Is Lightroom Only Available Via Subscription? Or also via a disc?

Dynamics5

Or also via a disc?

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Subscription only.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

From what I could find, it appears that Lightroom 6.14 is the last standalone version.

I'll guess current software is download only.

therwol Loc: USA

Dynamics5 wrote:

Or also via a disc?

Only by subscription. It was previously available on disc. Many people bought the discs and may still be using the software on them, but Adobe will not update it to work with the RAW files of newer cameras, something that is constantly changing.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

therwol wrote:

Only by subscription. It was previously available on disc. Many people bought the discs and may still be using the software on them, but Adobe will not update it to work with the RAW files of newer cameras, something that is constantly changing.

I have an older laptop (2005) with LR 6.14 on it. To process images from newer cameras I have to use the free converter to convert to DNG. One of the main reasons I haven't even powered it up in a year but keep it on a shelf as an emergency backup if something happens to my desktop or new(er) 2020 laptop (which is mostly used as a glorified plus-size e-reader). I thought it would be nice to edit in my lounge chair (doc says keep feet elevated level or above heart 1/2 the day) but found I really hate trying to edit that way so when my Nook needs to recharge the laptop becomes an e-reader.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Dynamics5 wrote:

Or also via a disc?

Subscription only, as is some other software, like Microsoft. It's simply a newer way of doing business and there are many pros to be considered. Adobe is constantly updating and improving LrC and every time they improve it, add a new feature, or a new tool I get immediate access to it. The masking features in LrC are incredible now and well worth the $10 a month that it cost me. Also, the ability to find an image in a few seconds using LrC filter tools saves me a lot of time when I need a certain type of image. Using old outdate software can be troublesome as new equipment is brought into the mix.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

For most of our post-processing, RAW or JPEG, etc. Adobe is an advertizing can-do-it-better scam and to belong to the Adobe Religion is a badge of honor worth the money to many. However, to be. as many would say "disgustingly practical," there are many other photo edit programs that will do the jobs we want as well or better for a once-lifetime purchase.

If the name Adobe is a "magic" emblem printed on your underwear, T-shirts, and a bumper-sticker, then PSE with $12 Elements Plus is a practical set of tools that carries the Adobe label. Elements Plus opens PS doors closed to PSE. [I have PSE 2021 and Elements Plus but mainly use my Corel PSP Ultra and Topaz]
For RAW processing there are many free or one-time purchase programs, even some of which come with your camera brand.
https://havecamerawilltravel.com/lightroom-alternatives/

Older Lightroom download and install:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CnSrM8B8t4

This I found interesting:
https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/download-availability.html

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, although there are alternatives.

https://expertphotography.com/best-lightroom-alternative/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-lightroom-alternatives/

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Dynamics5 wrote:

Or also via a disc?

The subscription is better than the download ever was or could have been. It comes with TWO versions of Lightroom, the FULL Photoshop, Bridge, quarterly updates of Adobe Camera Raw, plus a bit of Adobe Cloud storage and some other goodies.

If you are a pro, it’s a no-brainer. If you are a retiree on fixed income, it’s perhaps not your first choice. But if you’re like me, you see it as mental health food. I’d cut cable TV before my subscription.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

burkphoto wrote:

The subscription is better than the download ever was or could have been. It comes with TWO versions of Lightroom, the FULL Photoshop, Bridge, quarterly updates of Adobe Camera Raw, plus a bit of Adobe Cloud storage and some other goodies.

If you are a pro, it’s a no-brainer. If you are a retiree on fixed income, it’s perhaps not your first choice. But if you’re like me, you see it as mental health food. I’d cut cable TV before my subscription.

Definitely better because it keeps you and your credit card in touch with Adobe every month! I paid them for LR6 seven years ago, and I haven't been able to make a donation to their cause in all these years.

Seriously, if you want to keep up with all the improvements in LR and PS, the subscription is the way to go, for just $10/month.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Subscription ONLY! No alternatives. Best deal on earth for $ 10 per month! Best of luck.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

[quote=Longshadow]From what I could find, it appears that Lightroom 6.14 is the last standalone version.

Version 6.14 was released on December 19, 2017.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

[quote=DWU2]

Longshadow wrote:

From what I could find, it appears that Lightroom 6.14 is the last standalone version.

Version 6.14 was released on December 19, 2017.

Version 11.4.1 of Lightroom Classic (evolved from 6.14) was released June 29, 2022. That's five version upgrades in five years, with lots of updates in between.

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

I moved away from Lightroom when they moved to subscription pricing so my last perpetual license (means I own it for ever) was 6. As a software exec I hated subscription. During covid I started taking lessons from my local cc for Lightroom to see if there was any reason to move back. I felt there wasn’t but I have been doing the classes to keep busy. My cc (in CA) has a deal that lets students buy creative cloud and all of its apps including Photoshop , Lightroom CC, Lightroom , Illustrator, OnDesign, even Acrobat for less than $80 per year. For the classes I went ahead an purchased it but still didn’t move my post processing to it. With recent updates to Photoshop and Lightroom there are things it doesn’t better than any application I know of (and I have most of them, laughs). The new masking features in Lightroom and Camera Raw (without use layers), the content aware fills, and the neural filters are fantastic. So now I am using Photoshop to modify some of my images but Lightroom is looking very attractive right now.. I shoot landscape so I can go in Lightroom, set a mask for the sky, then create a second mask for the foreground then I can save that as a preset. Now every time I want to adjust the sky and foreground of a new image I can run the saved preset and Lightroom creates the new masks based on that image. I can even run the preset when I import images. Pretty powerful stuff..

so if I was anyone that was looking at adobe to see if their local cc has access to this plan (honestly it looks like it is primarily in CA) and take a free extension class which makes you a student. I don’t know if this works but many of the Photoshop and Lightroom classes are being done online which means you could take them from anywhere (if the college allows you which I have no idea). My local cc is Santa Barbara City College which is the number 1 ranked cc in the us. On top of that the two instructors for Photoshop and Lightroom are ex-Brooks instructors. Brooks Institute was one of the top photo colleges in the 60s, 70s when the elder and young Brooks ran it. After they sold out to a “nonprofit” it went way down hill and finally just collapsed. these instructors were in the old Brooks and very knowledgeable. One of them is a profession retoucher and the other is a graphic artist so you see Photoshop from two very different thought patterns..

anyway my 2 cents...

SFarchitect

I am in complete agreement- Adobe very overrated- buy the stock skip the product