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Question

Lightroom Classic worth it?

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
February 11, 2018
3 replies
5683 views

I have Lightroom 5 and since Adobe, as far as I can determine, offers no special upgrade price for Lightroom 6/Classic, what does Lightroom 6/Classic offer that makes it worth $149? (I have no interest in the cloud version.)

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J

Jao vdL

Community Expert

I can understand not wanting to do a subscription, but you should know that the subscription Lightroom Classic is a fully functional desktop application, no different in functionality from a non-subscription version. The photography plan Adobe offers is 9.99/month and includes Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and a new application called Lightroom CC (yes not smart to name it the same as the old Lightroom) that stores all images in the cloud if you use it but has only a fraction of the features you expect from Lightroom(I don't recommend that but some folks like it). That's a steal in my opinion compared to perpetual licensing. Again if you absolutely need to own your software that's not an option but you should still think about it.

R

RSHPhotoAuthor

Known Participant

So I have to buy products I don't want -- Photoshop and Lightroom CC -- to get the product I want, LR? How is that a steal?

R

russellg99790111

Participant

RSHPhoto, I understand your pain. I am not a professional, but have been using lightroom since it's inception. I currently hold a lightroom 6.0 License and am holding out until I get a new camera that forces me to upgrade to the new subscription model. So far, I am happy with 6.14. It runs well on my new PC and don't see a need to upgrade. I plan to stay with this for at least another 2-3 years. My 2 cents.

Well it's been almost 2 years how are you holding out? I'm of the same opinion as you BTW. I just don't like subs, I will hopefully live another 20 years and paying several thousand dollars for LR just doesn't appeal. I had a panic recently though using LR 6.0. I was using a D4s and everything was fine. Then I got a D5 and suddenly LR refused to read my new raw files. I could have cried! Fortunately I got onto support and after an hour managed to get a working do link for version 6.14 Presto I could read the D5 yay! Another worry was that I planned to sell the D4s and get a D850 so I'd have all photo bases covered as there's plenty on that camera the d5 can't quite match up to. After checking the versions I discovered the D850 was included in LR v6.13. So that's great news for me as those 2 cameras should last me a long time, maybe life long if they hold up.

Seems to me camera compatibility is the ONLY reason a serious photographer would ever need to update LR. Sadly it's a sad state when something as minor raw file updates can't be supported for perpetual license holders as well as subscribers. After all its a separate update to the app it COULD be made available easily. Heck I'd even have no problem PAYING for a camera update. You want $20 to update the raw capabilities of LR Adobe? Here ya go thanks!

People seem to forget that photographers have been producing great amazing photos for well over 100 years and 20 digitally. LR 6 is a great catalog and photo edit app for anyone who deals with pure photography only. Ie no fancy effects or 'cheats'. It is definitely good enough to produce award winning professional photos for the next couple decades. Like the new improved smart fridge doesn't actually store food any colder than your parents' old clunker( OK maybe it does bad example!) new 'features' are never actually NEEDED, people use them because they are THERE. Not because they have to.

I dont want cloud storage. It's way slower than my multiple ssd workstation with external sati back up drives. Plus more secure!

What you never had you never miss.

Conrad_C

Community Expert

RSHPhoto wrote
I have Lightroom 5…what does Lightroom 6/Classic offer

Here's the web page where Adobe lists everything in the Lightroom 6 releases.

Feature summary for Lightroom CC 2015.x/Lightroom 6.x releases

The bulk of the feature differences between 5 and 6 are at the bottom of that page, for Lightroom 6.0. A few more features were added in point updates, but read carefully because those features were typically added only to the Creative Cloud version of Lightroom, not to the Lightroom 6 perpetual license version. The perpetual license version did continue to get bug fixes and updates for new cameras and lenses.

JP Hess

Inspiring

You can upgrade to Lightroom 6 for $79. There were 14 updates. There were new cameras that were supported in each of those updates. Lightroom 6 had a few new features added, but features that were added to Lightroom CC (the subscription version) were not added to Lightroom 6. Lightroom Classic CC is a subscription version, but it isn't what you might consider a "cloud" version. It installs on your computer, runs on your computer just like Lightroom 5 does. You can share images in the cloud IF choose to do so, but that is your choice. Lightroom Classic CC is subscription only, $9.99/month in the US, and that includes the latest Photoshop as well. The programs install locally on your computer, run locally on your computer just as they always have.

If you choose to upgrade to Lightroom 6 you should be aware that after you install the program and update to Lightroom 6.14 to get support for all the new cameras supported by that version, that would be the last update you will ever get for that program. There will be no more updates for Lightroom 6. Lightroom Classic CC is still being supported and updated and new features will expectedly be added as time goes by.

There is another version of Lightroom now, Lightroom CC. It IS a cloud version. Images are stored in the cloud and made available on the computer and mobile devices with a very similar interface on all of those devices. It's your choice whether or not you use that version. If you choose the Creative Cloud photography plan you can download both versions and choose for yourself which one is more suitable for your particular needs. It is not advisable to try to use the two versions together.

Lightroom 6 and Lightroom Classic CC are NOT the same program. Lightroom Classic CC is still being completely supported and has a number of features that Lightroom 6 does not have. It has the ability to share images in the cloud IF you choose to do so, and that comes at no extra cost with Lightroom Classic CC. If that has no interest to you then you don't have to use it.

R

RSHPhotoAuthor

Known Participant

I can't find the $79 deal for Lightroom 6 on the Adobe website, only the full $149 price. Where is the $79 deal offered?

If Adobe isn't going to support Lightroom 6 and longtime Adobe customers like myself who want a desktop program (my first Adobe product was Photoshop Deluxe dating back to the turn of the century), what's the argument for sticking with LR and not going to some other program? For example, I've been reading good things about Alien Skin's Exposure.

JP Hess

Inspiring

Go to the link below and change the full license to an upgrade and the price will change. Follow the other instructions.

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