Adobe fans can now test the latest version of Lightroom.

Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 is now in beta and is available as a 30-day trial for free download for both Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Existing Lightroom 1.0 customers will be able to test the beta for an extended period until 31 August and can invite friends to take part in this trial period.

Lightroom 2.0 beta features enhancements such as dual-monitor support, localised dodge and burn correction and will be the first Adobe application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Microsoft Vista 64-bit operating systems.

"Photoshop Light room 2.0 beta provides early access to requested improvements over version 1.3 and continues our ongoing dialogue and open communication with the photography community", explained Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Photoshop Lightroom and Camera Raw.

Also Adobe has improved the layout in the Library module and added a new feature called Smart Collections, which automatically updates collections with images that match desired criteria such as star-rating, keyword or other metadata.

Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OS X 10.4, 10.5, 1GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel-based processor, or Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise, Intel Pentium 4 processor, 1GB RAM and a 1024 x 768 resolution screen.