Tech Tuesday: Adobe Lightroom 5.3 and ACR 8.3 Release Candidates Available

November 12, 2013

By Laura Brauer

Got a hot new camera but haven’t yet been able to process RAW files? No worries, Adobe just announced the availability of release candidates for Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.

Lightroom 5.3—which also corrects a number of bugs—and ACR 8.3 (CC or CS6) now offer support for cameras such as the Nikon D610 as well as Sony’s new A7/A7R and RX10, among others.
13.11.08-CS6
I was especially happy to see the new Sony cameras on the list after spending several days shooting RAW +JPEG files with the A7, A7R and the RX10. New lens profiles are also included for 8 lenses such as the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS (the full-frame kit lens for the A7/A7R, which I also tested), as well as the Nikon AF-S 58mm f/1.4 and the Sigmas 18-35mm f/1.8 (with Sigma and Nikon mounts).

While the Lightroom 5.3 is designed for Lightroom 5 (of course), the ACR 8.3 update is available for CS6 and Creative Cloud. Only ACR 8.3’s camera support applies to Photoshop CS6 users while Photoshop CC subscribers also benefit from several new features. CC users get individual Auto Temperature and Auto Tint options, an Auto Levels type of feature for white and blacks, option-click shortcuts for a number of features and the ability to set the work area’s background color.

AdobeLogoRelease Candidates are Beta versions but, so far, all three updates (Lightroom, CS6 and CC) are running smoothly. These release candidates also give you the opportunity to provide feedback to Adobe, so feel free to add your two cents if you plan to update. Release candidates will expire on December 31, 2013.