Lightroom CC pros and cons

I would like to edit photos on my iPad more often. I’d be interested in using Lightroom CC on iOS and macOS to do it, but I switched from Lightroom Classic CC to Capture One Pro a while ago on the desktop and am very happy with C1. Even if I were still using Lightroom Classic CC, I’m not sure I’d be ready to switch.

Lightroom CC continues to improve, though. I’ve been keeping a list of pros and cons and will be watching for a tipping point that would make it feasible for me to switch.

Ligthroom CC Pros

  • Pleasant to use
  • Syncs everything automatically
  • Looks and works (mostly) the same on all platforms
  • People/Faces (Sensei)
  • Easy web gallery sharing (to Adobe’s site)
  • This is where Adobe is headed

Lightroom CC Cons

  • Scrolling performance is poor, even on a brand new 27” iMac with 32GB of RAM
  • No “show in finder” even though it knows I’ve opted to keep local copies
  • No watermark on export (text-only on mobile)
  • Limited sharing and export options
  • A lifetime dependency on an Adobe subscription.
  • No color labels
  • Cannot rename files
  • Limited Exif display
  • No Smart Collections
  • No side-by-side comparison
  • No virtual copies
  • No third-party plugins
  • Did I mention the lifetime commitment to paying Adobe’s subscriptions?

C’mon Adobe, make it easier for me.