Adobe has just released Lightroom 5 (yay!). The latest addition to the Adobe professional photography software has more features, less bugs, and is available for just $149. Adobe released Lightroom 5 beta awhile ago, and the new program has already received great reviews. Didn't get in on the beta deal? Here's what to expect from the new release.

Bugs Be Gone

In addition to getting rid of more than 400 bugs, Adobe has been hard at work perfecting Lightroom 5. This version of the photography software comes with an updated RAW image previewer; new and improved editing options like radial gradients; a new feature dubbed 'Upright,' which automatically straightens images that need to be straightened; and the company has also added a healing brush. This version also gets rid of that massive disc space that was required previously.

Lightroom 5 also comes with Adobe's 'Behance' social network that's fully integrated into this program. What is Behance? Basically, Behance is a way for artists to show off artwork. Artists can create an online portfolio, share art, and work with each other. When Adobe first released this feature it was instantly popular, and now that the feature has been integrated it's bound to be a huge hit.

Free For Creative Cloud Users

If you already have a subscription to Creative Cloud, you can access Lightroom 5 for free. No subscription? You can still get Lightroom 5 through Adobe for that $149 price tag. Note that this price is much higher than the price on Apple's Aperture, so Adobe must not be feeling that much of a threat from Apple at the moment.

Is Lightroom 5 worth the nearly $200? This version of Lightroom comes with excellent synchronization and some great features that artists will really enjoy. How much of a stretch is it from the last version? The fact that Adobe has fixed more than 400 bugs aside, this version is really worth that upgrade. All-around, Adobe has made some clear strides with the newest version of Lightroom.

Where to Purchase Lightroom 5

You can purchase Lightroom 5 directly from Adobe, which is the recommended route. Why? Adobe lets you test out the program prior to purchase (slightly limited). If you've never used Lightroom before or if you're coming from a different program, you'll want to take advantage of trial testing. If you know what to expect, you can upgrade through participating retailers (or find pricing online).

Adobe also offers an academic pricing option if you fit the criteria. You do have to be related to some kind of academic department (details on Adobe's site) in order to get this pricing, but it's completely worth it if you can swing it. Otherwise, $149 is not a lot to pay for a program that you'll get a lot of use out of. Plus, the new social sharing service that Adobe has crafted makes the whole thing a lot more appealing.

Do you use Lightroom? Will you upgrade? If you're an Apple users, let me know how that is going too. Obviously, Adobe isn't scare of Apple!