Adobe Lightroom is a popular real estate photo editing program photographers use to start their photo editing journey. Its workspace interface is very straightforward and versatility makes your editing convenient. It comes in different versions and Lightroom 4 and 6 are worth mentioning.
If you’re eager to start editing your photos with Lightroom to ensure better quality and customization and wondering which one you should go for, you’ve come to the exact place. This post will bring you all the prominent information about these two Lightrooms to make your decision easier.
Therefore, without any further ado, let’s get started.
Lightroom 4 vs Lightroom 6: Comparison and Differences
First of all, we’re starting by comparing these two Lightrooms to find both similarities and differences. It’s pretty important to know the differences to determine the better one between them. To make it more convenient, here’s a quick comparison table. Have a look –
| Lightroom 4 | Lightroom 6 | |
| Availability | Available from AdobeAvailable at per month cost | Available from AdobeAvailable at per month cost |
| Compatibility | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac |
| Features | Basic editing, Reverse Geocoding, Improved DNG support, Curve / Clarity / Local adjustments, Photobook production, Improved Output Model, Video publishing, Most camera RAW support | Basic editing, Face tagging, Photo merge, Library module odds and ends, Import to a collection, keyword painter, GPU acceleration, Pet eye, Filter brush, Multiple audio tracks, Pan and zoom, Syncing slide show, Map module, Web module |
| Support | Online upgradation | Online upgradation |
| Pricing | Standalone purchase (Third-party)$9.99 per month | Standalone purchase (Third-party)$9.99 per month |
From this table, you can see that Lightroom 6 offers some extra and different features compared to Lightroom 4. But we’re going to share more differences based on their performance and capability.
1. Camera Compatibility
In terms of tethering shooting, Lightroom 6 can definitely support the latest camera models which is difficult and at some points impossible for Lightroom 4 being an older version. To make it clear, camera models released later than the release date of Lightroom 5 (June 9, 2013) aren’t compatible with Lightroom 4. Similarly, Lightroom 6 can’t support the camera models released later than the release date of Lightroom CC (October 18, 2017).
2. Speed
Regardless of device specification, speed varies on the features and coding of the program. For example, code is pretty much improved in Lightroom 6. yet the extra features make it slower. Now, to differentiate, Lightroom 6 offers more image export speed than Lightroom 4, whereas Lightroom 4 takes less time to preview and import images than Lightroom 6.
3. Memory Usage
The concept of Lightroom memory is it stores the data for easier and quicker access while operating. Even though memory usage basically base on your operation, Lightroom 6 consumes more memory compared to Lightroom 4 due to the additional functionalities.
4. HDR Merge
Being an earlier version of Lightroom, Lightroom 4 doesn’t have the HDR (High Dynamic Range)
merge feature (you can try capturing images using mid-range exposure instead). On the other hand, the modern Lightroom 6 simply comes with this feature.
5. Panorama Merge
Another obstacle to Lightroom 4 being an outdated version is it doesn’t offer the panorama merge. But once again, Lightroom 6 beats 4 in this case by having the feature. This merge let you merge standard exposure photos for a panorama.
6. Face Recognition
Lightroom 4 even lacks this amazing feature that identifies a photo with a face by analyzing it and does sort the photos according to it. But the modern Lightroom 6 offers it to its user.
System Requirements for Lightroom 4 and Lightroom 6
Both Lightroom versions are flexible and quite compatible in terms of photo editing. But their differences in overall features and technological advancement differentiate them in system requirements. Now, let’s get into them –
Lightroom 4 (Windows)
If you want to run Lightroom 4 on your Windows, it must meet the following least requirements –
- AMD Athlon 64 processor or Intel Pentium 4
- Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows Vista with Service Pack 2
- 2GB RAM
- 1GB available hard drive storage
- DVD-ROM drive
- 1024 x 768 display
Lightroom 4 (Mac)
If you want to run Lightroom 4 on your Mac, it must meet the following least requirements –
- Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
- Mac OS X v10.7 (Lion) or v10.6.8 (Snow Leopard)
- 2GB RAM
- 1GB available hard drive storage
- DVD-ROM drive
- 1024 x 768 display
Lightroom 6 (Windows)
If you want to run Lightroom 6 on your Windows, it must meet the following least requirements –
- AMD Athlon 64 processor or Multicore Intel Pentium
- Microsoft Windows 7 (Service Pack 1), 8 or 8.1 (64-bit version)
- 2GB RAM, ideally 8GB
- 2GB available hard drive storage
- DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3-capable graphics card for GPU-related functionality
- Internet connection and registration are necessary for required membership validation, software activation, and get online services
Lightroom 6 (Mac)
If you want to run Lightroom 6 on your Mac, it must meet the following least requirements –
- Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
- Mac OS X v10.8 (Mountain Lion) or higher
- 2GB RAM, ideally 4GB
- 2GB available hard drive storage
- OpenGL 3.3-capable graphics card for GPU-related functionality (only available on Mac OS 10.9 and higher)
- Internet connection and registration are necessary for required membership validation, software activation, and get online services
Our Verdict
If you consider the overall facts that we’ve already shared above, it’s quite clear that it’ll be beneficial to prefer Lightroom 6 over Lightroom 4. Lightroom 6 is more advanced, has more features, and offers more customization which is beneficial for any photo editor. Therefore, we highly recommend choosing Lightroom 6 instead of Lightroom 4. But it’ll be far better if you try Lightroom CC to get the best outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Lightroom 6 the same as Lightroom Classic?
The simplest answer is no. Lightroom 6 is an autonomous version, whereas Lightroom Classic CC is Lightroom’s Creative Cloud version. Even this Classic CC offers more features than Lightroom 6. It’s faster and with 12GB RAM, it can be 86% faster than Lightroom 6 at some points.
Which version of Lightroom is better?
Considering the technological difference during their release date, it’s pretty assumable that the latest version or we can say, Lightroom Classic CC should be a better version of Lightroom. Being cloud-based, it offers regular updates, all the latest features, proper management and collection of your media, etc.
Is Lightroom faster than Photoshop?
Yes, it is. It has been found that Adobe Lightroom is faster and better suited when it comes to photographers’ assignments. But in terms of broad, faster and better editing, Photoshop is unbeatable.
Conclusion
Lastly, it can be said that if you want a better result from your artistic assignments, it’ll be wise to go for Lightroom 6. It’ll definitely help you to get that with much convenience. But considering the term ‘The latest is the finest’, you can try the Lightroom Classic CC to get even more benefits.