ACR Vs Lightroom

[once2work]

Till today, I always questioning whether Adobe Camera Raw process engine is same as the one embed inside the Lightroom. From the book Photoshop CS3 wrote by Kelby, he mentioned the ACR engine is different form the Lightroom and he stated the ACR process engine is better.

I process the Canon CR2 file shot by Canon 50D with both software, I also experimenting to convert the CR2 and DNG under Lightroom 2.2 found the CR2 conversation is sharper than DNG. The DNG file processing under ACR is sharper and obtain a more brilliant color than Lightroom.

This is my result and like to hear comments from you.

[digitaldog]

Till today, I always questioning whether Adobe Camera Raw process engine is same as the one embed inside the Lightroom. From the book Photoshop CS3 wrote by Kerby, he mentioned the ACR engine is different form the Lightroom and he stated the ACR process engine is better.

Kerby  (I think you mean Kelby) is wrong. The engine is the same. Note there are some minor differences such as a point curve in ACR, none in LR. ACR's Histogram is based on the currently selected encoding color space selected in the workflow options, LR.'s is based on Melissa RGB. But as far as the Raw processing engine, its the same. You can move from LR to ACR and back if you so desire and in fact, if you just have to have point curve functionality, you could apply the metadata instructions in ACR and go back into LR where that "edit" is honored.

[James R]

Till today, I always questioning whether Adobe Camera Raw process engine is same as the one embed inside the Lightroom. From the book Photoshop CS3 wrote by Kelby, he mentioned the ACR engine is different form the Lightroom and he stated the ACR process engine is better.

I process the Canon CR2 file shot by Canon 50D with both software, I also experimenting to convert the CR2 and DNG under Lightroom 2.2 found the CR2 conversation is sharper than DNG. The DNG file processing under ACR is sharper and obtain a more brilliant color than Lightroom.

This is my result and like to hear comments from you.

Not sure what you mean "The DNG file?"   I assume you opened the same CR2 file in both LR2 and ACR, then exported the file as a DNG?  I just exported two test images from LR2 as DNG files.  Opened them both up with CS4 (w/ACR 5.2) and the files look identical.  One was a file worked heavily in both LR and CS4 and the other was only worked in LR2.  

I'm thinking you might not be using the same engine in each program.  LR2 will warn you when you send a file to CS4 from LR and the engine in CS4 is different.