Tales of Upgrade Hell

Sure this photo is blurry due to camera shake, a wide-open aperture, and high ISO, but considering I was standing in a crowded bar whose patrons were in constant motion, I'm surprised I got anything decent at all. It does make me want to go back and order a martini for myself though.

Back in April of this year I wrote a blog post titled "More Can Be Too Much." It described the possible challenges and catastrophes that strike those so foolhardy as to upgrade some aspect of their digital photographic workflow. It turns out I was prophesizing my own destiny.

You see, when I oh-so-innocently decided to upgrade from Lightroom 2 to Lightroom 3 for better raw conversions and compatibility with the newer cameras I was testing, I discovered that it would install on my iMac only if I first upgraded from Mac OS X 10.4 to OS X 10.6 or higher. OS X 10.6.3 (aka "Snow Leopard") was available only as part of the Mac Box Set, which includes Apple's iLife and iWork suites. Fine they may be, but I have no immediate need or desire for them.

With great hope and optimism I installed Snow Leopard on my Mac. That took roughly 45 minutes and happened without incident--that is, unless you count having to reinstall my printer, mouse, and colorimeter drivers. Not only had they had been written for the older OS, they had been discontinued by their respective manufacturers. I was lucky they still worked at all.

After all that I could at least I could finally install Lightroom 3 and start converting raw files from my Nikon D7000, right? Well, not quite. The version I had purchased still had no converter for the D7000's NEF files. The only way I could import them into Lightroom 3 was to first convert them to DNG files. This was no different from my workflow for Lightroom 2. I had spent several hundred dollars and half a day or my time and was right back where I started.

Fortunately there's a happy ending to this saga. Two days after I installed Lightroom 3, Adobe announced the release of version 3.3 and Camera Raw 6.3, which can read the D7000's NEF files without translation.

And was the upgrade worh it? In a word, yes. Files that looked overly smooth and lacking in micro-detail in Lightroom 2 now have subtle grit and texture in Lightroom 3. I haven't felt this pleased with how my photos look onscreen in days. Forgive me if I bask in this feeling a few more days before I decide to try printing any of them. That could lead to a whole new chain of events, many of which are hideous and depressing. Keep me in your prayers, my friends. I'll need 'em.

Comments

[rob]

Gordon,

I'm not sure where you were looking, but Snow Leopard is available by itself, without iStuff: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA&mco=MTM3NDgwNjU

And yes, do be prepared for some, um, challenges when you print (depending on what printer you use). :)

[Miserere]

Not to rub it in, but don't you appreciate how Pentax let you shoot DNG if you wish? I'm still using ACR 5 yet can open RAW files from the Pentax K-5 because I'm shooting DNG.

More camera brands should do this. In fact, I'd be happy to see proprietary RAW formats die out.

[Murray Lord]

Having just had Microsoft impose the huge backward step that is Live Mail 2011 on me, I know exactly what you mean.

[Tim]

You're lucky with Lightroom, then. I did the same kind of shuffle when my 60D needed a version of ACR that only came with CS5, and have since discovered the rest of CS5 is an incomplete buggy lump of crap.

[Gianni Galassi]

Gordon,
Although being an atheist, I'm already kneeling down for the sake of your workflow.
By chance, yesterday I spent all day and night installing software and drivers in my brand new MacBook Pro 15", which is going to replace the wonderful Toshiba Satellite I have been using from 2003 as my portable photo device. At last!, one could say. But getting to effectively master new equipment is always a long and costly process, so I made a rule to keep my key devices as long as I can.
I have no complaints (yet) about my new Apple unit, but, like you, I had to download and install tons of software I already owned, along with all my old peripherals' drivers (and some of them have been discontinued since ages, as in your case). And even after a successful calibration, I know that getting familiar with the LED monitor rendition (a real beauty, as a matter of fact) won't be an easy task at all. Moreover I already shudder at the thought of what would (will?) happen the first time I'll try to print old files through the new machine (drivers, profiles, compatibility, whatever), and the first time I'll compare a new file with its printer's output. Briefly, a living hell.
So I pray and pray, for you, for me, for everybody out there trying to improve what was already (almost) perfect.

[carl frederick]

Thanks for the heads-up. Your problems are exactly why I have not upgraded to CS5, CR6, and Lightroom 3. I had the suspicion that nothing would work on my Mac 10.4xx, my printer would not work, my scanner, plug-ins, etc. I think I'll wait a few more years until I replace the computer completely, then get the newest stuff at that time. What I have works for me now and there are no glaring holes in my workflow.

cfw

[STEVE WILLARD]

This scares the ever-lovin begeebus out of me and is why I held off going digital for so long...lack of backward compatability. Don't tell me there is no way the industry couldn't do better.

[Gordon Lewis]

>>Don't tell me there is no way the industry couldn't do better.<<

Okay, I won't.

Seriously though, we all have to understand that "the industry" is in fact hundreds of different companies, all working in what they perceive to be their best interests. Some factors, such as what other companies choose to do, are out of their control. When you consider the infinite permutations of hardware and software we're all using it's a wonder this stuff works at all.

[David H.]

Oh...installed OS X 10.6 and using older printers and drivers and soon gonna try to print:

"That could lead to a whole new chain of events, many of which are hideous and depressing."

I fear you have underestimated the "fun" that may be in store...

[emptyspaces]

Miserere,

I think Gordon's point above about "the industry" explains why only a few manufacturers let us shoot in DNG. I agree with you, it's damn frustrating.

[Dwain Barefield]

It could be that sooner or later, we may all throw in the veritable software upgrade ritual for simpler days:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/enough-already.shtml

[Michael Bernstein]

Interesting. My experience with Lightroom upgrades has always been pretty good, but I guess I was lucky having 10.6 installed from the get-go. The best thing about Lightroom 3 is that with the fixed Camera Profiles, I can finally give the festering pile of garbage that is Nikon Capture NX the heave-ho.

[Gordon Lewis]

Dwain,

Ironically, a close read of Pete Myers's article on Luminous Landscape reveals this his approach to photography is anything but simple. He is a self-described perfectionist who goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that he has what he considers to be the best equipment and that it is operating in compliance with strict design specifications. He puts a similar amount of zeal into his prints. I point this out not to be critical of Mr. Myers, but only to point out that he's not the best poster boy for simpler days.

[antonis]

Gordon,
for a fun read on a rainy day...

http://tinyurl.com/2dyfumo

This is Joseph Holmes testing printing and calibrating Epson pro printers with CS5. It's an amazing (color management) mess under the hood.

But I had pretty decent luck with my 3800 and the transition from Lightroom 2 to 3. I had to jump to 10.6 from 10.4 like you (and download updated drivers, profiles etc).
Nothing horrible happened in the transition ... except my trusty old HP Laser printer (Appletalk), still a perfectly fine utilitarian printer, has to bite the dust.

In reality of course, it continues to work from another, 10.4 machine. But this is how we fill landfills - just cause someone at Apple says so, not because the hardware fails. I'm sure they got more planets lined up to take the extra e-waste... 8-(

[Lois Elling]

A couple of months ago I decided it was time to upgrade to Lightroom 3. Then I found I needed OS 10.6. OK - I'll upgrade. Nope. OS 10.6 doesn't work on my G5 because it's not an Intel machine. I was quite disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to use LR3. You've softened that blow a bit. Thanks. I'm still hoping to justify a new computer next year, though.

[Paul Van]

Whenever I read of having to deal with the upgrade path, with the associated multiple upgrades, I am reminded of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOA_SUKEZRE

I hope you enjoy it.