In October, users started reporting that the latest version of Lightroom Classic (13.0 and the updated 13.0.1) was exhibiting a bug that broke workflows for a large number of users.
According to multiple user reports, versions 13.0 and 13.0.1 of Lightroom Classic (which launched on October 13) exhibit a bug where an editor will attempt to move to the next photo in a feed and apply edits to it, but the photo remains the same. To the editor, it appears as though they are editing one image in the timeline when in fact they are actually editing the previous image.
“In develop mode, after any manipulation with a photo, it is impossible to go to the next photo in the feed,” Vitalyn38151610 wrote on the Adobe Community forums on October 12.
“You go, but the photo remains the same as it was, you have to go back and only then go to the next photo. This is a global problem!!”
The issue might not be appearing for all users because, as Vitalyn discovered, it only happens for those who use the +/- buttons on the keyboard to progress. Another user, Alekzanderz, agrees:
“It happens when using +/- keys and resolves itself when I go back to the previous photo and then advance again. It doesn’t happen every single time, but it is very frustrating. I hope this gets resolved asap as it is a hindrance in my workflow.”
While the issue is becoming more apparent on Version 13, some users report it also existed in version 12.5. Two Adobe employees responded to the forum post, one who suggested a possible workaround in mid-October. However, no word on a fix was published until November 6.
“I met with the Lightroom Classic team today on this issue, and they’ve identified the issue and a potential fix for wide release,” Adobe’s Rikk Flohr writes.
“Prior to that, we are looking for a few testers who can verify that this fix addresses the issue for all workflows. Participation in the Prerelease build would require the signing of an NDA in order to access the private prerelease system and download the test build. Additionally, you will be asked to download, install, and use (in a production environment).”
For those who are part of Adobe’s beta community, that fix is now live in a prerelease version of the software that is being validated before being sent out to all users in a live patch. While it isn’t clear how long it will take to pass validation, the fix should roll out as an official patch soon.
Unfortunately, the promise of a coming fix may not sit well with some users who have been struggling with this bug for more than a month.
“There has been a single response from Adobe within the forum thread asking users if they want to be part of a closed beta (with the signature of an NDA), but no roadmap or timeline for a fix. During the busiest time of the year for photographers, many who couldn’t downgrade to version 12 are entirely stuck and losing money,” photographer Kevin Barré tells PetaPixel in an email.
Adobe declined to comment on the record for the purposes of this report.