Quitting LR5 Cloud - possible problems going to regular version?

<p>Adobe just doubled the price of my Photoshop and LR5 Cloud subscription. I want to cancel the subscription before the new price goes into effect. I will replace PS with Elements because I mostly use PS for the clone and healing tools now that LR has gotten so powerful and full-featured. <br /> But there might be a dilemma.<br /> I have a bunch of backed up LR5 Catalogs that I've been creating while using LR5 Cloud version. I also have a regular old 'paid' version of LR4 that I'd been using and I also have an upgrade DVD to LR5 that I have NOT YET installed (because I've been using the cloud version). <br /> Here's the question: If I install the LR5 upgrade disk as if I never had the cloud version, will there be some kind of a conflict because LR5 is already loaded on my computer? Or, should I uninstall my current LR5 Cloud completely and THEN install the upgrade DVD?<br /> If this is successful, will the regular non-subscription version of LR5 (the upgraded one) read the current LR5 catalogs?<br /> <br /> And, is there a chance that if I do uninstall the Cloud LR5 and use the non-subscription version, that the Adobe pinger, or whatever it is, will detect the non-subscription LR5 and somehow make it inoperable like they would if I just stopped paying on a LR5 subscription?<br /> <br /> Thanks for the help. Bob</p>

<p>Good question. I would think they have different setups and they have different licensing terms and useages, so I can't see why, but I don't see a problem with unistalling it first. I'd make sure I have my Cats backed up regardless.<br>

I never did understand the CC versions unless one HAS to do a monthly payment to afford it. Even then there are financial alternatives.</p>

<p>The CC subscription chickens are coming home to roost. I hope it works out for you. </p>

<p>Adobe is still offering the PS/LR package for 9.99us per month or 12.95euro until the 31st March. Whats going on with adobe are these just introductory pricing that increase when the year is up.</p>

<p>Definitely know the fine print and do your research before you buy and get hooked into a payment plan. Sounds more or less like they are resorting to trickery and going the route of cable companies. </p>

<p>Are you guys saying that Adobe implied that their introductory offer pricing persisted for ever? That's not the impression I got- though I can't say I noticed what prices would apply after the intro pricing ceased-but then I didn't take up their offer so I was probably less assiduous because of that.</p>

<p>LR5 is a perpetual license, I don't see the problem. There is no LR5 cloud version, yes, you download the installer from 'the cloud' but install on your HD with a perpetual serial number. <br>

Further, stick with one Catalog, KISS. </p>

<p>Andrew, I do only have one catalog. Just different backup dates of the same one. But there IS a Cloud LR5. I've got it. They can kill it at any time if I don't pay, just like the PS Cloud version. Am I wrong?<br>

And yes Daniel, since I can probably use elements for the only thing I use PS for anymore (cloning/healing) and I have a regular version of LR5 ready to go, I am prepared to bail on this whole Cloud thing if the threat of escalating prices continue.</p>

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<p>I do only have one catalog. Just different backup dates of the same one.</p>

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<p>Then the backup's are moot and unnecessary.</p>

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<p>But there IS a Cloud LR5. I've got it. They can kill it at any time if I don't pay, just like the PS Cloud version. Am I wrong?</p>

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<p>I think so.... Photoshop and maybe Photoshop+LR have some subscription but you can purchase a perpetual license for LR, just like Photoshop CS6. It's yours to use until you decide you want to upgrade or move on.<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=971838&is=REG&A=details&Q=</p>

<p>And there's this:<br>

http://blogs.adobe.com/richardcurtis/?p=1192</p>

 

<h2 >Upgrade, Purchase or Creative Cloud Subscription</h2>

<p>Bob (OP) brought up an interesting point. I imagine that to be safe, it might be a good idea to export all of the images to another folder or HD. I never did like the idea of keeping all of my edits in a database, for other reasons. But, never underestimate the incentive for a software provider to lock you in, and hold you hostage to their software. Guess I’ve been around long enough to be suspicious of everyone, and generally cynical.</p>

<p>Stanley Beck.... +1</p>

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<p>I imagine that to be safe, it might be a good idea to export all of the images to another folder or HD. I never did like the idea of keeping all of my edits in a database, for other reasons.</p>

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<p>I'm not sure what you are proposing or why. Where the images reside isn't an issue. Might as well put them all on one dedicated drive with the other LR files necessary. Makes backup and movement to other machines so simple. The database is the database. It might as well live with the images but it's not necessary and yes, you need to back that up too. And not using the silly LR backup which only partially handles all the necessary data. The edits can be within each document too! Just work with DNG. The edits are proprietary so moving to another solution isn't going to do much good here, you'll start from scratch unless you render the edits into a TIFF or similar before moving on. Edits within rendered images (JPEG, TIFF etc) are stored within those documents but again are proprietary. <br>

<br>

The edits in a Photoshop doc (smart objects, layers, blends etc) are also proprietary. They live within the documents but don't provide you any insurance that they can be further edited if you leave the Adobe path. So in my mind, a DNG or TIFF with layers are the same in terms of backup, archiving, ability to get to your edits. Where they are stored doesn't change any of that. </p>

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<p> I never did like the idea of keeping all of my edits in a database</p>

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<p> <br>

In addition to what Andrew writes, you can also save all your edits to XMP sidecars. </p>

+1 to Jeff said. Everyone should be writing to xmp (as

they work)

<p>You can't <strong>not</strong> save some data as XMP (or embedded into a DNG). Some of this important data is saved as a sidecar XMP but some is saved only in the LR database. Examples are Virtual Copies, Pick flag, History, Collections (smart and dumb). Adobe treats raws as '<em>read only</em>' so all these edits have to go somewhere, either sidecar XMP or directly into the data container while some data is saved within the LR database. <br>

Now as to having Auto save XMP on or off, your call. It used to slow everything way down but now, on a decent machine, you can't really tell the saving is affecting performance. There are times you may not want to save the data to the document (you don't want to force a backup on that entire document). LR indicates if there is a need to save the XMP data, you can select and save them manually. </p>

<p>The only safe way to keep them and not be locked in in any way with Adobe is to save all the RAW imaages and tiffs of the edited images in an archive under your control. If any of the tiffs don't work for you in the future, then you have the RAWs to re-edit with whatever program you're using at the time.</p>

<p>You're rolling the dice with any leftover Proprietary Adobe edits or files. You'll never know what changes Adobe will make in the future to block access. Aditionally, if you make edits with CC version, the perpetual version may not have the ability to access those edits. The perpetual version won't be forward accessible.</p>

<p>+1 Jeff<br>

+1 Alan</p>

<p>As far as subscription, I'm not sure what Adobe plans to do, but with prices already going up, Expect the same tactics cell phone and cable companies use....But wait, Photoshop doesn't have too much of direct competition, yet. So expect Adobe to keep the rates low enough to not force new competition, yet high enough to milk as much as possible being the lone giant users need.</p>

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<p>You're rolling the dice with any leftover Proprietary Adobe edits or files.</p>

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<p>Yes but this has been true since version 1 and you could substitute any other software manufacturer name for Adobe above and this would be true. </p>

<p>Alan, I do that now. I save my original NEF files to a DVD, my edited RAW files are in the DNG format, and the DNG and TIF are saved to several hard drives. The only problem is if for some reason I would not be able to go back and edit my DNG files, they have been renamed, and that makes locating the original NEF a bit more time consuming. Had I known that support for DNG was so limited, I would have stuck with the NEF and the xmp files.<br /><br />Good point, Phil.</p>

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<p>The only problem is if for some reason I would not be able to go back and edit my DNG files, they have been renamed...</p>

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<p>That should have no bearing on the ability to edit them. And if locating them is a problem, you need to use LR to make that easier for you (there is the ability to make a Smart Collection that finds all DNG's, even variants of DNGs). </p>

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<p>Had I known that support for DNG was so limited, I would have stuck with the NEF and the xmp files.</p>

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<p>Limited in what way? All the edits, even the various DNG profiles as well as a large, rendered JPEG of the processing can all be contained within the DNG. </p>

<p>You're rolling the dice with any leftover Proprietary Adobe edits or files.</p>

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<p>Yes but this has been true since version 1 and you could substitute any other software manufacturer name for Adobe above and this would be true.</p>

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<p>That's not the same thing. If you have a purchased version, whatever version it is, then you are making changes with it and Adobe cannot take it away. It's a lifetime purchase. You wouldn't be making changes with later editions because you never purchased those. So yes it that sense it's like other software.</p>

<p>However, if you edit with CC, and then stop the subscription, you no longer have access to the program for those image files with those CC edits. You're screwed.</p>

<p>You're rolling the dice with any leftover Proprietary Adobe edits or files.</p>

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<p>Yes but this has been true since version 1 and you could substitute any other software manufacturer name for Adobe above and this would be true.</p>

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<p>That's not the same thing. If you have a purchased version, whatever version it is, then you are making changes with it and Adobe cannot take it away. It's a lifetime purchase. You wouldn't be making changes with later editions because you never purchased those. So yes it that sense it's like other software.</p>

<p>However, if you edit with CC, and then stop the subscription, you no longer have access to the program for those image files with those CC edits. You're screwed.</p>

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<p>Alan, I do that now. I save my original NEF files to a DVD, my edited RAW files are in the DNG format, and the DNG and TIF are saved to several hard drives. The only problem is if for some reason I would not be able to go back and edit my DNG files, they have been renamed, and that makes locating the original NEF a bit more time consuming. Had I known that support for DNG was so limited, I would have stuck with the NEF and the xmp files.<br>

</p>

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<p>It's never too late to return, Stanley. You just described my old workflow. I recently made my life simpler by cutting out the dng conversion process and went back to nef and xmp. I now have more time, more hard drive space, burn less dvd's, have more freedom with software choices, and best of all, no more proprietary Adobe format. Use nefs and tiff, not dng and psd!</p>

<p>Eric, I'm using PS CS5, and it won't open my D7100 NEF files. Adobe is no longer supporting CS5. Even if PS CS6 is still available under the previous license agreement, and even as they claim that they will continue to support it (for how long?), I can't see myself upgrading, when the next stop is obvious - CC. So, for now, I'm stuck with the DNG until the other software fills the void (which it seems to be doing). I have no intention of using Light Room, now or at anytime in the future.</p>