Adobe is stepping up its mobile offering with another major update to its Lightroom mobile app, extending support for RAW files.
Until now, Lightroom for mobile only supported RAW editing for DNG image files. With this update, users can open RAW files created by any camera in real-time on their smartphone.
The latest update’s ‘raw technology preview’ will allow you to perform various functions previously only available on the desktop app, including adjusting white balance, recovering blown out highlights, accessing the original colour data and editing uncompressed photos. iPhone and iPad users will be able to import and edit RAW images, and share them anywhere they can get an internet connection.
All changes made on the mobile app will sync to Lightroom on other devices and Adobe claims that the app will perform well no matter what size file is thrown at it, having put the Lightroom for mobile app to the test by editing 50-megapixel Canon 5DS images on an iPhone 6.
See how photographer Elia Locardi captures and enhances his images while travelling the world using Lightroom for iOS in this promotional short produced by Adobe.
“We’ve run Lightroom for mobile through its paces on a number of different files, proving that you really can edit nearly any photo anywhere,” the company’s statement explains.
Apple is reportedly set to introduce RAW photo editing capabilities in its next operating system upgrade—iOS 10—which is currently undergoing beta testing and is expected to roll out in the third quarter of 2016. By pipping them to the post, Adobe will be hoping to ensure that their name becomes the one that matters in the realm of professional on-the-go editing. The release statement added: “Our goal for Lightroom for mobile is to make it an indispensable part of your photography workflow.”
The functionality has so far only been added for the iOS 2.4 Lightroom update, alongside Linear and Radial Selections, new iPad keyboard shortcuts, copyright insertion for imported images and lens profiles. The Android version 2.1, does not yet offer the same RAW capability and it’s not yet clear when it will be added, but a Pro mode for shooting images and a camera widget for direct access have been added to the app in the interim.
Read more about how Locardi got on with the Lightroom iOS update on his blog.