# Lightroom converting NEF to Jpg automatically?



## Mark H (Feb 10, 2009)

I have recently tried to give Lightroom one more chance.  I gave up after too many crashes and poor user experience and horrible Adobe support.  Unfortunately, this time around I'm not off to a good start.

I am importing NEF (Nikon RAW format) into LR 2.2, Camera Raw 5.2 on a Mac OSX 1'.4.11.  When I look in the library after I import, all of my RAW files have been converted to JPEG format.  Why in the heck is LR converting my RAW files.  I have searched the LR Help section, and not surprisingly, zippo on this issue.

Anyone else out there know what may be happening?


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## Kiwigeoff (Feb 10, 2009)

Mark, you will need to look at your import options. LR does nothing that you don't ask it to, either by making choices or not making choices. If you read the online help you will find the import options.
What do you find difficult with the online help/manual, maybe I can point you in the right direction and I can certainly make sure that any suggestion you have is heard. We are always looking to improve the user experience.


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## dj_paige (Feb 10, 2009)

Is it possible that you have your Nikon D8' set to capture Raw + JPG?

As far as I know, import into Lightroom never turns RAW to JPG (there is no such option to turn on or off). 

You say: "When I look in the library after I import, all of my RAW files have been converted to JPEG format." And I'm confused ... tell me please, *exactly* where you are looking when you see this? Are you looking at photos in Lightroom; are you looking in your Windows folders?


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## Mark H (Feb 11, 2009)

Paige, my answers to your question in the text below.



dj_paige said:


> Is it possible that you have your Nikon D8' set to capture Raw + JPG?
> 
> I am shooting with the D3'', and I am only using RAW, not RAW + JPG.
> 
> ...



Upon further investigation, I think there is an issue between Lightroom and iPhoto (the central storage place for all of the family photo's, long story....)  There is something amiss when I go "show package contents" and then select and drag the photo's into Lightroom.  In iPhoto, there are two libraries, Original and Modified.  Although I am selecting the photo's in the Original folder, Lightroom or iPhoto is drawing the photos from the Modified folder.

I did find that by default iPhoto converts all RAW formats to JPG unless you turn that option off, or have them saved at TIFF's.

My solution is to export my photos from the iPhoto library onto a separate folder and then import (copy) into Lightroom.  The downside is that I will have three versions of the same image (2 in iPhoto, 1 in Lightroom), but I don't see another alternative without more complications.

Thanks,


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## Kiwigeoff (Feb 11, 2009)

That blinkin' iPhoto has a lot to answer for!!!:lol::lol:


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## Mark H (Feb 11, 2009)

Kiwigeoff said:


> That blinkin' iPhoto has a lot to answer for!!!:lol::lol:



Kiwigeoff,  true, but unfortunately Adobe doesn't offer anything close as a photo management tool with anything close to the 'friendliness' of iPhoto or even Picasa.  

If I could get one thing out of Adobe, it would be a _real_ GUI based front end.  Bridge isn't the answer.........

M


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## dj_paige (Feb 11, 2009)

Just out of curiosity (and since I don't have iPhoto or Picasa), what features are you referring to that don't exist in Lightroom but do exist in iPhoto or Picasa?


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## Bruce J (Feb 11, 2009)

Mark H said:


> My solution is to export my photos from the iPhoto library onto a separate folder and then import (copy) into Lightroom.  The downside is that I will have three versions of the same image (2 in iPhoto, 1 in Lightroom), but I don't see another alternative without more complications.



Mark,

Just to be sure you are not confused, when you import the images into LR, it does not make a copy of the original images.  Nor, does it make any changes to the images.  So, you don't really have 3 copies of the images.  All importing does in LR is record the information about the images in the LR catalog and create new previews.  Any changes that you make in LR are stored in the catalog.  Cheers,


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## Mark H (Feb 11, 2009)

Bruce,  I will have three copies.  Two in iPhoto, Original and Modified, (nothing I can do about that) and then one more for Lightroom that I have to export a copy to another file location due to whatever is causing the combination of iPhoto and LR not to play together nicely.

I would agree with you if I could import into LR directly from the iPhoto Original file folder and LR would keep editing markers in the library, but alas that apparently isn't possible, so I have to export copies out of iPhoto and into a new location.

Lastly, upon importing into the LR Library, you have several options available, one of which is to actually import the picture into LR.  When the import dialog box opens, you can make a reference copy (as you outlined), or you can tell LR to make a new copy of the photo in LR.


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## Brad Snyder (Feb 11, 2009)

Mark H said:


> When the import dialog box opens, you can make a reference copy (as you outlined), or you can tell LR to make a new copy of the photo in LR.



Mark, this will sound like quibbling, but it's an important distinction. I would rephrase the last bit of your sentence as ' ....you can tell Lr to make a new copy of the photo *for* Lr.'

Truly, even in this instance, the actual photo is not *in* Lr, it's simply a database reference just like the method where you reference it in place without making a copy.

Hairsplitting, I know, but this is exactly where some folks start to get confused, and then end up with a deletion disaster, thinking that Lr has stored their images independently.


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## Replytoken (Feb 12, 2009)

Mark H said:


> My solution is to export my photos from the iPhoto library onto a separate folder and then import (copy) into Lightroom. The downside is that I will have three versions of the same image (2 in iPhoto, 1 in Lightroom), but I don't see another alternative without more complications.


 
How will you ever keep track of any edits to these images?  This arrangement of three copies in two programs just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.  Are there any other options available to you?  Perhaps putting LR at the beginning of this chain, and feeding iPhoto exported deritives from LR?

--Ken


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## Kiwigeoff (Feb 12, 2009)

That was my thought as well Ken, LR first in the chain.......


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## Mark H (Feb 12, 2009)

Brad, I beg to differ with your assumption. :!:

I selected "copy to a new location and add to catalog" under the filing handling options.  I then checked and checksum compared the copied file to the original.  They are the same, so therefore, LR did copy another copy of my original.

Screenshot attached for your reference........


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## Kiwigeoff (Feb 12, 2009)

Here is my take on it Mark.
Yes LR will command or use the OS to make a copy. 
What Brad is saying is that LR files or folders never contain image files, originals or copies. Image files are always on  on HD's at the OS level. LR's database has pointers/links to those files but never contains them,

Hope that clears the air, like the rain did down here today !!:lol:


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## Mark H (Feb 12, 2009)

Ken and Geoff, thanks for the good dialog, I do appreciate your out-ot-the-box thinking. :idea:



Replytoken said:


> This arrangement of three copies in two programs just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
> 
> Perhaps putting LR at the beginning of this chain, and feeding iPhoto exported deritives from LR? --Ken



_Ken; I share your feelings...._

Good suggestion on solving this with workflow.  I'll try adding my "post-Lightroom" files to the overall family photo collection in iPhoto, so that they can use them.  But I will have my edits maintained in LR.

Thanks,

Mark


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## Mark H (Feb 12, 2009)

Kiwigeoff said:


> Hope that clears the air, like the rain did down here today !!:lol:



I hope it helps your neighbors!  Our hearts go out to them.  We have good friends in Melbourne and the news we hear is not very good.

Thanks again for your help.


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