Smartphone News

This morning Adobe announced an update to their popular Lightroom Mobile app that lets your smartphone do things previously possible only with a true digital camera. Key to the update is a new HDR Raw capture mode enabling mobile photographers to achieve dynamic range on their mobile device rivaling that of a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Compatible with both iOS and Android devices, the free update can be downloaded here and includes a number of other new features.

The new Raw HDR capture mode works by automatically scanning a scene to arrive at a correct exposure range, then captures three DNG files that are automatically aligned, merged, deghosted and tonemapped in the app. The result is a 16-bit floating point DNG file combining the benefits of an HDR and Raw photo.

Another feature in the iOS version of the update enables users to export original files, including DNGs captured in the camera as well as imported Raw files. There are also new Force Touch and Notification Center widgets, making it faster and easier to launch the Lightroom camera.

For Adobe Creative Cloud members, the Lightroom Mobile update now includes Radial and Linear selection tools. The Android version also incudes speed enhancements and bug fixes.

While smartphones still can't compete with the power, versatility and system accessories of a good digital camera when it comes to serious photography, software developments and the latest mobile technology sure are narrowing the gap.

You can read complete details on the Adobe website, and watch a video tutorial of the new Lightroom Mobile app below. And be sure to check out our recent story in which acclaimed shooter Tony Sweet reveals his favorite smartphone apps for outdoor photography.