light room 5.7.1

[roberts48515531]

I am interested in obtaining LR 5.7.1.  There are many listings on Ebay to purchase this older version.  But, on checking on the web, there are a number of sites listing this as a "free" download.  Being skeptical I checked the official Adobe site, where this version is listed as a download, but with no mention of price and/or license fee, etc.  I called someone in their customer service and was switched to another - neither of them even understood my question; is 5.7.1 a free download???  If not what are the charges and is it better to buy it on Ebay?  Also, tried their chat site which, after a half hour suggested this forum.  Simple question but the company doesn't even know their own product pricing, etc.

[John Waller · Accepted solution]

1. No, 5.7.1 is not a free download.
2. Adobe no longer sells version 5.7.1 which is probably why you've never got a reply from Adobe. Adobe only sells the current version 6 (US$149 non-Cloud) or the Cloud version (US$9.99/month).
3. Beware of buying on eBay due to scammers selling pirated software there.

Is there a reason you specifically want to buy 5.7.1 which is outdated?

[dj_paige]

Well, you could actually download 5.7.1 without paying anything, but after the free trial period is over, you'd have to pay to continue to use it (probably purchase a license from Amazon or B&H if they still sell LR 5).

[roberts48515531]

Thank you for your help.

I did a lot of film photography a number of years ago, but sold all my Canon gear. Just this summer, I bought a digital camera and several lens and enjoying editing on Apple photos.  But time to go for a more advanced system like Lightroom.  i thought of 5.7.1 because i don't need the more advances and up-tp-date system and a subscription as would most professionals.  An older 5.7.1 system should more than sufficient for what I need.  I have seen a number of new 5.7.1 systems for sale on ebay.  I assume they are new old stock.  Also, in the future, I could always buy a newer system by subscription.

Does this make sense?

As for downloads, the Adobe official site claims that I do not need any other version of Lightroom to download 5.7.1.  It states that the downloaded 5.7.1 replaces any older version.  Maybe their site is in error? Also, there is no mention of "trial" time, nor any license fee, etc.  I spoke with an Adobe rep and she told me that there is no trial version of this older system and that it is a "stand alone" program, yet she did not know the cost of 5.7.1, nor how to get that information. If there are fees for this download, they are absent from their site.

Surprised that a large company as Adobe has sure poor assistance and somewhat misleading web info.  I waited for over a half hour on their "chat" site for these answers and finally gave up.

[dj_paige]

i thought of 5.7.1 because i don't need the more advances and up-tp-date system and a subscription as would most professionals.

The subscription to Lightroom CC is not designed specifically for professionals.

You have a choice of LR 6 (if you don't want a subscription) or Lightroom CC (if you want Lightroom Mobile, Photoshop CC and are willing to pay the subscription).

Does this make sense?

There's a lot of confusion among many people regarding what possibilities there are with regards to Lightroom. So, no it doesn't make sense.

As for downloads, the Adobe official site claims that I do not need any other version of Lightroom to download 5.7.1.  It states that the downloaded 5.7.1 replaces any older version.  Maybe their site is in error?

But you have to own a copy of Lightroom 5 for this to work. In other words, if you can find a copy of Lightroom 5.7.1 for sale, you are paying for a version that is older and will never be updated to fix bugs and support new cameras and lenses.

Yes, you can download it today and pay nothing (give it a try!) but as soon as the free trial expires, you will have to make a purchase, or you won't be able to use Lightroom 5.7.1.

[roberts48515531]

Thanks much. I did download this after a tech rep. from Adobe told me it was free. So much for their advice.  I did download it and that "30 day trial" came up which i agreed to.  This also contradicts that statement from another Adobe rep. claiming that this download was a "stand along" and did not come with that 30 day trial.  So we'll see if they bill me in a month???

My new camera, a Sony A7 II and the lens I bought do work with 5.7.1 - something I checked before.

Also, I was thinking about elements which I understand I can but outright.

[dj_paige]

They won't bill you, how could they, if they don't have your name or address? The software simply expires after 30 days and cannot be used any more, unless you can enter a valid serial number for Lightroom 5.

I still don't understand why you won't make your life simple and purchase the stand-alone LR 6, or even the subscription to LR CC 2015. Instead you have to jump through all these hoops to get a working version of 5.7.1.

[John Waller]

This also contradicts that statement from another Adobe rep. claiming that this download was a "stand along" and did not come with that 30 day trial.

There's no contradiction. Just confusion in terminology.

Standalone - in Adobe language - means the software is not bundled with any other suites or applications. You get Lightroom and nothing but Lightroom. No Photoshop, just Lightroom.

The trial version is not bundled with the full software. The trial version IS the full software with a 30 day time limit. All Adobe non-Cloud software is initially installed with a 30 day time limit (i.e. a trial version). Once you enter a valid serial number, the 30 day time limit is removed. However Adobe no longer sells 5.7.1 so there's no way of buying a valid serial number for 5.7.1 from Adobe.

[JP Hess]

If you don't have a Lightroom 5 serial number then you can only use Lightroom 5.7.1 as a trial version for 30 days. Adobe does not sell Lightroom 5 anymore. So after the 30 days you just won't be able to use the program. Adobe isn't going to bill you because they don't sell that program. Lightroom 6 is updated and has some more features, but it isn't just for professionals. It's just the next upgrade of Lightroom and certainly suitable for your purposes. The same goes for Lightroom CC. You would just have a few more features that even amateur photographers fine very useful.

[JP Hess]

Why do you want to purchase Lightroom 5.7.1? It is no longer being updated in any way. That means there will be no additional support for new cameras, and there will be no updates to provide new features or bug fixes. In a sense, it is obsolete software.

[Just Shoot Me]

LR 5.7.1 is free to download and install if you already own LR 5. It is a Free update to the LR 5 program, LR 5.0 or any of the other Point Release updates to LR 5.

But it is Not Free if you don't already own LR 5.