Skip to main content

If Lightroom is still slow for you, Adobe promises help is on the way

lightroom update adobe lightroomcc share
Adobe
If you’re still having issues with a slow Lightroom Classic, an update is coming in February that should address the problem.

Adobe launched the latest version of its popular photo editing and management software last fall, and for the first time split it between Lightroom Classic (essentially Lightroom 7 for desktops) and Lightroom CC, a lighter, mobile-oriented version of the software that has fewer features than Classic.

Recommended Videos

Having listened to complaints from photographers about the sometimes sluggish performance of Lightroom 6, Adobe had promised speed improvements with Lightroom Classic. But soon after its launch, it quickly became apparent that some users were still experiencing issues regarding the software’s ability to handle certain tasks in an efficient manner.

An update released in December 2017 addressed many of the bugs that troubled the launch version of Classic, but the speed of the software continued to bother a number of photographers.

The good news is that version 7.2 is imminent and looks set to properly enhance the operation of the Adobe-made software. The bad news? Your machine will need at least 12GB of RAM to benefit fully from the update. Adobe, however, says that “the majority” of Lightroom Classic users have machines with at least 12GB of RAM, “so this release will deliver a significant performance impact for most users.”

Adobe addresses key performance issues

“We were able to make significant strides with our partners at Intel on addressing key performance issues,” Adobe told DPreview this week, adding that it has “optimized CPU and memory usage so that performance will scale better across multiple cores on computers with at least 12GB of RAM.”

Specifically, Adobe claims the software tweaks will improve speed performance for:

  • import and preview generation
  • moving between images in Loupe View
  • rendering of adjustments in Develop mode
  • batch merge operations of HDR images and panoramas
  • export

Adobe told PetaPixel that it’s “really pleased” with the latest performance improvements, but said it was “far from done” and has “more performance optimizations and improvements planned” for future releases. We’re certainly hoping version 7.2  finally puts the Classic issues to bed as for many photographers the software is impressive when it’s firing on all cylinders.

If you’re new to Lightroom but want to find out more about it, check out DT’s brief but informative guide for beginners, and then consider the free trial.

Adobe offers various pricing options depending on the package, though a popular deal for $10 a month gets you Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic, Lightroom apps for mobile and web, Photoshop CC, Adobe Spark, and 20GB of cloud storage.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
My favorite SD card reader is a mere $15 for Prime Big Deal Days
The Lexar USB-C SD card reader.

I take a lot of pictures on a daily basis. And while I usually get to offload them in the comfort of my home, sometimes I need to export as quickly as possible. Maybe even straight from my phone.

That's where my new favorite SD card reader comes in.

Read more
Astronaut enjoys out-of-this-world view from his bedroom window
An aurora as seen from a Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the ISS.

A NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has posted a beautiful image showing an aurora over Earth.

Matthew Dominick has been aboard the ISS since March and is due to return home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Sunday. In fact, it was from the docked Crew Dragon that he captured the stunning shot.

Read more
Best GoPro Prime Big Deal Days deals: Every model is on sale!
Best Prime Day Deals

Update 10/9/24: Day one of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days festivities has closed out, but we've still got one more day of sales to go. Prime Day GoPro deals are still ripe for the picking, so check back here regularly if you haven't already made an action camera purchase this Prime Day.

In case you didn't know, it is now time for Prime Big Deal Day deals to heat up. Prime Day deals officialy lasts through October 9, and among them are plenty of Prime Big Deal Day camera deals that include good prices on action cameras. And, yet again, within these deals you'll find deals on what is probably the biggest name in action cameras, GoPro. The best GoPro Prime Day deals remaining offer some impressive savings on a number of camera models, as well as some accessories. Below you'll find all of the best GoPro Prime Big Deal Day deals available, so read onward for the details.
GoPro Hero 9 Black — $200 $350 43% off

Read more