Strange Lightroom Behavior

dandaluzphotography · Jun 27, 2011

Hi,

I am seeing something really strange with Lightroom 3. I have imported RAW files from my camera and as I look at them on the bottom within the Library module, they look fine. When I click on them and bring them into the develop module, they look terrible. i turned off all the presets and it still happens. Is there another setting somewhere else?

Danny

spacefuzz · Jun 27, 2011

I believe that when you first import the film strips pulls the preview from the jpeg attached to the RAW file. After it loads completely and when you pull it into edit, it loads the actual RAW file which should look fairly flat and bland in comparison. Then its up to you to tweak the sliders and make it shine.

Big Mike · Jun 27, 2011

I don't think that is how it works (but I could be wrong). Lightroom does not 'load' the RAW file when you bring them up to the main display...it's still a preview. It only 'loads' the RAW file when you export.

The issue could be the preview size that is loaded. When you import images, you can choose the size of the preview for LR to generate for the images. Choosing a smaller size makes the process much faster, but if you load standard or large sized previews, it's faster when you browse/work on the images. When you click an image to bring into the main viewing pane, LR will load a bigger preview if one isn't already loaded...but that can take some time, depending on the file size, computer speed & RAM etc.

spacefuzz · Jun 27, 2011

I found this enlightening: Why did Lightroom 'ruin' my photo?

dandaluzphotography · Jun 27, 2011

spacefuzz said:
I found this enlightening: Why did Lightroom 'ruin' my photo?

This is exactly what I experienced!

dandaluzphotography · Jun 27, 2011

Awesome explanation. I don't know that at this point I want to spend so much time fixing a RAW file from scratch in LR. I have spent the better part of the day using Digital Photo Professional and it seems to work really well. When I'm done with the RAW file there, I can convert it to a TIFF and then load it into CS5 for further tweaking.

This is good for now. Thanks for the input on this.

Danny

Garbz · Jun 28, 2011

The key here is that you only need to do it once. Spend the best part of a day perfecting a "generic" import profile and getting the picture look how you like. Lightroom is infinitely powerful for this. When you're done you save that as your default import.

It's critical to note that Lightroom is not alone in this. Every manufacturer does it. The only time your JPEG and RAWs look identical is with your camera software, but then if you like the JPEG so much then why go RAW right

. Lightroom, DxO, UFRAW, all have a different "standard" interpretation for colour.

Garbz · Jun 28, 2011

Big Mike said:
I don't think that is how it works (but I could be wrong). Lightroom does not 'load' the RAW file when you bring them up to the main display...it's still a preview. It only 'loads' the RAW file when you export.

OMG Big Mike got something wrong

When you import a RAW file in Lightroom it will read the RAW file after the import is finished it will start generating preview files to speed up reviewing and processing. During this time (straight after clicking import) if you start viewing your images you will see the JPEG embedded in the RAW file, but while you're viewing an image Lightroom also priorities generating its own preview for that image so a few seconds later that JPEG preview will be replaced with a Lightroom preview.

When you go back and select a file later you will be presented with a blurry version but with Lightroom colours (the Lightroom preview) and then it goes sharp after the RAW has loaded.

dandaluzphotography · Jun 28, 2011

Garbz said:
The key here is that you only need to do it once. Spend the best part of a day perfecting a "generic" import profile and getting the picture look how you like. Lightroom is infinitely powerful for this. When you're done you save that as your default import.

It's critical to note that Lightroom is not alone in this. Every manufacturer does it. The only time your JPEG and RAWs look identical is with your camera software, but then if you like the JPEG so much then why go RAW right . Lightroom, DxO, UFRAW, all have a different "standard" interpretation for colour.

Since I noticed this with my 60D, I have been reading a lot about how LR works. I saw an article similar to your explanation on camera profiles. I'm gonna work on this. I do like light room and when I started using it, I had an XSI and it worked really well. I went to the 60D and everything went to hell. I thought I had a problem with the camera. lol. Live and learn I guess.

Thanks!

Danny