Bloody Ad Obe

You could convert to DNG.

I don't think my CS5 supports any of my cameras raws. It is an extra step but at least it's just one batch process and they're all done.
Yes I could but that adds another step or 2 to my workflow and I'd have to get a converting software. I'm happy as I am until I'm foprced to make a decision.
 
For you - look no further than Capture One Pro 21. or on1 RAW.

I'd recommend DXO but it won't work your APSC Fuji camera files
Thanks but I tried a free trial of C1 and on1 but couldn't get on with the interface (and I'm not forced to act yet as my LR and PS are working on my old computer fine).
 
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Thanks but I tried a free trial of C1 and on1 but couldn't get on with the interface (and I'm not forced to act yet as my LR and PS are working on my old computer fine).

I can understand that - it is quite a daunting piece of kit. Ultimately though it isn't subscription based and is superior in many ways to LR.

If your only camera system was the GFX50s - the only logical suggestion would be DXO. Not entirely like LR in layout but much more streamlined and simple than C1 pro.
 
This is interesting. I still have a copy of LR5 that will do most of what I want and doesn't require remote activation, and since I already have to convert my image files to .dng format for LR6, if they HAVE stopped activation then I can revert at the time of next PC upgrade.

However if that's the case then I will simply abandon Adobe software, almost certainly in favour of On1 since they can now import your lightroom catalogue, edits and all.
 
I never can understand people that stump up thousands for camera gear and then bitch about £8/month for software to process their images.

what the hell would you do if we still all shot film?

Honestly, if £8/month is too much for your hobby you need to find another one.
 
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This is interesting. I still have a copy of LR5 that will do most of what I want and doesn't require remote activation, and since I already have to convert my image files to .dng format for LR6, if they HAVE stopped activation then I can revert at the time of next PC upgrade.

However if that's the case then I will simply abandon Adobe software, almost certainly in favour of On1 since they can now import your lightroom catalogue, edits and all.
I keep a copy of CS3 for the same reason. It's impossible to re-install CS3 from the original disks, but by chance I happened to notice that Adobe were briefly making activation-free installers available to people with licences a couple of years ago (they didn't exactly advertise it, and you needed a valid licence key to obtain the installers, unlike the earlier CS2 replacement installers). So now I'm one of the privileged few with access to what may well be the final and most up to date activation-free versions of PS and Illustrator. I suspect that with Adobe's current attitude they won't bother releasing an activation-free version of CS6 when they switch off the servers, so a time will come when I'll no longer be able to reinstall it. Affinity is fine most of the time, but there are some technical things (vector edits of PDFs generated by certain R packages) that I can only seem to do properly in CS.
 
I never can understand people that stump up thousands for camera gear and then bitch about £8/month for software to process their images.

what the hell would you do if we still all shot film?

Honestly, if £8/month is too much for your hobby you need to find another one.
I do still shoot film.
 
I never can understand people that stump up thousands for camera gear and then bitch about £8/month for software to process their images.

what the hell would you do if we still all shot film?

Honestly, if £8/month is too much for your hobby you need to find another one.

It's never been about the money. And yes, I too still occasionally shoot film.
 
I recently bought a new computer and tried to load my LR 6.14 and PS Elements 15, neither would load correctly as I couldn't get my license keys to validate. I spent a long time on chat with Adobe but the end result was they said that they no longer had the server support for my old programmes so they couldn't help, my only option was togo with the new versions on the cloud. I haven't done that, I returned the new computer (there were other reasons not related specifically to Adobe) and am running me old computer until it dies. When that happens I will have to make a decision continue with Adobe on/in the cloud or move to a different software. I am not looking forward to that decision making time.
Iknow that on the Mac OS after Mojave the 32bit installer for LR6.14 is no use as the OS's after are 64 bit, a case ofAdobe should do something about it but the older operating system will work but I think converting to DNG would be the case for new cameras that aren't supported in 6.14. very annoying
 
I never can understand people that stump up thousands for camera gear and then bitch about £8/month for software to process their images.

what the hell would you do if we still all shot film?

Honestly, if £8/month is too much for your hobby you need to find another one.
That isn't what we're bitching about. Imagine you pick up one of your old cameras (it's a few years old, but it cost you a grand or two back in the day, and was still perfectly functional yesterday) and it refuses to work. Checking the LCD, you see a message like 'BIOS has expired and is no longer supported. Please recycle this camera.' Checking online, you see that the company no longer sells cameras that fit your lenses, but they have a lucrative business in renting them out. Might you not be a little bit irritated?
 
I never can understand people that stump up thousands for camera gear and then bitch about £8/month for software to process their images.

what the hell would you do if we still all shot film?

Honestly, if £8/month is too much for your hobby you need to find another one.


Things happen in life. I still have my camera, but not my business thanks to some twonk who decided it was OK to drive and use his phone at the same time... you possibly, probably, earn more in a day than I do in a month - I know several people who do just that. Some of us do not have £8 a month fo other stuff, let alone photography software that we thought we already owned and have paid for. A job would be nice, but they are not easy to find, not one that Pays more than £8.50/hr, not round here. Either thast or you need specialist qualifications. One day, maybe, you will find out what it feels like to be on the scrap heap of life and have big corporates pull the rug out from under your feet. Maybe then you will climb down off your high horse.
 
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Things happen in life. I still have my camera, but not my business thanks to some twonk who decided it was OK to drive and use his phone at the same time... you possibly, probably, earn more in a day than I do in a month - I know several people who do just that. Some of us do not have £8 a month fo other stuff, let alone photography software that we thought we already owned and have paid for. A job would be nice, but they are not easy to find, not one that Pays more than £8.50/hr, not round here. Either thast or you need specialist qualifications. One day, maybe, you will find out what it feels like to be on the scrap heap of life and have big corporates pull the rug out from under your feet. Maybe then you will climb down off your high horse.

while I can appreciate what you are saying and have complete sympathy for you, that is not Adobes fault. If you can’t afford their software find something that is free but don’t come onto a forum and bitch about Adobe and their business model. Adobe aren’t forcing you to buy anything from them but like most software support is eventually dropped for old versions and in this case they have probably shut down old, expensive servers.

you’ve bought On1 which is pretty good software. I nearly switched to On1 a while back but discovered a serious flaw with their database but don’t for one second think that what you have bought will last forever or that you will get any fixes or updates fro free from On1.
 
That isn't what we're bitching about. Imagine you pick up one of your old cameras (it's a few years old, but it cost you a grand or two back in the day, and was still perfectly functional yesterday) and it refuses to work. Checking the LCD, you see a message like 'BIOS has expired and is no longer supported. Please recycle this camera.' Checking online, you see that the company no longer sells cameras that fit your lenses, but they have a lucrative business in renting them out. Might you not be a little bit irritated?

you never own software you just buy a licence to use it. If you understand that software will never last forever then you won’t be annoyed. LR 6 was released in 2015 so it’s not really surprising that Adobe are no longer supporting is and shutting down expensive servers for the few that hang onto it.

AdobeCC really is good value for money IMO. Sure you can buy On1, Capture One, DXO etc but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a one off purchase. If you want to stay up to date you are still shelling out annual upgrades. If people want to complain about a software company have a look at DXO and their business model for Nik Collection.
 
you never own software you just buy a licence to use it. If you understand that software will never last forever then you won’t be annoyed. LR 6 was released in 2015 so it’s not really surprising that Adobe are no longer supporting is and shutting down expensive servers for the few that hang onto it.

AdobeCC really is good value for money IMO. Sure you can buy On1, Capture One, DXO etc but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a one off purchase. If you want to stay up to date you are still shelling out annual upgrades. If people want to complain about a software company have a look at DXO and their business model for Nik Collection.
I'm with you. It's small change when compared to the cost of kit (and, let's face it, kit upgrades) so I really don't see what the fuss is about.
 
The Lightroom 6 was purchased. The licence key was put in, it had to be to make the programme work. Adobe have closed the programme and there is no option to input the licence number again - it is refused. I have got my computer back (evidently, because I am updating you). I will not be going down the rental route. I shall make do with a free programme, or a very much more affordable bought one.

I can't remember it, but Darktable was suggested to me at one time and I did try it on my old computer, but I don't think it worked very well because it was Windows XP. I don't know if it is still thought of as a decent option - I need to be able to stitch panoramas from multiple shots as one of the fundamentals of my requirements.

Another is the Lifetime Licence available from On1RAW, which is, apparently, quite acceptable in performance and affordable.

I am happy to be guided but please take note of THIS parameter - I WILL NOT USE THE CLOUD. End of. I don't agree with it, I don't like the idea of it and therefor I will not pay towards it. I have my own storage and that is what I shall use. It is a waste of time trying to chasnge my mind on this aspect, so don't bother, I will probably get rude and write something I shouldn't!

It's annoying and whilst there may be commercial reasons for it, that doesn't help you!
Have a look at Affinity Photo, it cost me £23.99 to put it on my Mac and it's a pretty good editor, if you can live without the catalogue ability.

 
while I can appreciate what you are saying and have complete sympathy for you, that is not Adobes fault. If you can’t afford their software find something that is free but don’t come onto a forum and bitch about Adobe and their business model. Adobe aren’t forcing you to buy anything from them but like most software support is eventually dropped for old versions and in this case they have probably shut down old, expensive servers.

you’ve bought On1 which is pretty good software. I nearly switched to On1 a while back but discovered a serious flaw with their database but don’t for one second think that what you have bought will last forever or that you will get any fixes or updates fro free from On1.

For my Nikon RAW shots I am still using the FREE Capture NX2 that came as Capture NX with the D2s in 2006..... it still works flawlessly. It will only do the Nikon RAW files though, which is fine for 90% of what I do. The drone has a funny RAW that needed another programme, Lightroom from back when was resurected to do it, and it did.... for a couple of months. I expect what I have from On1 will last me for years, provided I can learn how to use the steps. That is going to be my biggest hurdle.
 
It's annoying and whilst there may be commercial reasons for it, that doesn't help you!
Have a look at Affinity Photo, it cost me £23.99 to put it on my Mac and it's a pretty good editor, if you can live without the catalogue ability.


Thank you. I will come back to it if I can't do it on the On1RAW
 
Software has always been a great opportunity for rent-seeking on the part of the vendors. Shifting to the cloud is a means of insuring you can't cheat with cracked pirate copies. It has advantages for some users - but big disadvantages, too.

Unless you really need all of the bells and whistles of the Adobe product, or have to work with people who use an industry standard like Lightroom go open source, and escape the constant pressure to pay, again and againand again.

Programs like Raw Therapee and Darktable are free and do almost all the things you can do with Lightroom in slightly different ways. And they are free to download, use and upgrade.

There is a learning curve (which I am currently engaged in, having never used any RAW processing program before) but if you already know how to use lightroom, you only have to convert.
 
Because it doesn’t achieve anything. The OP is in exactly the same position now as he was prior to starting this thread, ie, he cannot activate his software. What he should have done, and can still do, is contact Adobe Customer Service and try and sort the problem out over the phone. If that doesn’t work then he should send a forthright e-mail to the Adobe hierarchy. Even if that doesn’t get the desired result, at least he has let Adobe know what he thinks of them. I doubt very much that any of the upper echelons of Adobe will actually read this thread.

As an example, a while a go I was overcharged for my broadband by 13 pence. When I contacted customer services I was told that that particular month in question was charged pro rata due to a price increase. My response was, how can a pro rata month be 13 pence more than the new monthly rate, it’s a physical impossibility. The woman I was talking to was insistent that the payment was correct. So I sent a forthright e-mail to the CEO of the broadband company. The result was that I got a £20 refund for being overcharged by 13 pence.

I suppose I could have come on here and whinged about it, but what would that have achieved.
 
Because it doesn’t achieve anything. The OP is in exactly the same position now as he was prior to starting this thread, ie, he cannot activate his software. What he should have done, and can still do, is contact Adobe Customer Service and try and sort the problem out over the phone. If that doesn’t work then he should send a forthright e-mail to the Adobe hierarchy. Even if that doesn’t get the desired result, at least he has let Adobe know what he thinks of them. I doubt very much that any of the upper echelons of Adobe will actually read this thread.

As an example, a while a go I was overcharged for my broadband by 13 pence. When I contacted customer services I was told that that particular month in question was charged pro rata due to a price increase. My response was, how can a pro rata month be 13 pence more than the new monthly rate, it’s a physical impossibility. The woman I was talking to was insistent that the payment was correct. So I sent a forthright e-mail to the CEO of the broadband company. The result was that I got a £20 refund for being overcharged by 13 pence.

I suppose I could have come on here and whinged about it, but what would that have achieved.


well put :)

Les
 
Because it doesn’t achieve anything. The OP is in exactly the same position now as he was prior to starting this thread, ie, he cannot activate his software.

I don’t entirely disagree but he has had some helpful suggestions about other software to use. He didn’t (never does :( , I think) phrase his question very well and the daft heading sets the tone but on the other hand may have got more replies due to people wondering who this Ad Obe (sounds Nigerian :)) guy is :).
 
That isn't what we're bitching about. Imagine you pick up one of your old cameras (it's a few years old, but it cost you a grand or two back in the day, and was still perfectly functional yesterday) and it refuses to work. Checking the LCD, you see a message like 'BIOS has expired and is no longer supported. Please recycle this camera.' Checking online, you see that the company no longer sells cameras that fit your lenses, but they have a lucrative business in renting them out. Might you not be a little bit irritated?


And the award for worst ever analogy that makes no sense at all goes too....

Software is not hardware.
 
And the award for worst ever analogy that makes no sense at all goes too....

Software is not hardware.
The BIOS or firmware in your device or camera is software. When you download a BIOS or firmware update you typically click to accept an EULA. You own the gadget, just as I own the (now worthless) CS3 installation discs, but not the software they contain, which I have a licence for. That licence is still valid and, as it happens, I have activation-free installers so I can still exercise my rights as a purchaser. Many other purchasers, who did not happen to hear about Adobe's brief and unadvertised offer to provide these installers do not, and their CS3 boxes are now just landfill. Adobe won't help them. So again, would you be happy if your camera company disabled that firmware remotely?
 
This thread has become another example of the geeks/creatives divide. A consensus will never be achieved. :D

I don't think so, I think the main differences here are how people use the software.

Lightroom isn't actually designed for photo editing although it can do that it is in the main a cataloguing system.

Because way back in the day Photoshop was so expensive many people who only required basic editing software used Lightroom for that purpose. Like with all things time moves on. Lightroom is more like it was originally planned to be, a professional tool for cataloguing images and making quick edits and is very much designed to be integrated with Photoshop.

That has left the people who only wanted Lightroom for basic edits behind, although it was never designed for them in the first place. They can't see the value in C.C because they don't use the software to it's full capability and don't appreciate what they are getting for their money. In truth its fabulous value and ridiculously cheap for what you are getting and much less expensive than what it used to be regardless if you are buying monthly or the even cheaper annual option.

As an example this may not be exactly right but it will be there or there abouts, I can't remember the exact figures. Previous to the subscription model this is around what I would have paid over a 5 year period for Photoshop and Lightroom.

Year 1 Photoshop £600
Year 1 Lightroom £80
Year 2 Photoshop £0
Year 2 Lightroom £0
Year 3 Photoshop upgrade £379
Year 3 Lightroom upgrade £60
Year 4 Photoshop £0
Year 4 Lightroom £0
Year 5 Photoshop upgrade £379
Year 5 Lightroom upgrade £ 60

Total £1558.00

However on creative cloud I buy an annual licence each year averages out at around £80 a year.

£80 x 5 = £400

Huge saving of £1158.00 over 5 years and C.C also gets regular updates every couple of months making sure we always have the latest software available. Plus with C.C you also get the mobile version of Photoshop and all of the other pre bundled apps including a free basic portfolio website.

It is incredible value. For those who never wanted Lightroom for its intended purpose and who only used its basic features, they bought the wrong thing originally and should have bought something else, it was never intended for them.
 
you never own software you just buy a licence to use it. If you understand that software will never last forever then you won’t be annoyed. LR 6 was released in 2015 so it’s not really surprising that Adobe are no longer supporting is and shutting down expensive servers for the few that hang onto it.

AdobeCC really is good value for money IMO. Sure you can buy On1, Capture One, DXO etc but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a one off purchase. If you want to stay up to date you are still shelling out annual upgrades. If people want to complain about a software company have a look at DXO and their business model for Nik Collection.
Lightroom 6 was still on sale until 2019, so you are implying it would be perfectly reasonable for Adobe to cut off users who had given them their money just two years previously to save on those 'expensive' servers (which will just be software running on some cloud infrastructure somewhere). To many of us, this would look like an abusive and probably illegal business practice. I don't actually think Adobe have gone this far in the case of LR6. I believe the activation servers are still running, but at the same time Adobe aren't going to help anyone who runs into problems. However, for CS3 this is exactly what they have done, in some cases to users who spent over £2000. The activation servers have gone, and the offer to provide activation-free versions (which they could easily have continued at minimal cost) has vanished. Software isn't a perishable commodity. My 19 year old copy of PS7 works perfectly well. The only reason some more recent versions don't is because Adobe included a mechanism that requires them to give permission for every installation. That was their choice, just as it was their choice to withdraw that permission from everyone who had not jumped through hoops they may not have known existed to get versions that weren't made useless by discontinued DRM.

The pricing isn't really the issue, though for some of us (especially those who didn't buy annual upgrades when they didn't add anything of value) it has risen dramatically. At work, the discounted CS3 Design Standard bundle with its supposedly 'perpetual' licence used to cost about as much as they are now asking us for a single year of CC.
 
Lightroom isn't actually designed for photo editing although it can do that it is in the main a cataloguing system.


You gotta be kidding!

I do agree that LR + PS is excellent value at whatever the monthly rental is. But I and many others don't use PS so for LR only the monthly rental is pretty steep.

As for LR only doing basic edits I don't know what your definition of "basic" is.
 
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I don't think so, I think the main differences here are how people use the software.

Lightroom isn't actually designed for photo editing although it can do that it is in the main a cataloguing system.

Because way back in the day Photoshop was so expensive many people who only required basic editing software used Lightroom for that purpose. Like with all things time moves on. Lightroom is more like it was originally planned to be, a professional tool for cataloguing images and making quick edits and is very much designed to be integrated with Photoshop.

That has left the people who only wanted Lightroom for basic edits behind, although it was never designed for them in the first place. They can't see the value in C.C because they don't use the software to it's full capability and don't appreciate what they are getting for their money. In truth its fabulous value and ridiculously cheap for what you are getting and much less expensive than what it used to be regardless if you are buying monthly or the even cheaper annual option.

As an example this may not be exactly right but it will be there or there abouts, I can't remember the exact figures. Previous to the subscription model this is around what I would have paid over a 5 year period for Photoshop and Lightroom.

Year 1 Photoshop £600
Year 1 Lightroom £80
Year 2 Photoshop £0
Year 2 Lightroom £0
Year 3 Photoshop upgrade £379
Year 3 Lightroom upgrade £60
Year 4 Photoshop £0
Year 4 Lightroom £0
Year 5 Photoshop upgrade £379
Year 5 Lightroom upgrade £ 60

Total £1558.00

However on creative cloud I buy an annual licence each year averages out at around £80 a year.

£80 x 5 = £400

Huge saving of £1158.00 over 5 years and C.C also gets regular updates every couple of months making sure we always have the latest software available. Plus with C.C you also get the mobile version of Photoshop and all of the other pre bundled apps including a free basic portfolio website.

It is incredible value. For those who never wanted Lightroom for its intended purpose and who only used its basic features, they bought the wrong thing originally and should have bought something else, it was never intended for them.
Point proven.

A lengthy in-depth reply to a one line joke.

icon_boing.gif
 
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You gotta be kidding!

I do agree that LR + PS is excellent value at whatever the monthly rental is. But I and many others don't use PS so for LR only the monthly rental is pretty steep.

As for LR only doing basic edits I don't know what your definition of "basic" is.

Nope, not at all have a read of any of the original briefs on Lightroom right when it first launched it was always design as predominantly a software catalogue that included basic editing that integrated fully with the more powerful Photoshop. It has evolved and the editing functionality has got better with more features but the principals it was built on has always been the same primarily a catalogue with the ability to also do quick edits on multiple images. It was never designed or been treated by Adobe as an alternative to Photoshop.
 
Of course Lightroom is for processing digital image files. The clue is in the name which is a twisting of 'darkroom' where film images are processed as Lightroom is used in a light room as opposed to a dark one. What can be done to files is pretty close to what can be done to images in a darkroom. If that's not processing software then I don't know what is.

Photoshop is a graphics programme.
 
Of course Lightroom is for processing digital image files. The clue is in the name which is a twisting of 'darkroom' where film images are processed as Lightroom is used in a light room as opposed to a dark one. What can be done to files is pretty close to what can be done to images in a darkroom. If that's not processing software then I don't know what is.

Photoshop is a graphics programme.

When Lightroom was first launched my employer at the time sent me to training for it I was involved in sales then. The Adobe rep spent about 2 hours on showing us how catalogues would be useful and about 15 minutes showing us that it could also be used for basic edits.

They told us that when people asked about it to promote it as a catalogue and as quick and easy way for photographers to produce proofs for clients before having to do any serious editing in Photoshop.

It has evolved a lot since then and it’s easy to see that at sometime in the future it is likely based on the current direction that they will be merged into the one package with one name.
 
'The only photo editor you need.'
'Discover how Adobe Photoshop Lightroom can help you to edit your photos on your desktop, mobile device or online for perfect photos every time. ... Create the work you’ve been imagining with the innovative tools, filters and settings in the world’s most complete and intuitive photo editing service. Explore all the ways that you can use Lightroom to make your most powerful images ever. ... Advance your creativity with advanced photo editing features. More tools mean more ways for you to perfect your photos. Finesse the details with selective edits and Healing Brush. Plus, sync your work to the cloud so you never lose an edit again.'
 
So in essence we've come down to 2 camps:
1) Those who rent software from Adobe at a lower rate than it would cost to purchase full licensed copies.
2) Those who bought full licensed copies and are being screwed over by Adobe because they can't continue to use them, even when they still own appropriate hardware.
 
Lightroom 6 was activating just fine last month (or was it the month before?), I have just done a complete new OS install and had no issues reinstalling LR6..14. I did remember to sign out of it on the old hard drive first this time too!

You can't download it anymore though, nor can you update from within the program.

EDIT TO ADD: Install fully functioning 18/3/21, just checked.
 
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Why didn't the OP didn't give the chat with an Adobe advisor a go?

Surely that's the logical first step before going into a rant on here.
Not the first time and probably not the last either.
 
Lightroom 6 was activating just fine last month (or was it the month before?), I have just done a complete new OS install and had no issues reinstalling LR6..14. I did remember to sign out of it on the old hard drive first this time too!

You can't download it anymore though, nor can you update from within the program.

EDIT TO ADD: Install fully functioning 18/3/21, just checked.

If they have disabled the servers, it will still keep working as long as you don't need to reinstall it.
 
Why didn't the OP didn't give the chat with an Adobe advisor a go?

Surely that's the logical first step before going into a rant on here.
Not the first time and probably not the last either.
LR6 support had ended. Adobe advisers are happy to advise you to rent CC, but I doubt they'll do much more than that these days apart from resetting the activation count if you know the correct incantation to get through to the right person. There are plenty of reports elesewhere of non-CC users being given the brush off when they contact Adobe.
 
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