Lightroom vs. Bridge

[meganhurtphotography]

So when I started using Photoshop two years ago, I didn't have Lightroom, so I just used Bridge to review my images and from there opened Camera Raw edit and edited my images in there. From there I'd open in Photoshop. I recently downloaded Lightroom because everyone told me I should, but I haven't used it since. It seems to have about the same functions as Bridge and Camera Raw Edit together and I can navigate Bridge so much better because I've been doing it for 2 years. I'm curious about what you guys think about Bridge vs. Lightroom. Are there things I'm not aware of that make Lightroom better? Should I really take the time to learn the Lightroom ropes?

[kirbinster]

Lightroom is a full digital asset management program in addition to doing the edits you are talking about. It also has many many other features. You best bet is to get on the net and view some of the free video tutorials for Lightroom. I would never go back from LR3 to Bridge.

[zona5101]

Bridge plus ACR and you have the essential functionality of lightroom. But the combo is clunkier and misses some of the refined features and the superior user interface...

[NicolaB]

I have just started using LR. It is fabulous.

I was expecting it to be mostly like the 'filing cabinet' to sort, store then download images from, but it does so much more.

I recommend getting the Scott Kelby book to get you started and see what it is capable of.

[ElCapitan]

To put it simply, LR3 is amazing.

I was in the same boat as you. I used Bridge to review all my photos, open into RAW and PS, and then batch process. I had no need for LR3... or so I though. While at the Outside Exposure workshop at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, I saw a lot of people using LR3, and the workshop itself was a big advocate for the program. Seeing as I was trying to get a job there, I decided I needed to get the program for myself and at the very least learn it so I knew what I was doing.

After a week of toying around with it, I fell in love with the program. So what is there to like about? For me:

-The ability to edit RAW within the program and review the history of each and every edit you do. This allows you to go back with a simple click and continue from there.
-The ability to easily synch up photos with any RAW attributes you want.
-Built in lens correction. As long as your lens info is in the metadata, it will be able to correct for the distortion, and you can even adjust it further more to your liking.
-The ability to crop to any proportion without throwing away in pixels, even in PSD, TIFF, jpeg,etc.
-Easily sort, rank, separate photos as well as batch process and add a watermark by ratio so it fits the same in every photo regardless of size.
-Still easy to open a photo in PS and edit there.