(Now, Lightroom Classic controls can be re-arranged).įor example, adjusting exposure, contrast, and highlights and shadows are all under the Light section, while white balance, vibration, and saturation fall under the Color panel. In Lightroom CC, the Develop side panel is entirely redesigned and organized by the type of adjustment. In creating Lightroom CC, Adobe asked a few questions about why the options were located where they were and couldn’t come up with a good answer as to why the exposure sliders were located in-between options for white balance and saturation. You won’t find those features in Lightroom CC - though a new integration does allow for prints through White House Custom Color in the desktop version of Lightroom CC. While the Develop and Library modules are the most used panels, Lightroom Classic also has options for building a slideshow, printing a photo book, viewing geotagged photos on a map, making prints, and creating a web gallery. Lightroom Classic is organized into different modules, each organizing all the options for that particular task. Users familiar with the previous version of Lightroom won’t have to relearn controls in Lightroom Classic.

Automatically save original files and edits to the cloudĭespite a new name and a few new features, Lightroom Classic is the same program photographers have been using for more than a decade.

Easier to learn for beginners, with simpler organization and built-in learning tools.

Lightroom CC will even automatically choose your best photos, leveraging the image analysis powers of Adobe Sensei, but the feature is currently a technology preview and only available in the web-based version of Lightroom CC. Lightroom CC also has the option to create Shared Albums, which allows photographers to collaborate on shared projects using an album that’s accessible online.īoth versions include the tools to rate and flag individual photos. In our experience, Sensei wasn’t 100% accurate, but it should get better with time. Using object-recognition technology, Lightroom CC can search for objects and popular landmarks, which means even if you don’t organize your photos, you’ll probably still be able to find that photo you are looking for - at least, in theory. But Lightroom CC uses artificial intelligence ( Adobe Sensei) to search through your photos, a feature Classic doesn’t have.

Lightroom Classic has Smart Collections to create custom automatic collections that Lightroom CC doesn’t have. Image used with permission by copyright holder

Images are also automatically sorted by date and are accessible that way as well, without any extra steps to set up the dated albums. Lightroom CC switches to an album nomenclature, but albums work similarly to collections. A sorting toolbar that allows users to set parameters to see only specific photos like only flagged photos, or only flagged photos that were also edited. “Smart Collections” lets users create groups of photos instantly by setting parameters, such as selecting photos taken with a specific lens or images with a specific rating. Lightroom Classic organizes photos into collections and collection sets and includes an option to navigate using the folders on the desktop. Winner: Lightroom Classic Organizing photos Image used with permission by copyright holder

This creates a simplified screen that’s easier for beginners to get started with but skips out on time-saving options and some metadata features some photographers use. Lightroom CC, on the other hand, has fewer choices, with the option to add to an album and apply presets. The import window includes options to add to collections, adjust metadata, add keywords, change the destination, and even apply presets while importing. While Lightroom CC is catching up, Lightroom Classic’s import options are the most varied. Importing photos Image used with permission by copyright holder $9.99/month with 1TB storage or $19.99/month with storage and Photoshop

$9.99/month with Photoshop (also includes Lightroom CC and 20GB of storage)

Adobe lightroom classic latest version