Skip to main content
scot.hacker
scot.hacker
Inspiring
February 15, 2025
Answered

How to get out of Compare Before/After mode?

  • February 15, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 291 views

I'll start with my original question, then follow up with the *real* problem, which I'm now stuck in.

 

Adobe's documentation for version 8.2 says

  • View and compare two images or your edits' before and after versions with the new Compare View.

 

This is weird. Compare view is not new in Lightroom - we've had it for a year. How is it "new?" I can't see anything new about it.

 

I am interested in the ability to compare before/after for the same image, as that line implies. But I can't find a way to do it. If I select a single image and enter Compare view, it automatically compares it to the next image, not the same image. What's changed? And how do we do a Compare on the same image?

 

Update: OK I figured out that if I right-click a thumb and select Compare Before and After it does work. Almost hidden option, but OK. But... next I want to do a normal compare between two images and can't - it seems to be stuck on Compare Before and After and I can no longer do a normal compare.  Once you enter this hidden feature, how do you get out of it? Now I can't find a way to do a normal compare of two images!

 

Suggestion: We didn't need a new menu item for this. It should just work based on whether 1 or multiple images are selected. If 1, then compare to self. Otherwise do the normal multiple-image Compare. Why is it unnecessarily complicated? And how do I get out of this mode?

    Correct answer scot.hacker

    OK I figured it out - there is a new dropdown at the top of the view that I hadn't seen previously:

     

     

    That does the trick. I had thought I would exit the mode the same way I entered it, via the menu. At first I though this was a really bad bug, but now realize it's just a matter of difficult (for me) discovery.

     

    I still think this would have been much cleaner with "If 1 selected, compare to self, otherwise compare multiple."

    1 reply

    scot.hacker
    scot.hackerAuthorCorrect answer
    Inspiring
    February 15, 2025

    OK I figured it out - there is a new dropdown at the top of the view that I hadn't seen previously:

     

     

    That does the trick. I had thought I would exit the mode the same way I entered it, via the menu. At first I though this was a really bad bug, but now realize it's just a matter of difficult (for me) discovery.

     

    I still think this would have been much cleaner with "If 1 selected, compare to self, otherwise compare multiple."

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices