Luminar 3 Gets Major Updates, is Now an Even Better Photo Editor
- Luminar 3 With Libraries Hands-On Test
- Make Beautiful Edits to Your Images With This Basic Post-Processing Workflow
- Sky Enhancement Just Got Easier and Faster
- Speed Up Your Workflow With This New Lightroom Alternative
If you've been using Luminar 3 as I have, you undoubtedly have been impressed with its incredible array of tools and features that makes editing photos a much simpler and easier task.
But now Luminar 3 has been updated with a host of new goodies that make it an even better editor for both Windows and Mac users.
Here's a quick rundown of features improvements you can expect once you download Luminar 3.0.2.
Luminar 3 Feature Updates for Windows
Windows users will now have subfolder management options to make it easier to organize images in the Luminar 3 Library.
Subfolders are nested inside other folders in the catalog and they link directly to folders on your hard drive, that way your images are always synced.
Just right-click to create a subfolder in an existing folder in the Library. You can also delete a subfolder by right-clicking.
Finding folders is now easier as well. If you've moved or copied a folder, it'll be marked as offline in your Library.
Just right-click on the offline folder and choose "Locate Folder" to find it and reconnect the files.
Luminar 3.0.2 offers offline file alerts, which notifies you which files and folders are unavailable, and improved navigation as well. Specifically, you can now quickly switch between Gallery and Single Image views with dedicated buttons in the toolbar.
Navigation is further enhanced with new keyboard shortcuts for Masks, Tools, View, Looks Navigation, and Edit.
New languages are supported as well, including Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese (both simplified and traditional), and Italian.
Luminar 3 Performance Updates for Windows
One of the knocks Windows users had against Luminar 3 is that importing times were a little long. That's no longer the case.
Now, Windows users will see much faster import times when photos are added to the catalog.
Likewise, Luminar 3.0.2 now launches faster when you reload the catalog and general improvements have been made to make the program much more stable during operation.
Learn more:
Luminar 3 Feature Updates for Mac
Mac users can now enjoy automatic database backups to preserve edits and image metadata. Users can control the frequency of backups with the new Preference Panel, which also gives you options to customize caching and the catalog as well.
There's improved handoffs, too, with smoother exports of 16-bit images using the File >Open In Command feature.
If you also use Skylum's Aurora HDR 2019 software, you can easily hand off bracketed photos to merge in that program.
All you have to do is select multiple images in the Luminar 3 Library and choose File > Open In ? Aurora HDR.
Like Windows users, Mac users can now enjoy enhanced folder location capabilities, improvements when adding folders, and better navigation as well. Language support as outlined earlier is also added.
Additionally, Luminar will now alert you if you try to copy or import more files to a destination that lacks enough storage space. Likewise, if you try to export images that exist in a location, Luminar will now ask you if the files should be overwritten or renamed.
Luminar 3 Performance Updates For Mac
Mac users like myself will notice faster performance in Luminar 3.0.2.
Specifically, this update makes moving files between an external and internal drive faster because images aren't duplicated in the Luminar 3 Library.
Folder management is streamlined with the ability to remove parent folders from your Library and delete them from your hard drive as well.
Exporting sRGB files has also been improved. Previously, some cameras showed color shifts when exporting with the sRGB profile. The new update to Luminar 3 eliminates that problem. General stability improvements have been made too.
Learn More:
Luminar 3 Camera Support
Luminar 3.0.2. includes support for a wider range of cameras now.
That includes support for 15 new models from Nikon, Panasonic, Leica, Fujifilm, and Sony.
You can see if your camera is supported by clicking here.
How to Update Luminar 3
If you haven't already updated Luminar 3, it's an easy task.
If you're running Luminar 3 as a Lightroom or Photoshop plugin, you'll need to re-run the plugin installer, in addition to doing the following launching Luminar 3 and selecting Help > Check for Updates in the top tool bar. This procedure is the same for both Windows and Mac users.
More Luminar 3 Updates to Come
Luminar 3.0.2 just came out, but Skylum is continuing to work hard on future improvements for Mac and PC users.
If you check out Skylum's roadmap for Luminar udpates, you'll see that they even have plans for Cloud Services, which are now in beta testing.
Luminar 3 is already a fantastic deal considering it's $69, which is a one-time fee. With AI-powered tools, Looks, and Filters that help you jumpstart your editing workflow and a low one-time price, it's hard to beat.
Don't have Luminar? Get it now.
