Anyone using Lightroom CC as their primary processor?

[JS2020]

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Thinking of switching from C1. Interested in if your have done it if you're liking it. Not so much if you haven't, those reasons are well documented. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by JS2020

[lohthx1r]

I did the opposite, jumping from C1 to Lightroom CC.

C1 performance is terrible on my 2020 16” MacBook Pro.

Maybe it is just me but that is my personal experience.

Hope that helps.

[JS2020]

Yep that's the same as I'm thinking, moving from C 1 (current) to Lightroom CC. 

How are you finding It? 

It seems like it could work well for me. My collection isn't huge (300gb), C1 is overkill where as LR CC seems like a good amount of editing for me, cloud backup with one set of local copies also seems good. 

Any major problems so far?

[LocalHero1953]

Note that LR CC is limited in functionality compared to LR Classic CC. No printing is the most limiting for me, but there are plenty of others. It just hasn't been developed that much since launch.

[M11 for me]

I agree with you. Go for Classic.

[JS2020]

Yeah I'm aware of the limitations and there isn't that much that I think I'll actually miss, many things seems better actually IMO. More interested in those who actually have been using it as their primary tool to see if they are enjoying it. 

[M11 for me]

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Not to make it complicated: But you are certainly aware that when you pay for your Creative Coud subscription then you have everything anyway (Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and some others that I do not use). So you do not have to make any decision beforehand. Plus you can mix as well: On one device you are in Lightroom and on an other device you work on the same image in Lightroom Classic.

Edited May 4, 2022 by M11 for me

[marchyman]

C1 DAM functions are slow and someone limited.  That always bothered me, but I preferred C1's editing tools.

Recent releases of LrC (Classic, not the cloud based version) have made LrC's editing and use of masks almost equal to C1.  I can do a few more things in C1, but in practice I rarely (if ever) used the additional features.   The only thing I miss on a regular basis is the C1 levels panel.  I can get the same effect using curves and the sliders, but it takes a little more work.

The final decision to use LrC over C1 is Negative Lab Pro.  I still scan negatives.  NLP in LrC makes processing negatives orders of magnitude easier than doing it my hand in C1. 

[JS2020]

30 minutes ago, M11 for me said:

Not to make it complicated: But you are certainly aware that when you pay for your Creative Coud subscription then you have everything anyway (Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and some others that I do not use). So you do not have to make any decision beforehand. Plus you can mix as well: On one device you are in Lightroom and on an other device you work on the same image in Lightroom Classic.

Interesting. But I'm thinking of going all in with cloud storage as well, so my entire collection of RAWs would sit in CC on the cloud (I'd still sync one external drive and physical backup via the cc feature). My understanding is you can't just seamlessly switch between cc and classic then? I could do ad hoc stuff in classic but it wouldn't all by synced up with cc. But yeah if I'm printing a large print and find cc is lacking in something like export functionality I can always just use classic or C1 for that. But I'd be spending most of my time in the CC interface is my thinking. 

[LocalHero1953]

1 hour ago, JS2020 said:

Yeah I'm aware of the limitations and there isn't that much that I think I'll actually miss, many things seems better actually IMO. More interested in those who actually have been using it as their primary tool to see if they are enjoying it. 

FTAOD, I used LR CC as my primary tool for at least two years, but got fed up with the lack of development, and all its other recognised defects. I have never used C1. I now use LR Classic CC backed up by PS, Topaz tools and Negative Lab Pro. (And LR CC will not permit you to use anything as an external editor but PS from within LR CC).

[humerc]

I use Classic and cloud version together - just have to make sure I import everything via the cloud version, so it is synced to all devices and LR Classic. 

When I need something that the cloud version doesn’t have (for example: I can’t use Negative Lab Pro for film in the cloud version, or printing) I just switch to the classic version and have all the edits from the cloud version there. Works really well since a few years and I really need classic not really often, as the cloud version has becoming a lot better since beginning.

 

[JS2020]

That's great. Exactly how I was thinking it would work, although I didn't realise it was that easy to use classic as well. Do you just open classic and everything is synced or do you need to export the Raw file and add separately to classic? I think I'll rarely need it tbh, have been playing around with cc/cloud and it seems to cover off everything I need really well, even the workflow seems to align well to how I use classic anyway. Seems powerful, fast and simple enough so I can spend less time at a computer processing and managing files and more time out shooting. 

[ejg1890]

15 hours ago, JS2020 said:

Interesting. But I'm thinking of going all in with cloud storage as well, so my entire collection of RAWs would sit in CC on the cloud (I'd still sync one external drive and physical backup via the cc feature). My understanding is you can't just seamlessly switch between cc and classic then? I could do ad hoc stuff in classic but it wouldn't all by synced up with cc. But yeah if I'm printing a large print and find cc is lacking in something like export functionality I can always just use classic or C1 for that. But I'd be spending most of my time in the CC interface is my thinking. 

I use the cloud and use all 3 versions of Lightroom - classic, cc and mobile. All sync up great. I load pics into LR mobile on the ipad, they sync to the cloud and available to all 3 versions. Once classic is stated the new photos are downloaded to the catalogue on my MBP/external drive. Any changes made on 1 device is then sync’d and available on all devices and LR versions.   

[NICOFRANCA]

I'm not a heavy editor, so CC works great for me. My main focus is having a DAM across multiple devices that just works. I've been using it since it came out without any real issues. Never found myself wanting anything else. It works great on an iPad too, which I like to use to cull and organize with. 

[JS2020]

Great to here! I'm going to make the switch.. 

[hansvons]

On 5/5/2022 at 9:23 PM, NICOFRANCA said:

I'm not a heavy editor, so CC works great for me. My main focus is having a DAM across multiple devices that just works. I've been using it since it came out without any real issues. Never found myself wanting anything else. It works great on an iPad too, which I like to use to cull and organize with. 

That's what's been made for.

@JS2020 But please note "not a heavy editor" and read post #10. Absolutely agree with @LocalHero1953. 

Lightroom CC is limited when compared to C1. Different league, different use case. I find Lightroom Classic somewhat convoluted and the UI outright ugly. I switched to C1 2 years ago and don't look back. I do see your concerns with responsiveness. But Lightroom CC isn't much better behaving on a 2020 Macbook. I switched to a MacBook 16"" M1 Max. Night-day. 2022 C1 loads on the new Apple silicon DNGs instantly; the same applies to grading. No lags whatsoever. If you have the funds, part with the Intel MacBook and get a new one. This has been the starkest update since the MacBook saw the light.

On 5/5/2022 at 10:57 AM, JS2020 said:

I think I'll rarely need it tbh, have been playing around with cc/cloud and it seems to cover off everything I need really well, even the workflow seems to align well to how I use classic anyway. Seems powerful, fast and simple enough so I can spend less time at a computer processing and managing files and more time out shooting. 

I absolutely agree on the notion less editing more shooting. But CC brought me nowhere in that regard because I want both, satisfying results and a convenient and fast editing pace. I find CC's toolset not deep enough. That's why I built my own camera profiles in C1. Now I only set exposure and colour temperature/WB, and doge and burn when applicable. That's it. No further thinking necessary because everything else is how I want it.

That, however, works only well if you have a clear idea of a consistent look for your work, and you want to stick to it.

[JS2020]

Yeah OK sounds good. I'm going to make the switch. Will update this thread with feedback.

In terms of actual photo editing there seems to be very little that Lightroom Cloud can't do vs Lightroom Classic, and some things even better like autodetect sky and people filters. I've gone through all of the develop options and struggle to find anything missing. I've never touched any of the other lightroom classic modules to do with Maps, Slideshow, etc, always wondered what the point of those were anyway. And in terms of organisation/management it has everything I need and does it better as it auto organises things based on date rather than having to maintain a folder structure more manually. 

 

[Dennis]

• 2006 - 2012 = Photoshop 
• 2012 - 2018 = Lightroom, since v4 (never mobile)
• 2019 - Oct 2021 = Capture One 20 (perpetual license) 
• Oct 2021 - March 2022 = LR CC only, no desktop, only iPad Pro…
• 2022 - ……?..… = LR Classic 20gb + LR for iPad Pro

For a pro, LR CC only it can’t be. Too limited. Not reliable for long term.

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Dennis