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Participating Frequently
Mar 4, 2025 10:58 AM UTC
Question

Camera Raw not available with Lightroom subscription

I have recently changed my subscription plan from Photography to Lightroom plan with 1TB but on downloading images from my camera into Bridge and trying to open them in Camera Raw I get a message saying Camera Raw editing is not enabled! Does the Lightroom Plan not include Camera Raw? How am I supposed to get my images into a format I can process in Lightroom without Camera Raw?

Can anyone help please?

Thanks

Vivien

20 replies

GoldingD
Legend
Mar 4, 2025 6:15 PM UTC

Fairly sure you can download ADOBE CAMERA RAW from an Adobe site. It is free.

 

using google, this one is shown:

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-in-installer.html

 

others probably exist.

 

Also, in your copy of Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop, select All Apps, Camera RAW might be included, you are probably looking at Installed Apps.

 

 

 

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JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
Mar 4, 2025 9:23 PM UTC

@GoldingD I'm fairly sure Camera Raw is not free. You may be able to download it and install it, but it won't work if you do not have a subscription that includes Photoshop. As the OP already noticed.

 

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-- Johan W. Elzenga
Legend
Mar 4, 2025 9:42 PM UTC

I was incorrect, Camera RAW is apparently included with Lightroom Classic.

https://helpx.adobe.com/bridge/kb/camera-raw-editing-not-enabled.html

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Bob Somrak
Legend
Mar 4, 2025 6:03 PM UTC

@Vivien Kent said

"Yeah OK forget it - my workflow is obviously different to everybody elses."

 

After you explained your workflow it is definately different to everybody elses.  As otheres have said, keeping your files RAW preserves a lot more editing opportunities, especially editing White Balance that is baked into TIFF files.  

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JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
Mar 4, 2025 2:02 PM UTC
quote

I have recently changed my subscription plan from Photography to Lightroom plan with 1TB but on downloading images from my camera into Bridge and trying to open them in Camera Raw I get a message saying Camera Raw editing is not enabled! Does the Lightroom Plan not include Camera Raw? How am I supposed to get my images into a format I can process in Lightroom without Camera Raw?

Can anyone help please?

Thanks

Vivien


By @Vivien Kent


What kind of images are you talking about? You normally do not have to get your images "into a format that you can process in Lightroom". Anything you can process in Camera Raw, you can also process in Lightroom. A Bridge - Camera Raw intermediate step is not necessary.

 

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-- Johan W. Elzenga
Participating Frequently
Mar 4, 2025 2:13 PM UTC

Yeah OK forget it - my workflow is obviously different to everybody elses.

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dj_paige
Legend
Mar 4, 2025 2:25 PM UTC

So please explain what it is you are doing that requires Bridge+ACR before Lightroom Classic? Perhaps someone here can offer a different workflow that doesn't require the extra step of Bridge+ACR.

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yamato713108855
Community Expert
Community Expert
Mar 4, 2025 1:32 PM UTC

When most people say Camera RAW, they are probably referring to the Camera RAW plug-in that can be used with Photoshop.
Since it's a Photoshop plug-in, you can't use it unless Photoshop is installed.

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Participating Frequently
Mar 4, 2025 1:36 PM UTC

OK - that's inconvenient. Will have to change my whole workflow now. Think my days with Adobe are numbered:(

 

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Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Community Expert
Mar 4, 2025 11:56 AM UTC

Camera Raw is a plugin for Bridge and Photoshop.

Lightroom and Lightroom Classic have Camera Raw integrated – they don't use the Camera Raw plugin.

To process images in Lightroom or Lightroom Classic, you have to import them.

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Participating Frequently
Mar 4, 2025 1:35 PM UTC

If it's a plug in for Bridge then why can't I access it from Bridge?

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dj_paige
Legend
Mar 4, 2025 1:59 PM UTC
quote

If it's a plug in for Bridge then why can't I access it from Bridge?


By @Vivien Kent

 

It has to be installed.

 

I think you have some sort of misunderstanding when earlier you said "How am I supposed to get my images into a format I can process in Lightroom without Camera Raw?"

 

You don't need to get your images into some format ... you just import them into Lightroom Classic and then you go ahead edit them in Lightroom Classic, which contains ACR built-in. You don't need a separate ACR, you don't need Bridge. In fact, very few people use Bridge and ACR as a step in the workflow before using Lightroom Classic.

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