Adobe Lightroom - Now Subscription Only

I bought a disc copy of LR6, always the preferred option if available. I just changed from Windows 7 to iOS12 and it still loaded fine so changing computers shouldn’t be a problem. Can you save your LR5 file to a dvd just in case?

To be fair, that's a lot of ifs. If none of those things happen, you'll still be fine, so maybe the best thing would be to worry about it when it happens, if it happens? At that point you will have options and will no doubt select the best one for your current needs.

That's more my concern. I had to use the DNG converter for some camera models before I had upgraded to more recent s/w. It really helps keep old s/w relevant. Meaning I can carry on happily upgrading cameras. My mind then says if adobe doesn't have any standalone s/w then why would they need to support the DNG converter, it's all built into their cloud model. Thankfully at the moment they've just announced photo shop elements 2018 which is standalone, therefore that should keep the need for a DNG converter for a few more years yet.
Of course this is just delaying the inevitable where I will have to switch away from adobe as I don't want to use their subscription model. In the meantime I'm head in sand adding ratings/tags/edits in adobe that I may well loose when migrating. So part of me thinks just wait while the market sorts itself out and someone comes along with a good product that imports all my adobe extra bits. The other part says what if the product I like best doesn't do that, then I could have lost that useful info, it's not the end of the world, but maybe I should just start with a new product now. Trouble is I've tried a few, darktable, dxo optics, affinity but I'm just so used to how adobe works and the results I get out of it..... They all seem to be lacking in something I use in adobe......

Yes I have a disc copy of LR5 but when I bought it, it was Lightroom 5.0 (I think). With Adobe updates it is now LR 5.7

I will (might) be able to install LR5 onto any new computer via the disc, but the updates to LR 5.7 won't be available.

They just might be, there was an update on LR6 before the latest change to Classic and I was able to download that again.

Corel have reduced the price of Paintshop Pro 2018 Ultimate to £69.99. Seems like a November offer. I was going to upgrade my Photoshop Elements 9 to the latest Elements 2018, but coupled with the fact I'm stuck with Lightroom 5 (don't want subscription), I think I'll give my future money to Corel.

https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products/paintshop-pro/ultimate/

It's not a surprise that they are forcing everyone to go subscription (though it's annoying) I'm more concerned by the new 'Lightroom CC' with the previous version being relabled 'Classic' - this suggests a product no longer in development. They are certainly going to put all their efforts into the new cloud version and that just doesn't work for me.

I have LR6 and while I have no plans to upgrade my K5-II I don't need to worry, but will be looking for a LR replacement in the future. It's sort of exciting in a way as I haven't paid any attention to the alternatives for several years.

I thought the names "Lightroom CC" and "Lightroom Classic CC" were linked more to the Adobe subscription models available, rather than differing applications specifications.

As far as I understand, which may be way off, as long as Pentax continue to allow image saving as ".dng" in new models then current versions of LR would work as normal. So when you upgrade your K-5ll to the K-!!! your LR6 would still be able to process the images

You might be right though I was under the impression CC and Classic were distinct products. I can't find the link at the moment but there was an Adobe statement that said "Classic will continue for the forseeable future" which had alarm bells ringing (it's very similar to the statement they made regarding perpetual licences 2 years ago!).

I have LR6 at present and it does everything I need it to, I haven't seen any new features in CC over the last 2 years I wished I had and the biggest thing for me in that time has been discovering the Nik software when Google made it available for free.

I think you are correct, if this comparison in photographylife is anything to go by link

I received a big update to version 1.6 for Affinity Photo this week (quicker, refined shortcuts etc) and a load of free add ons as a thank you for supporting this development and the sister Affinity Designer. Available on Mac, iPad and Windows. Nice to have locally produced software that is up to anything the Americans can turn out.

I paid £29.99 for this as a Serif customer. Currently £48.99 with freebies as a download. link

I had a look at Affinity Photo and had the impression it was more like Photoshop software i.e. not having the organisation capabilities of LR. But for the money seemed very good. Just now I'm running a trail version of ACDsee to see how that works. So far so good, as it seems to have most of the features I use in LR.

For now I'll stick with LR6.13 and continue to record images in ".dng". in case of new bodies. I've downloaded copies of LR4,5,6 from Adobe onto disc's so if I have an issue with the computers I'll be able to reload the software.

What may drive me to change is my Fuji system were I can't record in .dng. So upgrades may mean the Fuji files not being recognised by older LR software. I looked at DXO, which was offered with a free licence. But, while it was similar to LR, that could not work with existing fuji files, something to do with the arrangement of colour collection by the sensor.

Because of the speed a lot of pro's use Photo Mechanic to initially sort out what photos to use, then send over to an edit program e.g. .....

Photo Mechanic + Adobe Lightroom: How to Use Use Them Together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lCqlt_ht8A

How to cull wedding photos using photo mechanic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrDBRFP6Q78

Sadly not cheap at $150

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I've had a read through Affinity Forums FAQ. They say 'Do you plan to have Web site design/Digital Asset Management/animation/video editing products too?
We’re not sure yet! We will definitely get the first three products out the way over the next 12 months first before we start looking at other possibilities, but we are very interested in adding a DAM solution to the Affinity suite in future.'

Given they have yet to release Affinity Publisher (paper NOT web I gather sadly) to follow Designer and Photo I guess it'll be quite a wait. I understand they are a team of only four programmers working at Nottingham on Mac before Windows. it does seen to me many buy Lightroom for it simple editing ability and stand alone software until now, rather than Photoshop. Affinity photo is deliberately a Photoshop clone (especially its RAW Develop studio) and more.

It's so interesting to think about how Lightroom is still on the top of the market when the services it offers are (fairly) compatible with the ones other programs have I found an article suggesting free alternatives to Lightroom that I think work just as well, particularly as I'm merely an amateur: https://www.1and1.com/digitalguide/websites/web-design/free-alternatives-to-adob... I’ve learned about LightZone & I have been using it since! If you are looking for something simple that has a variety of functions, it might suit you. The price for the subscription is not bad at all, but when you have the same option for free, it doesn't make sense paying every month, for me at least.