Dear Adobe Lightroom Team,
I am a long-time user of both Adobe Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC, and I would like to share several key observations and suggestions based on real-world experience. I believe these changes could significantly improve the workflow for users who rely on both desktop-based cataloging and cloud-based editing and access.
Main issue:
Currently, Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC operate as two largely separate ecosystems. There is no way to work with a single original RAW file (e.g., NEF) and have edits sync bidirectionally between Classic and CC. Lightroom Classic uploads only Smart Previews, while Lightroom CC requires full originals, leading to duplication, confusion, and loss of control over the sync process.
This significantly limits users who want to combine: – the powerful organizational and metadata tools of Lightroom Classic,
– with the flexibility and accessibility of mobile/cloud editing via Lightroom CC.
My suggestions for improvement:
- Enable full RAW file synchronization between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC, without creating duplicates.
- Allow users to choose, per image or per folder, whether to sync Smart Previews or full-quality originals.
- Provide transparent cloud storage management: what is local, what is in the cloud, and what is preview-only.
- Enable existing images in Classic to be “linked” to versions in CC, without requiring re-import or creating new versions.
I would be happy to contribute to further discussions or user testing around improving this system. I believe that unifying the Classic and CC workflows would be a major benefit for both professionals and enthusiast users, especially those with large existing archives who still want modern mobility.
Thank you for your time and for your ongoing development of the Lightroom ecosystem.
Best regards,
Jan
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