Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

I am using Lightroom v. 4.4 and want to upgrade to LR v. 6. I have been reading about the process and it seems complicated and perhaps even destructive if not done properly. Does anyone have experience with this, or a list of the steps to be taken? Should I do it myself or get someone (like a LR expert) to help? Thanks. I don't want to lose anything.

ncshutterbug

My photo club just had a Lightroom instructor speak at our latest meeting and he said he is unimpressed with Lightroom 6, even though he is paid by Lightroom. He said the changes aren't worth the effort. Also they do make it more difficult to upgrade. I think they are trying their best to get everyone to switch to the cloud so they can do away with the standalone version. I upgraded to 5.1 a long time ago with no problem and am satisfied with it right now.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

It is not complicated or destructive.

I'm on the happy user side in that I could not be more pleased with LR6. Adobe managed to keep the interface close enough to previous versions that everything you learned or know works. Then they added a few features I'm excited about like HDR and Panoramas. There are lots of less obvious improvements.

Installation could not have been easier or more trouble free. It seems to be true that the first few days after the release there were some who had trouble. My guess was that servers got jammed up. I procrastinated until last week and using the CC subscription plan was smooth as silk. If you don't like the Lightroom CC plan, you can buy the identical Lightroom 6 outright and on a disk the old fashioned way.

FWIW, installing Lightroom 6 will not disturb your Lightroom 4.4. It will borrow and update the catolog, but not remove it. You can continue to use LR 4.4 until you are comfy with LR6.

What part do you consider complicated and what do you fear will be destroyed?

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Indeed. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Can you provide more detail? Who is the instructor? How does Adobe pay him? I ask because I was unaware that Adobe had a paid staff of roaming Lightroom instructors or speakers to focus on small groups. How would I invite such an instructor for a local group?

Thanks.

ncshutterbug

He is a certified instructor for Lightroom, and has been doing beta testing for them whenever needed for years. He does speak for groups, although I don't know if he charges or how he is booked. I suppose I could find out. I believe he is located in Charlotte and I have no idea how far he is willing to travel.We are a very small club, so I'm quite sure we couldn't have paid much. If you'd like me to find out more I'll be happy to see what I can do and send a private message.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

I never had any trouble upgrading Lightroom until I moved to the CC version, then encountered a minor barrier that I had to look up a solution for on the online forums like this, but the solution was easy and I could do it myself in a couple of minutes. Upgrading from one standalone version of LR to another is easy, painless and definitely non-destructive.

Where people usually get into destructive behaviors in Lightroom is when they try to move stuff around outside of Lightroom and LR then does not know where they put it.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Your first post suggested that your "Lightroom instructor ...said he is unimpressed with Lightroom 6" and that "he is paid by Lightroom". Somehow that does not make sense to me. Most employees don't publicly bash the products their employees sell.

Your second post said, he "...has been doing beta testing for them whenever needed for years." That makes does not make sense either.

Anyone can be a "beta tester". Although it was not done for LR6, earlier versions were first released as "PR" or "Pre-Release" candidates. Anyone could download, install and use them free. I'm not sure, but I think the would stop working, when the final release came out. Other products are tested differently.

Adobe does not pay "Certified Instructors". It is the other way around. Individuals can pay to become one. The current price is $180 for Lightroom. (http://training.adobe.com/certification/exams.html#p=1&product=adobe-lightroom&certificationType=certification).

It may be that your club got an instructor with a "chip on his shoulder" who felt he could gain something by aiming criticism at Adobe. It is certainly true that Adobe and their products are not for everybody. But, a recent business article said they are doing fine with 3.5 to 4 million happy users of their "cloud" program.

If one percent of the cloud customers are having installation problems it would be 40,000 people. I've read a few dozen posts here and at the Adobe LR forum where people have had some issues. But a few dozen is a long way from 40,000 and further from 4 million.

The original question in this topic relates to worry over the upgrade process being complicated and perhaps destructive. Millions, including me, find that it is not.

ncshutterbug

Sorry if I am not making sense to you. I am telling you what I gathered from what he said. Perhaps I was more intent on getting what I could from his lessons than his personal info. If you need clarity I would be happy to PM you when I get his story?

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

Thanks for the feedback. My wife needed at least LR 5.3 for the OM-D support. We were not able to upgrade to the latest version being LR 5.7.2 so we ended up buying LR 6. Got the upgrade price of $79 and installed it this afternoon. Not sur now what my apprehension was. Both of our catalogs were upgraded to 6 and it seems to work flawlessly. Thanks to all who responded.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I have never had an issue upgrading from LR 3->4->5->6. The current version is better than the previous, and this has generally been the case. You open LR6, point it to the catalog, and the software will make a copy of the catalog, upgrade it to LR6, and import your custom settings, previews, presets, plugins, etc.

Russ1700

Maybe this is where the real answer is!!!!!!!!!!

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Right on I had no problem upgrading

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm glad to hear that, since I had already decided not to move from 5 to 6.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

The trouble with those closest, they tend to be too demanding. For me HDR, Stitching and the brush built into graduated filter is worth the move. When I get some time and they have fixed the first set of problems. I will jump on.

The fact that they are trying to go cloud only makes sense - a single maint structure. I know the pessimists rant they are sucking you in and then will ramp up the price. Maybe, but I don't suspect they will be that dumb.

If you don't need the new function by all means stay on 5 otherwise move up