This is an early access Substack edition of a video that airs tonight on my YouTube channel
W
e photographers may present as polite, socially awkward nerds but we’re just as tribal as any other hobby. And second only to camera brand, nothing defines your allegiances in the photographic tribes more than the RAW editor you use.
In recent years the folks in the Adobe tribe have suffered from an unrelenting onslaught of negative press, thanks to price hikes, subscription-hate, strong competition, and performance criticism. And I certainly didn’t hold back in trying to hold Adobe to account.
So in 2026, with the combo Photoshop and Lightroom bundle costing $20USD per month for new sign-ups and Capture One, Photolab and Zoner Studio offering compelling alternatives, is Lightroom worth it? Grab your pitchforks, folks, we’re talking about Adobe.
The rest of this one’s for paid subscribers.
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Also published in RAW & Unfiltered on Substack.
