Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Depends on the subscriptions and their relative importance I suppose...
Like:
Norton;
Disney +;
MS Office 365;
PBS;
Brit Box;
XM radio;
Ancestry.com;
Carbonite;
...

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Shameless rant:

Last I checked, a roll of Kodak film costs $10.00 to $18.00 these days. That's without processing. If you use and process a roll every other month, that's about like paying for the least expensive Adobe Photography Plan.

A subscription to Photoshop, Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Bridge costs $10/month. It's some of the best software on the planet. Developers have worked hard on it continuously for decades! Of course they charge for it. They get to eat, too.

Why does half the world not understand that you get what you pay for? Why do people not understand that they NEVER BOUGHT software, they only LICENSED IT? It is intellectual property, just like music, books, photographic images, and formulas for patented drugs.

The computing world isn't like the tool world, where you can buy a hammer and use it for life, or until it breaks, whichever comes first. Computers, operating systems, and software evolve rapidly — more and more rapidly every year. When that old computer running Photoshop 4 dies, good luck finding a new one OR an old one that will run Ps 4. And good luck activating your license on the new machine...

HACKERS and malcontents develop dangerous malware more cleverly all the time, too. So the computer you bought a decade ago with Win 7 or MacOS 10.9 Mavericks on it is no longer safe on the Internet. Chances are, hackers have found security holes in all the Adobe software from that era, too.

It is a continual battle to keep up with security. The market life of a computer is around five years. The market life of an operating system is not much longer. Everything needs an update now and then, and an upgrade when updates are not enough.

If you want free software, download some open source stuff, like Dark Table. Good luck getting help, training, and support...

Alternatively, you can use the stuff that came on your computer, or that is a free download from Microsoft, Apple, or your camera manufacturer.

There. I feel better, now.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

There are costs to life.


Some of them are necessary and some not.

Some of them make life easier or more enjoyable and some are just costs.

Costs that are probably necessary: Utilities (water, electricity, sewage, real estate taxes [if you rent you pay the taxes through your landlord if not directly]).
Costs that are probably not necessary for everyone but desirable to maintain quality of life: transportation, heat, insurance
Costs that are not necessary for amateur photographers: camera bodies and lenses, software
Costs that are probably necessary for professional photographers: camera bodies and lenses, software. These are reimbursable costs paid by your clients (indirectly).
Costs that are absolutely NOT necessary for anyone: style, fashion (My opinion here -- there may be people for whom these costs are reimbursable professional costs).
Costs of hobbies: fishing, golf, going to sports events or concerts, travel.
I'm sure there are costs I have not enumerated that some could add to my list.

Most of the complaints about subscriptions I hear here are unnecessary costs that make life easier. Again, my opinion. Adobe Photography Plan costs are small enough that they do not impact me.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Well said!

kotography4u

Subscriptions in every area of life are becoming more and more prolific. A friend recently pointed out to me that cars are going the subscription route as well - if you want cruise control, among other examples, you subscribe for it and pay a monthly fee to have it in new cars. I can't imagine where it will go next.

srg

Fake news belongs in the attic where your other posts are.

Canisdirus

None of that is about photography...

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Adobe subscription is industrial-strength, professional-grade software. They're not made for the casual user who expects to sitdown and click around and pick it up. Most of the other pay-for software is the same level of complexity. A distinguishing characteristic of Adobe and the other upper-tier titles is the amount of training support and the size of their user communities. Adobe is both the oldest and the largest community. There's a lot to be said for that wealth of accumulated knowledge readily and freely available as you start your learning and usage.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

True,
It is about the cumulative effect of multiple subscriptions.
But I suppose if one segregated each subscription item by function ONLY,
it's only ONE at $10.....
I suppose I can justify a lot more subscription expenses that way.

Canisdirus

Or...you could just read the thread headline...

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

It's so easy to go along, be part of the crowd, to subscribe ...

gouldopfl

I agree. I moved to Luminar products and Neo does a good job and every new release gets better. They release several releases a year with both new features ( minor and major ) plus bug fixes or improvements. I think my subscription is about 89.00 a year.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

It seems the anti-subscription people are a pretty large crowd themselves and many go along with them.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Or, you could widen your horizon.....

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The best subscriptions are to those things you cannot buy.