Lightroom Compatibility Issue-is there a solution?

[bunnspecial]

This is one I just ran into today.

Basically here's the background. My two main computers now are an M1 Macbook Pro and my old 2012 15" MBP. I use the latter as a desktop, driving a pair of Apple Thunderbolt displays. Eventually I'd like to get a Studio to replace it and hopefully at least one newer monitor, but that's not happening in the near future. The 2012 MBP works great for me in this role because it was my main computer for a long time so has a bunch of files on it(that haven't made it to the cloud) plus 3tb onboard storage(1tb SSD, 2tb spinner) since you could actually toss a lot of storage in those, and unlike the M1 can drive a bunch of external displays.

I like to do my photo editing on the 2012 because, surprisingly enough, once I get past initial import and DNG conversion, the 16gb RAM in it outweigh the MUCH faster CPU paired with 8gb RAM in my M1 in general useability. Plus I like two big screens!

I am carrying a lot of legacy baggage on the 2012, so even though it could run Catalina, I am intentinally keeping it on Mojave.

Where all of that leaves me is that I'm stuck on CC 2021, including LrC 2021, while my M1 is running LrC 2022.

I created a catalog yesterday of a recent trip on my M1, started working on it, and realized I really should be doing it on the other computer, so did something I hadn't done before-attempted to open the catalog and pick up where I'd left off on 2012. Of course Lightroom won't open the catalog(it is in Dropbox, so I have full access to everything in it).

As I'm typing this post, I realized that since I have the DNG conversion already done, I can just create a new catalog in Lighroom 2021 with the previously imported DNGs. I hadn't done a LOT of editing, so loosing work so far is no great loss.

With that said, is there a way to get around this in the future? Can I intentionally make LR2022 save catalogs in a way that is compatible with 2021? Or do I just bit the bullet and buy a Studio?(or a 16" M1 Max that can drive multiple externals)...

 

[mollyc]

i don’t think lr gives you the option for backwards compatibility.

you can change the process version of photos to “go back” to old versions but the catalog itself can’t be downgraded.

 

[mollyc]

although you might be able to install lr 2021 as a separate app on your computer

 

[robgendreau]

Well, starting on old Lr and then going to new Lr as needed is obviously the best way to handle it.

And I agree; I don't think you can export a new catalog and have it open in the old version. But it might be that if you write your edits to the DNGs and import them into the old catalog their edits might be usable, to the extent old Lr supports them (no layers, for example). At least standard metadata like locations and keywords would work if not edits themselves. But maybe you've already experimented with that.

 

[bunnspecial]

Thanks folks.

It's a bit frustrating considering that it's not like I'm talking about opening an LR 2022 catalog in LR2, but that's how it is it seems.

As I said, I'd only done a couple of light edits, so I think that I'll just grab the .DNGs and create a new catalog in LR2021. I've done the time and computationally-intensive part of doing the import and DNG conversion, so I'd hope just pulling the DNGs into a new catalog won't be difficult.

Just as a side note, I really wish everyone would just agree to output DNGs rather than their own proprietary formats. It would save me a lot of headache since I convert everything to DNG, and we wouldn't get into software incompatibility catches. I haven't tried, but I'd be willing to be that I could make a catalog in Lightroom 2(oldest version I personally have) from DNGs that LR 2022 generated. IIRC, isn't Leica the only brand that outputs DNG?

The real solution is that I think this M1 has served it's purpose for me for a year and a half, but I really need to just get the 16" Max/32gb RAM I've been eyeing(and if I want to get really enthusiastic and hit the lottery, park an Ultra studio on my desk).

Another little side note-I've read a bit that apparently if you create a catalog in an older version and open it in a newer version, it will automatically convert and you'll no longer be able to open it in an older version. I have enough LR6 catalogs on my computer that I should try that...

 

[mackmgg]

Is that computer on WiFi or Ethernet? There are unofficial ways to upgrade the 2012 MBP to Big Sur/Monterey, but you'll probably lose WiFi as it obviously doesn't include drivers for hardware that isn't supported anymore. But if you're using Ethernet then that would solve your Lightroom problem with minimal downsides!

 

[bunnspecial]

Is that computer on WiFi or Ethernet? There are unofficial ways to upgrade the 2012 MBP to Big Sur/Monterey, but you'll probably lose WiFi as it obviously doesn't include drivers for hardware that isn't supported anymore. But if you're using Ethernet then that would solve your Lightroom problem with minimal downsides!

I do not wish to upgrade the computer beyond Mojave. period. What you call "minimal" downsides are huge for me as I lose compatibility with software that I use regularly on this particular computer.

Aside from legacy software compatibilty, I have a general rule with more modern versions of macOS on unsupported hardware for mission critical computers.

 

[mackmgg]

I do not wish to upgrade the computer beyond Mojave. period. What you call "minimal" downsides are huge for me as I lose compatibility with software that I use regularly on this particular computer.

Aside from legacy software compatibilty, I have a general rule with more modern versions of macOS on unsupported hardware for mission critical computers.

Personally I considered loss a WiFi a deal breaker (since I don't have ethernet), so I admittedly didn't look past that to see what other downsides there were! I've since upgraded to a 16" M1 Max, so my 2012 is left sitting there maybe used once every few months if there's something I'm trying to do that hasn't been upgraded. I skipped the normal M1, so the jump from the 2012 to the M1 Max is huge enough my old 2012 (which felt fine before I got the new one) now only gets used when it has to be!

One of the big changes in the 2022 update is much faster metadata updating, so I assume with that came a format shift in the catalog. With that in mind, it's not surprising that 2021 and 2022 can't use the same catalog file. But unless you're using a new lens/camera that's not supported by the new version, you can always just keep the 2021 version on your new laptop too. Creative Cloud has a button to install a previous version right in it, no workarounds or hacks required.