. Metadata written to files with Adobe Bridge can be picked up on import through Lightroom. Lightroom catalog changes can be saved to file which can be read directly in Bridge.
2. Adobe Camera RAW & Lightroom’s Develop module use the same technology. While the interfaces may have different layouts, the sliders & tools work the same. Settings made in one program can be edited in another.
If you know Adobe Bridge/Camera RAW working in Lightroom shouldn’t be an issue. Same if you have to jump over from Lightroom to Camera RAW. Don’t believe me, Scott Kelby has been saying the same thing for years.
Summary
For the new photographer who hasn’t yet purchased software, Lightroom is a clear favorite in price. One single application to do everything, and if you need the things Photoshop can do, you can always start with Photoshop Elements.
As a professional who uses both pieces of software, I can tell you my photography workflow begins & ends in Lightroom. However, I do use Bridge quite a bit as a replacement for Finder on my Mac workstations.
If you’ve already made the investment in Photoshop CS4 you might be hesitant to up end your workflow and changeover to Lightroom. Bottom line it’s about efficiency. Lightroom cuts through the clutter and streamlines the process.
For those that don’t have the $ for Photoshop, I don’t think they will miss Bridge if they have Lightroom.
The kicker is when you are looking for images or searching metadata for images that are NOT in a Lightroom Catalog, you’re left with the Finder (or Windows Explorer) which BLOWS!
Bridge to me is like having a fast image search on steroids and this is what I like about it.
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Nice comparison – i’ve used Photoshop / Bridge / Raw for yonks now and only just installed Lightroom this week – so far i’m not impressed as it just seems too clunky but I need to spend some time actually trying to use it properly!
Time will tell
Si
Lightroom is too slow for me. Using adjustment brush with overlay turned on gets very laggy. I think Photoshop plus Bridge is a much better value, especially after factoring in Lightroom performance (speed). Time is money.
I think it’s important to remember that Lightroom is not meant to be a replacement for Photoshop. Photoshop is still a part of my workflow, I’ve mainly taken Bridge & Camera RAW out of the equation.
I keep my images on external drives. With Bridge, I would need the drives connected to do any organizational tasks. With Lightroom, I’m free to add keywords, rank & sort items, create collections even with the drives unplugged since all the metadata is kept in the catalog.
Syncing of develop changes is pretty cool too.
Anthony – Brushwork in Lightroom & Photoshop is tough to compare as the applications are quite different in that regard. In Photoshop you’re directly painting on the image, while Lightroom is writing changes to its catalog. LR3 should have some speed improvements for the brushes, but personally I don’t do heavy heavy brushwork in Lightroom.
Simon – an unfamiliar workflow that you have to think through will seem a bit clunky for a time. I think you’ll be surprised once you get used to navigating around Lightroom.
[...] TipSquirrel: Lightroom vs. Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw, Photoshop… (a lot of people ask about this) [...]
I import into Bridge in part because it is a browser. (Everything is put on an external HD.) I like being able to quickly see files in full screen mode (which is so cool in Bridge) for making my initial cut. Then I import into LR where I do some basic editing. The Import function of LR 3 beta is superb. Because I use Nik, Topaz and onOne plug-ins, I send files I really like over to PS. I like being able to use Layers, Blend Modes and being able to change the Opacity of filters. I also find that the Healing Brush and Clone Tool are superior in PS. Then I save it as a tiff back to LR. Because everything I really like ends up as a tiff, I am now doing almost everything in LR 3 Beta. The kinds of problems that you get with a beta don’t affect the tiff. I prefer printing from LR.
I’m considering using Lightroom just for cataloging and keywording – one of my biggest problems is finding images i’ve shot in the past quickly and easily – I guess LR will do this for me?
I’m too comfortable in Photoshop now to use anything else for editing so see no need to change that, just need a decent catalog software to add to my workflow. Will this do that comfortably or should I be looking at alternatives?
Simon – Yes, you can use Lightroom for keywording & cataloging of your images. Photomechanic is another software if you absolutely are going to do cataloging only.
You may be surprised at just how much editing you can do within Lightroom. A key part of my workflow is being able to synchronize changes such as white balance, exposure & sharpening across multiple images. While you can batch edit in Photoshop, Lightroom gives you the ability to auto-sync in realtime.
Very interesting blog, but you must improve your template graphics.
I’ve had Lightroom for more than a year and I just don’t get it. I keep trying to get the coolness that it is supposed to be, but it’s just not clicking for me. I always return to Bridge – and GASP! Even Picasa – because they are so much easier to use. I mess with LR every once in a while waiting for the proverbial light bulb to go on.