Adobe released a new application called “Lightroom CC”, and they renamed the newest 7.0 version of the Lightroom program we have known and used for 10 years “Lightroom Classic CC”. In this article I’ll explain what Lightroom CC and Classic CC are and how they differ to help you make a decision on which is right for you. Note that I would expect Lightroom CC to acquire new features fairly quickly, so you should revisit your decision regularly.
These two solutions are only available as subscriptions. When I wrote this article, Lightroom 6, the last non-subscription version, was still for sale. It no longer is, it hasn’t gotten bug fixes or new camera support since 2017 and won’t, the Map module in it no longer works, and once Mac users upgrade to OS Catalina after it comes out in September 2019, you’ll no longer be able to uninstall and reinstall Lightroom 6 or install it on a new computer – so I no longer consider Lightroom 6 a viable option for most.
Lightroom Classic
Lightroom Classic (aka Lightroom Classic CC) is the new name for Lightroom as we used to know it – a very powerful program for managing and editing your photos, and for creating lots of different types of output with (prints, books, slideshows, web galleries, publish services). For a decade it has been the choice of professional photographers and amateurs who are serious enough about their photography that they don’t mind climbing a learning curve (though not nearly as steep as Photoshop’s) in exchange for powerful file management, editing and output capabilities. Nevertheless, some users have found themselves confused by and overwhelmed with Lightroom Classic’s file management and catalog approach and have struggled with missing files, lost work and other catalog issues.
Lightroom Classic is a desktop-centric solution – your photos reside on your computer, and you manage where they reside, what folder structure they reside in, what the file names are, etc. Understanding the relationship between your files and Lightroom’s catalog is critical to using this program successfully, as otherwise you will encounter missing file and folder issues, lost work, etc. It’s left completely up to you to back up your catalog using Lightroom’s utility, and your photos using some program other than Lightroom.
Photos in Lightroom Classic have a limited connection to the new “Lightroom CC ecosystem” – i.e. to Lightroom mobile on your mobile devices, web, and now Lightroom CC Desktop. You can “sync” (upload) specific collections of photos from Lightroom Classic to this ecosystem (just as before), but:
- all your photos are not automatically synced to this ecosystem
- the full size original files never go beyond your desktop computer – only smaller versions of your files (smart previews) get “synced” to the cloud and Lightroom mobile, web and Lightroom CC Desktop
- some Classic work will not sync to the rest of the ecosystem – for example, keywords, collection sets, color labels, snapshots.
- some work done in Lightroom mobile, web and Lightroom CC will not sync to Lightroom Classic – keywords and folders at this point, but more will follow since Adobe does not plan to invest any more resources in syncing to/from Classic.
Beginners: click here to go to a video introduction to Lightroom Classic.
Lightroom CC
Lightroom CC is Adobe’s new cloud-centric photography solution. While the software resides on your computer, your photos, generally speaking, reside in the cloud (though you can also keep a copy on your computer). Lightroom CC has a professional-quality set of tools for editing raw (and other) images, at this point missing just a few that Classic has.
Watch my video below for a brief look at Lightroom CC:
Lightroom CC’s Cloud-Based Approach Has Great Advantages
- You can very easily access and work on all your photos everywhere:
- on up to two computers with Lightroom CC installed (Yes, Lightroom CC finally gives photographers a seamless multi-computer solution. This is not a multi-user solution unless you are logged in with the same ID and are careful to not work on photos at the same time.)
- all your iOS and Android mobile devices, with the Lightroom mobile app
- on any computer at lightroom.adobe.com on the web. Imagine visiting someone and being able to use their computer without Lightroom on it to import photos into your Lightroom catalog, browse and edit your whole library, and automatically have all your new photos and work show up back at home.
- Your photos and work are automatically backed up to the cloud.
- You can take advantage of new resource-intensive features that are performed on Adobe’s servers – right now, the new Search feature that analyzes the content of your images to find what you’re looking for.
Lightroom CC Is Easier to Use
If you have struggled with the file and catalog management aspects of Lightroom Classic, you’ll find that Lightroom CC is much easier to use. The only file management decisions you can make (if you are the kind of person who goes into Preferences) is whether Lightroom CC should store a copy of your photos on your computer in addition to in the cloud, and if so where; and if not, how much hard drive space it should use to keep files that it thinks you’ll want access to so that you don’t have any delay as it downloads them from the cloud. Otherwise the tasks of file management are taken completely out of your hands – you don’t decide where each import of photos will be stored, you don’t organize and reorganize files and folders or access folders, and you don’t rename files – YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE.
Instead you create albums (aka collections) of photos you want to view together, you add keywords, and use Lightroom CC’s content-based search function to find photos.
Lightroom CC Has Serious Limitations at This Point
Pricing Options
If you don’t need Lightroom Classic and Photoshop (for really advanced editing and creative applications), then you can subscribe to just Lightroom CC.
For Lightroom Classic users, pricing (at least here in the U.S.) remains unchanged, at $9.99/month and includes Photoshop as well as the new Lightroom CC. The 20 GB cloud storage will allow you to experiment with Lightroom CC with a limited number of photos, and sync Lightroom Classic collections to/from mobile and web. However, if you wish to switch from Classic to Lightroom CC and continue to use Photoshop and/or you have multiple terrabytes of files, you’ll pay significantly more.
Whether you go with one plan or the other, you’re essentially paying $10/TB/month for the Lightroom CC ecosystem – being able to have all your photos with you and to be able to work on them everywhere you go, and for all of that data to be backed up to the cloud. Then there’s $9.99/month for Lightroom Classic and/or Photoshop.
Creative Cloud Photography Program
$9.99 USD / mo (with annual plan)
$19.99/mo with 1 TB cloud storage; exclusive offer for current CC subscribers: $14.99/mo, first year only.
$10/TB for each additional TB.
Lightroom CC
$9.99 USD / mo (with annual plan)
$10/TB for each additional TB – available only as 2 TB, 5 TB, 10 TB.
Visit Adobe.com for a complete list of plans available, including the All Apps plan with 20+ apps, and student/teacher plans.
So What Should I Do?
You’ll have to factor in price, but here are some thoughts otherwise. I’d definitely recommend Lightroom Classic if:
In this case, stick with Lightroom Classic and nothing changes for you (other than that you’ll only get updates if you’re on a Creative Cloud subscription program.)
On the other hand, I’d recommend Lightroom CC if:
Those of you who don’t fall neatly on one side or the other will have a tougher decision to make. Don’t forget that you can download trials of both!
What About Using Lightroom CC Together with Lightroom Classic?
I plan to write a separate article sometime soon on the topic of using Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic together. For now, I’ll say that a viable workflow for people who are mainly Lightroom Classic users could be to import photos into Lightroom CC and work on them while you’re away from home, and let Lightroom CC deliver them to Lightroom Classic back at home – then you’d empty out Lightroom CC. Maintaining your entire photo library in both and working in both to get the best of both worlds will introduce signicant issues and really isn’t a good idea for anyone but the most technically adept.
Disclosure: I do get a small commission if you purchase a subscription through my website. Access all of them by clicking on the banner below.
Hi Laura, many thanks for your thorough explanations! As full CC subscriber, who will probably *stay* a Lr Classic user, I am offered an upgrade to “Lightroom Classic CC”. Will Lightroom Classic upgraded through the CC menubar icon be called “Lr Classic CC” from now on? In other words this is *not* Lr CC? It is just the Lr Classic upgrade released today?
Really appreciate your work here!
– Chris
You’re welcome, Chris! Lightroom Classic CC is the subscription-only upgrade to Lightroom 6/CC 2015, that is, the version 7 upgrade to the Lightroom program we have been working with for the past 10 years. “Lightroom CC” (without the 2015) is the new cloud-based application that now comes along with your LR Classic + Photoshop subscription. (It only comes with 20 GB of storage for LR CC original files, though, which isn’t much.)
Excellent article Laura. Unless you are a pro photographer or a very serious amateur that needs the ability to edit photos away from home I can’t see any advantage to LR CC. The increased cost and the loss of facilities (especially no Photoshop) makes not a no-brainer for me. I’ll be sticking to Classic.
One question. If LR CC is coming with my Classic subscription is it going to mess up my file structure if I play around with it?
Thank you, Tony. It would be increased cost OR loss of Photoshop, not both (unless you have over 1 TB of photos).
If you want to mess around with LR CC, it will be cleanest if you turn Sync off in Classic while you do it. If you leave Sync on, which you certainly can, expect a couple things: first, for any photos you import directly into LR CC that aren’t in Classic, a second copy will sync over to Classic. Second, any collections you’re syncing from Classic will also end up in LR CC (but just smart previews). In any case, LR CC won’t mess up your file structure – it creates its own copies of photos you import directly into it, and when it syncs photos over to Classic, it puts them into your folders according to your Classic sync file location preference (on the LR CC tab in Preferences). Clear as mud? ;-)
I was thinking that I didn’t want to pay any extra. I really don’t think I’ll bother with CC. My workflow, as a Mac user, means that I export all my edited photos across to the Photos App as JPGs. That way I have access to all of them everywhere via iCloud. I never do editing anywhere else except home so there’s not much in it for me.
Providing Classic gets regular updates I’m happy to continue with it and the occasional hop over to Photoshop.
I realise that my method uses more storage but storage is relatively cheap nowadays.
Thanks for all your info. It’s always clear and concise and very welcome.
PS – I’m sure the new CC version will be very exciting for many.
Laura, thanks for sharing this information with all of us. I am wondering how I can simply upgrade my LR5 version to LR6 as I am not interested in taking out a subscription for all of the options that are available. I’ve been searching their web page all afternoon and as of yet have not been able to find a place to simply do the upgrade to version 6. Can you help me figure that out? Thanks in advance.
Hi Marion, I wrote a blog post today on how to find the Lightroom 6 product. I don’t know about pricing off of the student version – see if it will let you purchase the upgrade rather than the full version.
Whoops – ignore my student comment – that was someone else. Once you install it, here’s a video tutorial on how to upgrade to Lightroom 6.
Hi Laura. I’ve just had a look at the CC downloads and I see PS, LR Classic & LR CC. I’m not planning to download for another week (waiting to see if there are any issues) but presumably I only need to download PS and Classic if I don’t plan to use LR CC? Would it pay to download LR CC anyway to stave of any problems?
You can just download PS and Classic, Tony.
I have Lightrom 6.
Can I upgrade to Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop and just ignore the Lightroom CC component?
Will my catalog and all of my presets from my Lightroom 6 catalog be automatically functional in the Lightroom Classic CC upgrade?
Yes, you can, Theresa. Yes presets will carry over. Watch my video on how to upgrade to Lightroom Classic 7.
Hi Laura. I’ve been using the old Lightroom CC (now classic) since Apple killed Aperture. I installed both Classic and the new Lightroom CC and currently have about 13,000 photos. I’ve migrated my catalog to the new Lightroom CC and all went well. I like the look and feel of Lightroom CC, but some functions I need are missing (for example, adjustment of capture date and time). What happens if I turn Mobile Sync on in Lightroom Classic. I need some way to get new photos I’ve imported into Lightroom CC into Classic to compensate for some of the missing features in the new software. I also need the changes I make in Classic to migrate back to CC. Is this even possible?
Hi Horst, yes, you can turn sync on in Lightroom Classic, and copies of your files will sync in from LR CC along with the work you do. Working in both will present complexities that I can’t enumerate here, but it is possible. Examples include: all work won’t sync – for example, keywords in one won’t sync to the other, files will be duplicated, deleting synced photo in Classic will delete from LR CC, but not vice versa; etc. I do recommend that most people just stick with Classic until LR CC does everything they need. Do read my Definitive List of what can be done in Classic but not in Lightroom CC to make sure LR CC will do all you need.
Lightroom CC definitely does NOT meet my needs. There’s just too much missing – in addition to missing quite a few advanced adjustment tools, it doesn’t even have red eye removal or basic print capability. Even Apple Photos was better when it first came out. In the hopes that this will change in the near future (and I do want my photos to live in the cloud), I’ve developed the following work around: I export projects that are finished as a new catalog and import that catalog into CC. For projects still in work, I just sync those projects to the cloud from Lightroom Classic. Once the project is complete, I delete the photos synced from Classic in Lightroom CC, export the project as a catalog from Classic and import it into CC. I’m never deleting anything from Lightroom Classic. Is there any down side to this?
I answered my own question: a combination of imported catalogs and synced photos from Lightroom Classic causes duplicates and missing photos in Lightroom CC. Just what you said in your original answer, but only worse. I didn’t believe it could really be that bad. I guess it’s time to abandon Lightroom CC.
Hi from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Great article, it helped me a lot. I am an amateur ‘advanced’ photographer, Photography Plan Subscriber for 4 years now. Otherwise I would have use the link in your blog.
Looking forward to an article of using Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic together. I think it would be best for long time users to ease the transition to ‘pure’ CC.
Welcome, Nicolas! Thank you for thinking of that CC link on my blog. I haven’t written an article on using both yet, but I do speak to it briefly in my recorded webinar at 46:00.
Thanks so much Laura! Best article on this somewhat complex subject I’ve seen so far! – answered my questions about initially testing the waters with LR CC until it gains more feature parity with Classic.
You’re welcome, Dave – and thank you for your note!
Laura,
I am most likely going to have the bulk of my images stored in my extensive and very organized Lightroom Classic Library and catalog. As you have mentioned you could use Lightroom CC to import images while on Location. That is what I have done with some film images that were scanned to a CD, and the location was simply my bedroom as I was a bit lazy this morning and did not want to use my Main Desktop computer and its Lightroom Classic and import them there.
I see lots of “How to” Import from Lightroom Classic into Lightroom CC, but not in the opposite direction.
The files I imported into Lightroom CC are now synced to the Cloud and back to Lightroom Classic as Mobile/CC Collections and the files now physically reside on my Desktop’s “From Lightroom Mobile” Directories where I usually sync my iPhone images. They also reside on my Laptop that I used to run Lightroom CC and its CD Drive.
I would like to get those scanned images into my Classic Library Folder structure which is organized by Date-Subject-Location and the Lightroom Library also reflects the way I organize them in the Finder with the same naming scheme.
Will I just use the “Show Folder” command and then move them in groups to new folders in my Classic Library organizing scheme?
I only want them in one place and with the rest of my Camera images as opposed to iPhone images.
How would I best do this? You hint at posting a “How to work with both” blog post soon and I guess I am begging the question…How do I move them into my Classic Library structure and “Empty” them from the CC scheme, yet leaving them in Synced collections that are accessible by Lightroom CC/Mobile but not physically stored in CCs scheme?
Thanks in Advance
John Thurston
You can drag the files elsewhere using the Folders panel in Classic, John. For new files synced going forward you can go into Preferences>Lightroom CC and change the location that these go to.
That will change the location of the copy in Lightroom Classic. You can then delete the copy in LR CC. However, this will remove them from mobile. Set up a synced collection in Classic to get them back into mobile.
The only potential downside of this scheme is that only LR CC can sync the full size files to the cloud – Classic just syncs smart previews. As you do as I suggested you’re removing the full size file from the cloud and replacing it with a smart preview. Some will see this as a negative, but others with limited bandwidth or slow internet might see this as a positive.
Laura, as you can see, many of us are interested in the article you are working “Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic together”. On the other hand, I believe that one scenario that would motivate to use both would be uploading pictures taken with iPhone using the mobile app. Thank you!
I’m afraid I haven’t started on it yet, Charly, but there’s no need to use Lightroom CC to get your iPhone photos synced to Lightroom Classic – just import them into Lightroom mobile and turn syncing on in Classic. Here’s a video introduction to working with Lightroom mobile (the LR mobile interface has changed and more features have been added since I recorded it, but working between mobile and Classic is the same.)
Hi Laura
Is Adobe abandoning converting raw files to DNG in LRCC?
It’s too soon to know that, Cameron – there is no option to convert to DNG in version 1.0 of Lightroom CC, but it’s possible that they could add the feature later.
Hello Laura. A great and balanced article – thanks. I think adobe have done a great job with the release of v1 of CC. Not sufficient features for some of us to migrate at this time, but sure gives a good indication of where we are heading. I won’t go into the specific features I do like and I will leave cost out of this discussion, suffice to say that to have a full res image stored, backed up and accessible on all devices from a robust cloud based storage seems to have many benefits. I am still not ready to migrate fully and probably won’t until maybe v2, but a work around for the missing features seems to be….. add photos to CC and ‘share’ associated album. This becomes available as a Collection in Classic. From here there is full Classic functionality in this collection. I make virtual copies with different presets for example to print, make book, or web based output, etc. these copies and any other processing auto sync back and are a available in the CC environment. This seems to give the advantage if cloud based storage, the features of CC as well as giving access to full Classic functionality and modules.
Hi Peter, there’s no sharing of albums in LR CC – everything is automatically synced to the cloud (and down into LR Classic if sync is turned on there). You can otherwise do as you suggest, but there are complications (for example, you’ll have duplicate files, and some work doesn’t sync in both directions). I hope to write an article on this soon.
Thanks Laura, I am looking forward to your article. I can’t see where the duplication is? The high res image is only stored in the cloud and any processing is only done on previews or virtual copies in either cc or Classic. This give access the Classic modules not yet available in CC with all the benefits of cloud storage. Thanks again and I am sure your article will clarify this.
If you are importing into Lightroom CC, Peter, and then syncing to Classic, Classic creates its own copy of the files, so this is a duplication of the files. That’s OK, but you should be aware of it.
Thanks again Laura. Good information.
Hi Laura, Thanks for the article. In Lightroom CC can duplicates be found in some automated way, and deleted? Presently I have a plugin in Lightroom Classic for this. Every couple months I end up with hundreds of duplicates. I’m an amateur.
You’re welcome, Chris. No – there is no duplicate detection functionality, except that during import it screens out duplicates as best it can. Lightroom CC also does not support plugins at this time.
Hi Laura,
I really appreciated this article, thank you for your diligence and effort in producing it. I have a couple of questions:
1. I see that my cloud symbol in CC says 13 GB out of 100 GB used.. does that mean Adobe is giving a max of 100 GB for storing photos without paying an additional fee? I thought I read in the article it was 1 TB.
2. Normally I import my photos and create a new folder and add presets, edit, then export to the highest resolution for sending out to retouching services. What would happen if I tried this process in CC and then had to delete the album because my storage space was low? Would I be able to export the album as a folder onto my desktop for storing or for sending to retouching? Or are all of the “edits” gone because I took the album out of the cloud?
Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome, Andrea. 1. If you have the Photography Program (with LR Classic and Photoshop as well as LR CC), you have to pay an extra $10/month to get the 1 TB of storage. 2. Before deleting, export in the Original+Settings format.
Thanks – this was REALLY helpful…I was very confused by the new releases and this straightened all up! Love the pros and cons of each version
I’m happy to hear it was helpful, Jennifer! Thank you for your note.
Hi Laura,
I am thinking about buying Lightroom 6. But I not sure if or how long it will work on Windows 10. Since Adobe are not updating Lightroom 6 anymore, how will that effect the program? I am affraid that it will stop working if/when Windows 10 are upgraded on my computer.
It works with Windows 10, Marte. There’s no guarantee that it will work with Windows 11 when it comes out, and any problems won’t be fixed – but there haven’t been major compatibility issues in the past with operating system updates.
Hi Laura, I am currently using LR 5 and I am considering trying LR Classic CC. I have not been able to get a consistent answer regarding returning to LR 5 if I decide to cancel my subscription to Classic CC. The first question: If I cancel my subscription to Classic CC, will I be able to use LR 5 again. I have been told no by some (including an Adobe tech rep), others have told me yes, but it is complicated. Second question: If I can use LR 5 again, can I convert my catalog back to LR 5.
Hi Bob, yes, you can use LR 5 again; no, you can’t convert your Classic catalog to LR 5. Read this article for more details on what you’d be able to salvage and what you wouldn’t.
Is Adobe interested in hearing why I have decided to change to another company after many years of using and loving Lightroom and Photoshop? i.e. the changes I would like to see.
Is Adobe interested inthe changes I would like to see? Otherwise I plan to seek other programs, regretfully as I’ve used and loved Lightroom and Photoshop for many years.
You can post your feedback on Adobe’s bug/feedback site, Ruby: https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/categories/photoshop_family_photoshop_lightroom
In terms of whether they’re interested, I believe they are. Whether you’ll see the changes you want though will depend, among other things, on how common your sentiments are.
I am on the fence about purchasing a Light Room program. I am not a serious enough photographer to want to pay a monthly/yearly fee, but am completely torn on whether I should purchase and run LR6 or bite the bullet and get LR Classic. Advice?
Hi Bridget, as time is passing I am coming around to recommending against Lightroom 6. It hasn’t been updated since December, 2017, and it won’t be updated if/when things break. For example, Google will be changing something soon that will break Lightroom 6’s Map module – so it just won’t work going forward – there will be no fix, as there will be in the subscription Lightroom Classic CC product. Mac or Windows operating systems updates can also break things (though up to now issues have been relatively minor.)
I’d bite the bullet and get Classic (or the cloud-based Lightroom CC), or consider a non-Adobe alternative.
Thanks for this Laura, it answered my question (can I use both CC and Classic CC) and confirmed my decision: Classic only. The main reason is that I do not wish to be tied to the internet.
Laura
Iam totally confused. I was a LR5 user who got a new camera that needed LR6 for raw support. So I subsccribed to LR classic cc which I thought was what you call LR7! Instead it looks nothing like my LR5 screen and does not have the top pannel that has the library develop etc modes. The right panel is different as well and meta data is not an expanddable line on the right but a button. It does not feel anything like LR5 that I am used to and I have tried to find a button on the top or sides to bring in the old borders. Can you gve me any idea what I have gotten in to?
That’s not Lightroom Classic CC, Jim, that’s the new cloud-based Lightroom CC (which also comes with your subscription and which you can ignore.)
Any idea if they will ever add the ability to tether a camera is the new Lightroom CC cloud version? For work I shoot 90% in the studio and while I have the full Adobe CC suite to work with, it doesn’t appear that tethering is an option in Lightroom CC. So I am stuck using my previous Lightroom 2015.9 version just to be able to tether. I don’t really feel like paying for yet another Lightroom version via LR Classic to get up to date tethering.
I don’t know if Lightroom CC will get that functionality, Jeff. Why not upgrade to Lightroom Classic CC 8.0 though? (That’s the updated version of the 2015.9 version you are using.)
Thanks for the quick response. If the upgrade from LR 2015.9 to LR classic CC 8.0 is free – I am on it. But this is a work computer/software and I am not sure they’d spring for yet another paid upgrade after investing in the Adobe Cloud CC suite. I’ll look into it.
It should be free, Jeff – it’s part of the same subscription. They could have upgraded to Classic CC v. 7 a year ago (and 8 now).
Hi, Laura. I am an amateur looking to increase my hobby. Like many (maybe most?), I take advantage of digital and shoot way too many pics to keep, in hopes of getting that best one. I also have lots of old family photos I’ve scanned over the years, so I want the cloud storage. However, I don’t want everything I shoot to go to the cloud.
I did not realize when I subscribed to the Photography Plan and began with Lightroom CC that I would not be able to select which photos were uploaded to the cloud. I have upgraded to the TB plan, but I want to be able to decide which photos to upload. So, what is the best way to manage that and what is the best way to get started if I already have over 3000 photos in the cloud, knowing there are probably 1500 (or more) that don’t belong there)?
Thanks in advance for your help. I’ve been to many forums about deleting from CC, but I can’t find an answer to the entire range of my question(s).
Hi Laura,
There’s no way to specify only certain photos to go to the cloud – the options are (1) everything, or (2) don’t use Lightroom CC. With Lightroom Classic, only collections you specify are synced to the cloud … but in this case they aren’t the full size originals, they are smaller “smart previews”. These enable you to work with your photos on mobile and web, but they are not a backup of originals.
Hi Laura,
I have LR 5 and learned this week that it does not support my Fuji XT2 raw files. If I upgrade to LR 6, does it support the Fuji raw files? I hate to have to subscribe to an annual service. Thank you.
Here’s documentation on what version of Lightroom is needed for each camera, Ana. If you don’t want to upgrade, you can download Adobe’s free DNG converter, convert your raw files to DNG, and then import them into the version of Lightroom you have.
Hi Laura,
Many thanks for the clear explanation. If I move from LR6 to a LR/LRClassic/PS monthly plan how many computers is it valid for?
You can be signed in on two computers, Rob.
Thank you for your article Laura. I currently use Lightroom 5. I am about to purchase a camera that was launched last month, the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100ii. I see this has already been added to the new subscription Lightroom. At present I wish to avoid subscription and note that you report Adobe to continue selling Lightroom 6 and that final updates for new cameras etc. will be added over the next few months. Will they include this newly released Panasonic camera? If the answer is yes, how do I purchase Lightroom 6? The Adobe web site make the new subscription purchasing look easy; however, to obtain Lightroom 6 and new updates, this is more confusing. Your response would be very much appreciated.
Hi Lance, the final update to Lightroom 6 was in December, 2017 – there are no further updates for new cameras (or for anything else – the Map module will go dead in a few days because of a change at Google that Adobe will only address in the newer Lightroom Classic CC.) Alternatively, you can use Adobe’s free DNG converter to convert your raw files to the DNG format, and then import these into LR 5 (or 6).
Thanks for the explanations. I have a question – I’m just retiring so am going to sell off most of my equipment and thinking of buying a Fuji XT3. The problem is I don’t think Lightroom 6.5 will convert the RAW files. I don’t want to go to subscription as photography isn’t bringing an income in any more but I still want to be able to edit photos, obviously. I’m hoping to get into old aguish my old Mac, old Lightroom and a new camera, is it possible?
Hi Marten, here is a list of all cameras supported by Lightroom version. If your camera isn’t supported in your Lightroom version, you can use the free Adobe DNG converter, convert them to the DNG format, and then import them into your version of Lightroom (unless the camera is brand new and isn’t yet supported by the DNG converter.)
Thanks Laura, is anything lost such as “lens corrections” when using DNG converter? Alan
No, Alan.
How are edits completed on an iphone or iPad treated since full versions are not downloaded to mobile devices?
“all your photos are not automatically synced to this ecosystem
the full size original files never go beyond your desktop computer – only smaller versions of your files (smart previews) get “synced” to the cloud and Lightroom mobile, web and Lightroom CC Desktop
some Classic work will not sync to the rest of the ecosystem – for example, keywords, collection sets, color labels, snapshots.”
Thanks!
Hi Walter, edits are stored separately from the images – in desktop and in mobile. Your mobile edits automatically sync to desktop and seamlessly match up with the images.
There is no need for Lightroom CC to exist at all. I can put my photos on my home-“cloud” – for example I do have WD 1 TB disc that is on my desk and I can use its content (photos, videos and everything else) when anywhere in the world. But I can make it impossible to enter it from outside when I am at home. And I do not have to pay any additional monthly etc. fees – only once the price in a shop. I can buy 5 TB or more, too. When I do not want then nobody can see my photos — I just do not connect this disc to internet.
_____If I however wish to use the content of this disc underway, outside of home, I connect it to the internet. It is easy with Lightroom on all kinds of computers/notebooks but for smartphones etc. I would need a special software – from Adobe or other producers. But it should not be a problem all. Why does Adobe want to make me to use its Lightroom CC and cloud?
_____I was using Lightroom 6 with catalog on external drive (as I can connect it to different PCs and have no problems in case of PC-failure) since many years. Since few days Adobe has (without asking my permission, behind my back) changed it and the try to use catalog on external drive is being blocked with information that catalog cannot be on removable storage media, net-media and read-only media. And additionally I see suddenly menu-information: “The first steps with Lightroom mobile” in the upper left corner of Lightroom (when catalog on internal drive). It is insane as I even do not have a smartphone or any other mobile device. But I cannot remove this line which takes me some place on the screen.
_____I have paid for Lightroom 6 and now, after many years and big investment of my time in it Adobe is making it much more difficult for me to use it. Adobe will get court decision to give money back to users (price of the software plus time invested) behaving like that in the end, I suppose.
Your issues are not due to Adobe conniving, Piotr – something has changed about your external drive – it’s probably set to read only. And there has always been a “First steps with Lightroom mobile” option in the identity plate, depending on what identity plate option is chosen.
Also, Adobe is not trying to push you to the cloud-based Lightroom. There’s also Lightroom Classic, which is not cloud-based.