Software News

There’s a lot going on at Macphun these days: The company’s name is changing to Skylum, indicating they’re no longer a Mac-only software developer, and they just announced their first cross-platform product, in the form of Luminar 2018 – a major update to their popular image-editing program for both Mac and Windows computers.

While it’s too early to know if Luminar 2018 will turn out to be a Lightroom killer, it should certainly be a viable alternative, based upon previous experience with the earlier Mac-only version. And there’s also the fact that, unlike Lightroom, Luminar 2018 is a $59 purchase or a $39 upgrade with no subscription necessary. After November 16th, these preorder prices will increase by $10.

Apart from its compatibility with both PC computers and Macs, Luminar 2018 promises a significant upgrade in performance and features. Rebuilt from the ground up, the new version offers major speed improvements, a dedicated Raw Develop Module, a host of new filters, real-time noise removal, and more.

Luminar 2018 also includes lens-correction capabilities designed to eliminate color aberration, distortion and vignetting. There’s also a streamlined interface that permits users to set up an adaptive workspace with the features they use most. Photographers will be able sort, rate, organize, and backup images via the cloud or with a local storage device.

Pre-orders are available now on the Luminar 2018 website, where you can find more details and view sample images. Shipping will begin later this month You may also want to read our announcement of the earlier version of Luminar.