Update on Lightroom 2015.2 / Lightroom 6.2 Release

[Canon Rumors Guy]

The Lightroom team wanted to let the community know that we’re investigating some critical performance and crasher bugs, and will be issuing an update shortly to address them.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">If you are experiencing crashing or slowdowns, please try the following:</span></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Go to Lightroom > Preferences.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Click on the General tab</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Uncheck “Show ‘Add Photos’ Screen”</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Restart Lightroom</span></li>
</ul>
<p><em>I think it’s important to provide some context to why we made changes to Import.</em>  Over the years we’ve done extensive studies of customers interested in Lightroom.  The studies have been comprised of people passionate about photography and who use their cameras as a creative outlet.  In short, their motivations share the same motivations as people who already love Lightroom.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p>We visited them in their homes, and asked them to install, launch and use Lightroom.  Since this was their first interaction with Lightroom, we were interested in observing specifically where they encountered obstacles, and therefore where we needed to focus our attention.</p>
<p>Customers were universally unable to decipher the Import dialog without getting frustrated. Some people pushed forward, bolstered by spending time searching the web for help.  They might have been successful in importing files, but they didn’t feel successful.  Others gave up, deciding that Lightroom might not be the right product for them.</p>
<p>The previous Import experience literally made people push back from their computers in frustration.  Keeping the existing Import experience isn’t an option, and we needed to evolve the Import experience.</p>
<p>We’ve heard great feedback on the changes, and we’ve always evolved the Lightroom product with feedback from photographers and look forward to continue to evolve the experience going forward with your feedback in mind.</p>
<p>Please keep the feedback coming!</p>
<div id="attachment_22787" style="width: 738px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Previous-Import.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-22787" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Previous-Import-728x428.png" alt="Previous Import" width="728" height="428" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Previous Import</p></div>
<div id="attachment_22786" style="width: 738px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Current-Import.png"><img class="wp-image-22786 size-medium" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Current-Import-728x425.png" alt="Current-Import" width="728" height="425" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Current Import</p></div>

 

[LDS]

Translated: "we watched some clueless users who never bought LR before and they were unable to select a folder and import photos. So we had to dumbsize the experience low enough to allow them find their own photos, while irritating long time users with a new, slow, childish user interface".

 

[Kathode-Ray]

I think that's a very accurate translation. The previous import-screen was just fine.

In my view, you're indeed clueless if you can't find your own photo's on your own harddrive...

 

[fiend]

Translated: "we watched some clueless users who never bought LR before and they were unable to select a folder and import photos. So we had to dumbsize the experience low enough to allow them find their own photos, while irritating long time users with a new, slow, childish user interface".

Totally agree on this one.
This is perhaps the WORST update to a program (of all that can come to my mind) that any software company has ever done so far.
The import is SO BAD now that I reverted back to 6.1.1 :/
I will _NEVER_ go back to 6.2+ if don't fix this.

 

[3kramd5]

Translated: "we watched some clueless users who never bought LR before and they were unable to select a folder and import photos. So we had to dumbsize the experience low enough to allow them find their own photos, while irritating long time users with a new, slow, childish user interface".

hahaha!

 

[Click]

Translated: "we watched some clueless users who never bought LR before and they were unable to select a folder and import photos. So we had to dumbsize the experience low enough to allow them find their own photos, while irritating long time users with a new, slow, childish user interface".

;D ;D ;D Excellent!!!

 

[Maui5150]

Maybe Adobe should stop worrying about converting iPhone Photographers, and worry more about performance and other important features.

The previous Import was both intuitive and simple and people who could not figure it out are also probably the same folks that by a 5D MK III and leave it in P-mode.

 

[jeffa4444]

To all of the above:-

A some point everyone is a new user of Adobe products I certainly was one of them in 2014 when Apple decided Photographers didnt matter and ditched Aperture. Aperture for all its faults was intuitive, Lightroom and Photoshop in my experiance are not at least not outside the basic controls and particularly Photoshop CC left side bar tools. Ive not had any issues importing with Lightroom of the two products I far prefer Lightroom to Photoshop CC so do as much as possible within it and as little as possible in Photoshop CC that maybe my fault but I dont have the time or the inclination to spend hours learning how you use it at least Aperture in that respect beat Adobe hands down. Unbelievably in this world we have few options in software to compete against Adobe certainly Photos from Apple is a disaster and a product they should be ashamed of and runs counter to most other things they do. I did try Capture One Pro 8 before going with Adobe CC its certainly more intuitive for new users but was far more limiting.
So rather than poke fun at new users I applaud Adobe for at least trying to understand ALL users and seeing if the experiance can be improved not everyone comes naturally to software use.

 

[jeffa4444]

One further point regarding Lightroom. I have a fairly fast iMac new generation with plenty of memory etc. but find openning Lightroom from the toolbar icon takes ages compared to just about anything else I use this is something they certainly need to look at Photoshop CC by comparison opens quickly.

 

[gsealy]

I think I will stay on 5.7 until this shakes out. Adobe does not have a good track record when it comes to major releases. I don't have time for buggy software.

 

[jalbfb]

Uh, but they failed to give any reason as to why they removed some many features that many of us rely upon. The last they could have done it given us some choices to get them back through section in Preferences/Edit so we could have the dumb down view (now in the update) and our usual efficient workflow view.

 

[infared]

I am a longtime user. The import feature has been "dumbed-down" and is less useful to all of the longtime users. I get that Adobe wants to sell the product to new consumers, but how about leaving options for long-time users. We have been paying you for years.
What about us?
Also...there is a long list of features that have been taken AWAY. (wait...I paid for an UPGRADE???)...just so that I could natively import photos from a new camera. (Which is ridiculous in and of itself).
Why would adobe remove "auto eject card" at the end of import????? It was a choice before. Now it is not. You cannot tell me that choice would stop a new user from using the software. Now I have to manually go to my desktop and eject the card. The point is....I had a convenience that made my workflow more fluid. Adobe let me pay for an upgrade and took one of my conveniences away for no apparent reason???????
I would love to have been sitting in on the meeting where that decision was made. Do any of these people actually use the software???????
I also had to go online and get advice on how to find how to update my stand-alone version of LR 5 for $79.
I did not want to go to the cloud ( and pay a monthly fee), and I did not want a new $142 version if an upgrade was available.
I challenge anyone, unaided to go to the Adobe website and find the upgrade!!! LOL! It is totally buried in menus with no mention of the product or a way to get to it. I was told it existed...but without expect help from the WEB I never would have found the offered product.
All of the above is REALLY poor for customer relations. Hey....Adobe...serve us...don't abuse us. We keep you i business. Right?

 

[dennirussel]

I actually do understand why Adobe wanted to rethink the import window. I've been using LR since beta. As a shooter I rely on it for my business. I also teach photography to graphic design students at a couple of Toronto colleges. For whatever reason, the Import window freaks them out beyond all else. I write tutorials with detailed screen captures and they still go into a brain melting panic. These are students who are used to Photoshop... So they are computer literate to at least some degree.
I'm still on the fence about the new import, myself. I think it might look less scary for many, which will help with the brain freeze. But, maybe not...
The Add Photos section is just idiotic. Anyone who needs that won't be using LR anyway - they'll use iPhoto or whatever the windows picture editor is.
But why in the bloody h*ll did they remove the Import Preset option???????? Why can we no longer see the bloody file extensions in the thumbnails? Do file extensions really scare people that much?

 

[dennirussel]

And regarding the relative ease of use differences between Aperture and LR - well, Apple's main goal is to take control away from the user. Adobe's is (used to be?) to give the user freedom. Freedom is complicated. Simplification removes options. If Adobe's new direction is simplification than those of us who like control and creative freedom will lose out. Photoshop needs to stay complicated. LR should not be dumbed down any further.

 

[dennirussel]

Maybe Adobe should stop worrying about converting iPhone Photographers, and worry more about performance and other important features.

The previous Import was both intuitive and simple and people who could not figure it out are also probably the same folks that by a 5D MK III and leave it in P-mode.

Exactly.

 

[M_Wilks]

Having used LR since the first Beta I find it infuriating that Adobe removed tools that I rely on regularly during Import. I understand the desire to make the tool easier for first time users, but there is no reason that I can think of to not make the old tools available through preferences. Adobe, if you are listening, please bring back the old functionality through user preferences!

 

[3kramd5]

To all of the above:-

A some point everyone is a new user of Adobe products I certainly was one of them in 2014 when Apple decided Photographers didnt matter and ditched Aperture. Aperture for all its faults was intuitive, Lightroom and Photoshop in my experiance are not at least not outside the basic controls...

I guess intuitiveness depends on the person. I immediately found Lightroom intuitive, but couldn't make neads nor tails of Aperture (or Capture One).

 

[Rick]

Besides being a budget piece of software, LR catered to folks who did not understand the file/folder system of Windows and/or the "complexity" of Photoshop and how to use these systems to organize their images. Now, they are dumbing it down even more?

 

[Maui5150]

NEWS FLASH - CANON TO ANNOUNCE REMOVAL OF TV, AV, and M shooting modes

Following Adobe's lead, Canon is announcing the removal of the AV, TV and M shooting modes.

Explains Canon - We interviewed a lot of people and found the AV, TV and M mode scared users. They often got results they did not expect and found more and more they just wanted to pick up a camera and shoot without having to think.

Further, Canon is announcing that they have discontinued all prime lenses in favor of the 100-400mm

Explains Canon - We interviewed a lot of people and found that new users were intimidated by all the lens choices, as well most preferred to have the widest range possible for zooming in our zooming out. Even more so, when presented with lenses like the Tilt-Shift, users found them completely unusable not only for the lack of auto-focus, but too much going on to use the lens.

In a related story, Zeiss announces that they are going out of business since they do not manufacture super Tele zoom lenses or lenses with Auto-Focus which they say has become a graveyard market.

Who needs the auto bomb to destroy the world, when we have Millenials

 

[privatebydesign]

My replies about Adobe threads often lead me to being accused of being an Adobe shill, it is funny because I am often accused of being a Canon shill/being blinkered/don't understand too, so maybe I work for both!

Anyway, I fully understand the idea behind the rework, for new users, what I absolutely don't accept is forcing an entirely new workflow onto people who already have a well established one. I don't remember Adobe ever taking such a heavy handed approach before and to not have the old (or similar) import options as previously is a very poor decision.

I 100% disagree with the update only because it forces established users to adopt entirely new workflows, as far as I am concerned not leaving the old options is unforgivable.

I will download the old stand alone versions of LR6 and PS whatever as 'backup' to protect my well established workflows in case any other such 'improvements' are forced on us.

Watching the various videos by the usual LR/Adobe team members illustrate that there is definitely tension in the team with regards a lot of the lost functionality.