Multiple versions of Lightroom installed.

[atikurr]

Hello all.

I've just downloaded and installed adobe photoshop and lightroom under a photography subscription I think, it's like £9.98 p/month.

On installing the applications, I believe I still have access to the trial version of the application of lightroom on my desktop listed as 'Adobe Lightroom'. I now also have 'Lightroom CC' and 'Adobe Lightroom Classic'.

Do I need all 3 of these applications? Which one do I need to use and work from?

Apologies if I sound a little slow here but any help would be appreciated.

Happy new year!

Atikur

[JP Hess]

No, you don't "need" all three programs. What do you know about Lightroom, what do you understand about Lightroom, and what is it that you would expect Lightroom to do for you? Do you expect to have all of your images in the cloud? Have you used Lightroom previously? Lightroom has gone through some name changes recently implemented by Adobe that has completely confused a lot of people. Are you a new Lightroom user, starting out completely fresh?

[atikurr]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for responding.

I've used lightroom in the past but only the trial version on my laptop and a mobile version on my iphone. I would probably say I've spend a good few weeks using it but that's about it really.

From what I can tell the Lightroom cc classic is optimised for desktop/laptop usage, whereas the Lightroom CC is the cloud based one right? - Where all the photos can be stored in/from one area? (I think).

I'd only an amateur photographer, still learning and am now starting to use Lightroom to better the quality of the photos I take.

Thanks,

Atikur

[emanuelr14505836]

Hello, Jim! I have this question myself as well. I just started a subscription to the photography plan which includes photoshop and Lightroom. However, I did not know that 3 instances of the same app were installed. I have just started to use Lightroom for the first time and I want to know which version to use. I intend to keep all of my images in a hard drive but it would also be very beneficial if I had the cloud in my hands. I've never used Lightroom and I understand little but slowly but surely I'm learning. Many thanks!

[JP Hess · Accepted solution]

This answer is for you and the person before you in the forum. If you are communicating on your phone that may be confusing to you. I'm probably not the best person to answer your questions because I'm very biased. I use the new Lightroom CC a little, but I haven't committed to it. In other words, I haven't migrated my catalog to Lightroom CC and I don't intend to. I'm much more comfortable using Lightroom Classic CC with my images in folders on my hard drives locally. I have imported a few images directly to Lightroom CC to experiment with how it works. I sort of understand how it functions, but it isn't quite what I want.

Lightroom CC is a really neat program for people who are on the go and want their images available any time, anywhere, on any device, immediately. It is completely dependent upon the Internet. Those who use it for the most part seem to really like it. However, from my observations it seems that some users have difficulty keeping things synchronized. Lightroom CC is a new program. It isn't a remake of the "old" Lightroom. It isn't replacing any previous version of Lightroom. Nothing was "removed" from Lightroom in creating Lightroom CC. There are many features that users have become accustomed to in Lightroom over the years that are not in Lightroom CC. For instance, batch editing is not available, there is no print module, there is no map module, there is no slideshow module, there is no obvious way to add presets, there is no export module and the options to save images from Lightroom CC are quite limited. Lightroom CC is designed for a different type of user who is on the go and just needs basic editing features. And those editing features are very good.

Lightroom Classic CC is a much more mature program that has the print module, the map module, the book module, the full-featured export dialog, the batch editing features and all the features that have made Lightroom the success it has become. It does have the capability to share collections in the cloud. Lightroom Classic CC does NOT store full-sized images in the cloud. When you use Lightroom Classic CC you need to devise your own backup scheme for your images. And really, I think you should do that even if you commit yourself to using Lightroom CC.

Both programs are very good for what they offer. When you subscribe to the Creative Cloud photography plan you have both of them available to you. You can install both of them and experiment with them and decide for yourself which one appeals more to you. I will provide links to some videos you might like to watch regarding both programs so that you can get a better idea about how each works. Since I don't know what you are expecting from Lightroom or how you work, I can't really make a recommendation for you. That's a decision you will have to make for yourself.

Lightroom CC 2017 - YouTube

Getting Started with Lightroom Classic CC - YouTube