PAYING ADOBE PHOTOGRAPHY SUBSCRIPTION Vs PAYING YEARLY UPDATE for Other EXCELLENT ALTERNATIVES

Sourov said:

! Apologies for the Capital Captions !

Bonjour,

Which one is Cheaper?

Paying Yearly Adobe Subscription fee 9.99€ (LR Ps)

Or paying Yearly updates for DXO photoLab, Nick Collection , ON1 , or NEO / Topaz Suite , C1?

Personally, All I want is to stick to one or two softwares max and learn in and out. Each softwares has is weak points. But, I am happy to live with it.

Like every car has a weaker side . And most of us can only afford One.

I use Silkypix Pro 11 and Affinity Photo. However, I did a trial with LR and it's so easy!! But I invested so much in to affinity photo and Silkypix Gives the best image quality in my opinion.

Point is, instead of using multiple softwares with could be time consuming, Isn't it better to stick with 1 or 2?

If so, what that would be for you?

Click to expand...

Some peeps are all for subscription based, whilst others are opposed. I abhor the subscription based model. I still use PS elements from 2015 for most of my images, but have recently purchased DxO which works really well for newer camera versions that I've acquired. I use both in conjunction, with Topaz software. It has saved me money doing it this way...

You'll find you won't have to update constantly, but then, everyone is different.

-M

...LR + PS will cost you $19.99 per month.

I expect at some point I'm going to have to pay for an Affinity 2.0 upgrade. Until that point I know that what I have works well for me.

I have had previous access to the entire Adobe Cloud suite and I know that "everyone" uses PS, but I probably only ever used 20% of PS's very powerful feature set.

I'm happy with what I have and I understand the limitations but Affinity Photo does what I need at this point.

grsnovi said:

...LR + PS will cost you $19.99 per month.

I expect at some point I'm going to have to pay for an Affinity 2.0 upgrade. Until that point I know that what I have works well for me.

I have had previous access to the entire Adobe Cloud suite and I know that "everyone" uses PS, but I probably only ever used 20% of PS's very powerful feature set.

I'm happy with what I have and I understand the limitations but Affinity Photo does what I need at this point.

Click to expand...

There is a LR + PS plan that only provides 20GB of online storage instead of 1TB for $9.99 per month. Much better cost if cloud storage is not needed.



I also use Affinity photo instead of the LR and PS duo. I’m not opposed to subscription services

I don't pay for yearly updates to software. I pay once and continue using it for a long time.

If I had to choose one it would be Lightroom (I have the LR and PS bundle as the only way to get LR, but I never use PS).

Why? Obviously first is because it can do what I need to do, at least well enough. I've been using it for the best part of ten years, and I've invested a lot of learning in it. LR has improved enormously over the years, and the new masking stuff is a real game changer, at least in terms of ease of use.

In practice I do have other software too.

DxO Photolab because (at least for my cameras) better raw conversion, more accurate lens corrections and best in class noise reduction.

Affinity Photo because I wanted something like PS light, and it was absurdly cheap. In practice I almost never use it.

Topaz suite. Picked up the cheap, and now I have the new AI product for nothing. I'm starting to see how it copes with lots of scanned slide images (you can't use PhotoLab's clever denoise software on those)

A few other odds and sods for various other niche uses, for example PhotoToExe for slideshows.

For me, and I know I'm lucky, the software costs simply aren't important, and are dwarfed by other costs, especially travelling to places I want to photograph!

Hi Sourov,

My advice is to try the trial versions and decide which software combination you'd like to learn (as you say, each one has pro's and cons - there is no 'best at everything' solution).

Once you've done this - if you can hold off - sit and wait for the Black Friday Event deals.

DxO and Topaz typically offer excellent discounts on software/ upgrades and the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan 20GB 1 Year Download from Amazon EU was available for as low as £46.72 (/ 12 = £3.89 p.m.) last year - and you can stack/ bank the licences. (If you go for this please read the small print and check it is not a UK only deal - see this thread).

I use DxO, Topaz and Adobe software and the annual costs to me are pretty even.

(Photography is my hobby and I enjoy using the latest software - my money, my choice!).

There is so much incredible software available, you have a tough decision - good luck... :-D

Phil

--
Zebras for Stills - How Hard Can It Be?

Sourov said:

If so, what that would be for you?

Click to expand...

I would suggest that instead of focusing on price, I would choose the ones the I enjoy using most. That's why last year I bought/subscribed many software (Adobe Lr/LrC, DxO, ON1, Topaz, Luminar, Radiant, etc), and chose the most suitable ones for myself.

From now on, I would mainly use DxO PL6 and LrC. They work great together.

If you have no prior experience on the software, it is difficult for you to consider whether it is worthy for your money. Currently I consider LrC/PS yearly subscription as the "ceiling", i.e., I am not paying more for photography software, because LrC/PS is the "gold standard" already.

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images. Lightroom will still allow some library functions. Photoshop will only allow export of images to another format (someone will have to confirm this).

And this after you've paid for years, which add up to more than the previous perpetual licence used to cost. You are locked into adobe. All your work belongs to them.

Phil, I agree with the idea of trials, but the free Adobe trial (at least for Lightroom) is an absurd 7 days. Just nothing like anough for a sensible evaluation.

Note to the OP. If you do decide to trial Lightroom, I very, very strongly advise you to download Victoria Bampton's free beginners guide. Download it and read it before you start - don't try and figure out Lightroom from nothing.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/

davidedric said:

Phil, I agree with the idea of trials, but the free Adobe trial (at least for Lightroom) is an absurd 7 days. Just nothing like anough for a sensible evaluation.

Note to the OP. If you do decide to trial Lightroom, I very, very strongly advise you to download Victoria Bampton's free beginners guide. Download it and read it before you start - don't try and figure out Lightroom from nothing.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/

Click to expand...

Hi David,

I didn’t realise that - I agree, that’s pathetically little time to explore and evaluate Lr.

Phil

Shrey said:

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images. Lightroom will still allow some library functions. Photoshop will only allow export of images to another format (someone will have to confirm this).

And this after you've paid for years, which add up to more than the previous perpetual licence used to cost. You are locked into adobe. All your work belongs to them.

Click to expand...

Help me understand... if...

In a safe place away from Adobe, I save a copy of the original raw DNG and a TIFF of the image's output file.

How do I lose ownership/control of an image should I (or my heirs) decide to change post-processing service providers?

Just curious... M

PMUK said:

davidedric said:

Phil, I agree with the idea of trials, but the free Adobe trial (at least for Lightroom) is an absurd 7 days. Just nothing like anough for a sensible evaluation.

Note to the OP. If you do decide to trial Lightroom, I very, very strongly advise you to download Victoria Bampton's free beginners guide. Download it and read it before you start - don't try and figure out Lightroom from nothing.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/

Click to expand...

Hi David,

I didn’t realise that - I agree, that’s pathetically little time to explore and evaluate Lr.

Phil

Click to expand...

It's NOT like being buried in a rented tux. :-O

You can quit at anytime for any reason and stop payment.

What am I missing?

Cheers... M :-D

Michael Arbor said:

PMUK said:

davidedric said:

Phil, I agree with the idea of trials, but the free Adobe trial (at least for Lightroom) is an absurd 7 days. Just nothing like anough for a sensible evaluation.

Note to the OP. If you do decide to trial Lightroom, I very, very strongly advise you to download Victoria Bampton's free beginners guide. Download it and read it before you start - don't try and figure out Lightroom from nothing.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/

Click to expand...

Hi David,

I didn’t realise that - I agree, that’s pathetically little time to explore and evaluate Lr.

Phil

Click to expand...

It's NOT like being buried in a rented tux. :-O

You can quit at anytime for any reason and stop payment.

What am I missing?

Cheers... M :-D

Click to expand...

What you are missing (?) is that you contract for a year even if you pay monthly. If you cancel the payments then you are in breach of contract. I don't know what the consequences could be, I doubt Adobe would issue a court order I think I have read that they would be likely to offer you a chance to buy out the rest of the year at a reduced price.

The software would soon stop working, because it periodically checks back with Adobe that the licence is still valid. If you bail out after a year, then you lose access to the Develop and Map modules, but the rest continues so you don't lose your work.

Michael Arbor said:

Shrey said:

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images. Lightroom will still allow some library functions. Photoshop will only allow export of images to another format (someone will have to confirm this).

And this after you've paid for years, which add up to more than the previous perpetual licence used to cost. You are locked into adobe. All your work belongs to them.

Click to expand...

Help me understand... if...

In a safe place away from Adobe, I save a copy of the original raw DNG and a TIFF of the image's output file.

How do I lose ownership/control of an image should I (or my heirs) decide to change post-processing service providers?

Just curious... M

Click to expand...

You don't. Nor do you lose the changes that you have made and the ability to export them. You even still have access to the Quick Develop function in Library.

As I say above, you lose the Develop and Map modules

Michael Arbor said:

PMUK said:

davidedric said:

Phil, I agree with the idea of trials, but the free Adobe trial (at least for Lightroom) is an absurd 7 days. Just nothing like anough for a sensible evaluation.

Note to the OP. If you do decide to trial Lightroom, I very, very strongly advise you to download Victoria Bampton's free beginners guide. Download it and read it before you start - don't try and figure out Lightroom from nothing.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/

Click to expand...

Hi David,

I didn’t realise that - I agree, that’s pathetically little time to explore and evaluate Lr.

Phil

Click to expand...

It's NOT like being buried in a rented tux. :-O

You can quit at anytime for any reason and stop payment.

What am I missing?

Cheers... M :-D

Click to expand...

Hi Michael,

The only point here is that - if it’s correct - I think being given 7 days to explore and evaluate a piece of software as complex and capable as Lr is ludicrous - and somewhat shortsighted.

(I am being mindful of the OP, who is trying to decide where to spend his processing funds).

I have licences stacked until 2026 (and await Black Friday), so I’m not quitting any time soon.



Phil

--
Zebras for Stills - How Hard Can It Be?

Shrey said:

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images.

Click to expand...

Why is everyone forgetting about this? Because it is a blatant lie!

Shrey said:

All your work belongs to them.

Click to expand...

Another blatant lie!

davidedric said:

Michael Arbor said:

Shrey said:

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images. Lightroom will still allow some library functions. Photoshop will only allow export of images to another format (someone will have to confirm this).

And this after you've paid for years, which add up to more than the previous perpetual licence used to cost. You are locked into adobe. All your work belongs to them.

Click to expand...

Help me understand... if...

In a safe place away from Adobe, I save a copy of the original raw DNG and a TIFF of the image's output file.

How do I lose ownership/control of an image should I (or my heirs) decide to change post-processing service providers?

Just curious... M

Click to expand...

You don't. Nor do you lose the changes that you have made and the ability to export them. You even still have access to the Quick Develop function in Library.

As I say above, you lose the Develop and Map modules

Click to expand...

+1

When my licence expired a while back (a momentary pause between subscriptions) this is what I found.

Phil

Michael Arbor said:

Shrey said:

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images. Lightroom will still allow some library functions. Photoshop will only allow export of images to another format (someone will have to confirm this).

And this after you've paid for years, which add up to more than the previous perpetual licence used to cost. You are locked into adobe. All your work belongs to them.

Click to expand...

Help me understand... if...

In a safe place away from Adobe, I save a copy of the original raw DNG and a TIFF of the image's output file.

Click to expand...

Using DNG - unless native from your camera - is the only way you lock yourself into the Adobe toolchain. Because no one besides Adobe does fully support the DNG format as would be necessary to switch! Keep your original RAW and only use DNG where there isn't an alternative (like in HDR merge)...

Shrey said:

One things everyone forgets about Abobe's subscription.

Stop paying and lose access to your images.

Click to expand...

Not true.

Shrey said:

Lightroom will still allow some library functions.

Click to expand...

Like export to whatever.

Shrey said:

Photoshop will only allow export of images to another format (someone will have to confirm this).

Click to expand...

I can confirm along with everyone else that you have to save your Photoshop work somewhere in one of the nine different formats available.

Shrey said:

And this after you've paid for years, which add up to more than the previous perpetual licence used to cost.

Click to expand...

Wrong again.

Shrey said:

You are locked into adobe. All your work belongs to them.

Click to expand...

What nonsense. And you're setting yourself up as a Youtube Lightroom guru?