What Is It Like Using Adobe Lightroom on the New Apple Vision Pro?

This week, the brand new Vision Pro by Apple has been released to the public. This spatial computing device is clearly a massive talking point around the world already, but what is it like to use for editing photos?

If you are familiar with Lightroom, you will not have any issues using the app, but the main differences here are you can use your hands and eye tracking to move the sliders. Even adding a gradient is as simple as using your fingers in the air so the sensors in the Vision Pro see your hands and then dragging down to apply.

The Lightroom app is not fully responsive on the Vision Pro; it is a lot slower than using a mouse or an iPad, but that is one thing I expected anyway at this early stage.

One benefit of the device is being able to edit in full privacy wherever you are. Whether you are on a plane, train, or in a coffee shop, no one else can see your screen. However, you will get some funny looks swinging your hands around and making little pinch gestures with your fingers!

Have you purchased the Apple Vision Pro yet and tried Lightroom? What are you impressed with or not impressed with? Let us know in the comments below.

Greg Sheard's picture

Greg Sheard is a Scottish based photographer, focusing on wildlife, landscape and portrait work. Greg's mission in life is too help those who suffer with mental health issues and be a voice for the millions of people around the world who need that care, attention and awareness.

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9 Comments

Looks slower than using a PC.

Absolutely, but future generations may get even better

No matter the place having your vision blocked from what is going on around you is not safe in my opinion. Yes many sit and listen to music while editing also, so all is blocked. The main issue is the screen like the one you sit in front of and the blue light that affects your sleep cycles just like the new LED headlights on trucks and cars, just the other day on a news show there was a long segment in how to get to sleep. Ever go into a restaurant and all family members have their portable computer from kids and babies to adults and you know non sleepers are there. Yes I even limit my time on the computer to editing with all including the big one eyed monster called TV.
One of the very old people that worked early in the morning and hit the hay at 8 or 9 at night never knowing about late night shows with the boob tube going off air at 10 pm any way oh and only 2 or 3 channels. I see the dark circles under eyes and the bags of the young today. To believe it all started with a radar scope.
I know many are to young to remember the first screens that were green and in every office where everyone saw pink at the end of the day for hours even when driving.
The only thing positive about the white lights now in cities and towns is you no longer need all the filters on your camera to get all the correct colors! Many never see the blue hue on the ground of a white LED light street lamp.
Lastly every night photographer uses a RED head lamp the hardest to edit out, yes the military and all others use the red. You can see the red glow of a cigarette some miles away even determine which side the person is, food for thought! I use green or blue and turn off the back camera screen. Have you ever seen the round dim light on the ground if on a beach where even waving your hand over it is not blocked, sounds crazy but astro photographers using no headlamps see it all the time.

I suspect the small subset of users that have Lightroom and Apple Vision Pro would be mirroring their actual workstation within AVP for better performance.

That is certainly a possibility and could be a good way of utilising that functionality

I don't get the Apple Vision Pro. Why would you use this rather than a monitor? You can buy a lot of great, huge, high-res monitors for $3,500 and you don't have to strap something to your face or make excuses like, "This is just version 1 it'll get better in the future."

Also, how are you going to assess color, contrast, brightness, etc., when viewing on a vastly different type of display from the people who will be viewing the image?

I agree with you Tony, it is a gimmick in my opinion and there are far more productive, affordable, and higher quality options out there for editing. It's a glorified iPad on your face.

Editing is only a very minor part of this device to be fair, but it is something noteworthy to discuss. Who knows where this will go in the future? Maybe not anytime soon, but just imagine this in another 20 years time.

Part of the rationale is how the iPhone replaced so many tools with a single device. Apple Vision Pro replaces external monitors, TVs, environments - you just need to wear them on your face now :)

There was a time we thought VR is the future of gameplay