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RAW photos convert to JPEG when imported from camera

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
September 1, 2018
14 replies
27328 views

Brand new to Lightroom. On a free trial. i just imported RAW photos (shot as RAW only, not RAW + JPG) from my Canon EOS T3 and when I pull the thumbnails up they show as jpegs. This certainly could be user error but not sure how that can be. Do I need to convert them somehow? Thanks for any help possible.

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Correct answer JP Hess

All I can say is that what you are describing is not a normal and natural process in Lightroom. There isn't a process that will change a raw image into a JPEG. Something else is happening in this instance. Are you really using the cloud version of Lightroom?

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sarbamfin

Participating Frequently

So it happened to me. I closed down lightroom and went to the catalouge in the users folder, double clicked on it to open lightroom that way (not through the lightroom app) and it worked, the RAWs are all back. So for the people who said it doesn't happen it actually does, it must be a glitch, possibly because I had just updated the catalouge. Just because an issue doesn't make sense it does not mean it hasn't happend

Rikk Flohr_Photography

Community Manager

You’ve posted to a very old thread. It is highly unlikely that the issue described in this thread, though not impossible, is the same issue which you are currently experiencing. Rather than resurrect an old thread that is seemingly similar, you are better posting to a new thread with fresh, complete information including system information, a complete description of the problem and step-by-step instructions for reproduction.

In the unlikely event the issue is the same, we will merge you back into the appropriate location.

Thank you!

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org

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Maris08

Participant

The same thing happened to me. I thought maybe I accidentally shot in jpeg, but photo info shows they were shot in RAW. I imported from the memory card. Frustrated!

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

As in the reply from @JP Hess above-

"it is NOT Lightroom that is doing this.... Lightroom does not convert images on import UNLESS you have chosen the option to convert raw images to DNG. That is the only conversion process available in Lightroom. There is no conversion process to convert raw images to JPEG or PSD. Never has been and never will be."

Start a new forum thread, and Please include the following in your reply:
Adobe product and Version number. A Screenshot of the info panel from MENU: Help/System Info...
Operating system and Version number.
Your workflow in detail.
Screenshots of the problem.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .

AntonyYeah

Participant

Hi, is there a link to the new thread?

I'm also having the same problem. After spending all day sorting and editing photos I realised I was working on JPEGS 😂😭

I've taken some screen shots. I hope they help.

In one screen shot you can see I am selecting a RAW file. On the next screen it is dulled out as I have already imported it, however you can see that it would be importing a Jpeg file.

Someone above suggested it might be because the Mac photo app only provides a Jpeg of the original RAW file.

Should I then import direct from the card into LR and avoid the Macs Photo program?

Cheers,

Antony

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Dblittman

Participant

OK, I was having the same problem and I'm not sure what fixed it exactly but here is what I did. First, I made sure I was uptodate on Adobe versions for all my applications (Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Camera RAW, etc.) in my case I did not have the latest update for Camera RAW. Second, I made sure I had the latest version of Catalina from Apple, which needed updating. Then I deleted the photos in Lightroom and the drive and imported them again direct from card and they still came across as JPEG. However, when I took new pictures with my camera and imported to Lightroom, they came in as RAW files. Like I said, not sure what I did, but at least my new pictures are importing as RAW. It won't hurt to make sure all programs and MacOS are up todate.

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Dblittman

Participant

I have been using Lightroom Classic for the past year and have been loading pictures from my card directly using Lightroom and never had this issue untill last couple weeks after updating Lightroom to the latest version. All my photos are showing as JPEG extentions yet the Nikon D7500 is set to shoot in RAW. Something has definately changed. I'm thinking it may have something to due with the catalog extension. Haven't had a chance to verify this but I seem to recall that the catalog . file name looked diferent on my last backup.

JP Hess

Inspiring

As has been stated, it is NOT Lightroom that is doing this. IF the images are in fact being changed then you are using some nonstandard method to transfer the images from the card. By nonstandard, I mean you are not using the regular Lightroom import screen to import your images. You are using some other application or method to transfer those images. Lightroom does not convert images on import UNLESS you have chosen the option to convert raw images to DNG. That is the only conversion process available in Lightroom. There is no conversion process to convert raw images to JPEG or PSD. Never has been and never will be. You can export copies in those formats, but you cannot convert images to those formats during the import process.

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sarbamfin

Participating Frequently

That is not true I am using the standard method, that I use everyday in my business, I do not use another application, not very helpful.

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default2zrdlr3228dw

Participant

I have the same problem. Importing from SD card. Changes most to jpg, some to psd.

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C5C13

Participant

I've just had this exact thing happen to me. I'm shooting RAW. I've double check my camera settings and that's fine. Here are the steps I took:

1. Used my XQD card reader to import my photos from my Nikon Z6 to MACBook Pro. In Photo the images are RAW.

2. I opened my external drive.

3. While in Photo, I select the first photo and then pressed the SHIFT key and selected the last photo I wanted to move to my hard drive.

4. When I moved the mass group of selected photos to the external drive I noticed that the images were now .jpeg and not .dng.

I never had this issue when I would download images directly from my camera. I don't know if the card reader did something. I'm thinking I'm not moving the pictures from Photo to the external drive properly. I'm new to Lr and downloading so I'll say the problem is me.

All of this is to say is in my case, the conversion happened outside of Lightroom. I am in no way in-validating what anyone has commented on this thread. Just that my RAW to JPEG conversion happened outside of Lr and I could pinpoint when it happened.

Jim Wilde

Community Expert

I'm pretty sure the problem is with Photos. I've never used it, so I'm not speaking with any authority here, but I believe that Photos "hides" the Raw files from the user, and instead makes small jpeg previews of them available. And it is these jpeg previews that you access when copying them from Photos to Lightroom or other location. In order to get to the actual original Raw files you have to "export" them from Photos. I've no doubt an experienced Photos user will be able to explain how that is done.

JP Hess

Inspiring

I am being kind, believe it or not. What you don't seem to understand is that Adobe doesn't have a process, and neither does any other provider, that is capable of automatically converting a raw file to JPEG on import. I'm not being arrogant. It just doesn't happen. Okay, I'm just another Lightroom user. You don't believe me, you think I'm being a bully. I won't respond anymore. But I'm going to provide a link to another website that is monitored much more closely by Adobe engineers. Granted, it is also one that is participated in by other Adobe users, but the Adobe team does pay much closer attention to responses on this other forum. It's your decision whether or not you describe your problem there. Since I have obviously not convinced you, and you think I am being obnoxious and perhaps a bully, this will be my last response. But I really do challenge/suggest that you ask your question on this other forum to get a real answer.

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/categories/photoshop_family_photoshop_lightroom

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kind_Echo15A7

Participating Frequently

So for those that are having the issue, can you help clarify the issue? A few questions

1. Before you import into Lightroom, what does windows explorer say you have? photo.jpg and photo.raw?

2. Do you import with copy or import with add-in-place?

3. After you import and close out of LR, what does explorer say you have? Do you still have 2 files, or the same number of file as before? Or are some removed?

4 Where do you see jpg extension? in the library module when you are looking at the images (and shows the file names)?

JP Hess

Inspiring

Everyone WHERE is having the same issue? I have never imported a raw file that ended up being a JPEG in Lightroom. I know I'm not helping you because there isn't an answer. Lightroom just doesn't do that!

I can think of one extreme instance where that could happen as I think about it. I use a Nikon camera, and there is a utility available from Nikon for my iPhone. If I use that utility I can control the camera and if I shoot NEF/JPEG or just JPEG That utility will send a JPEG to my iPhone and subsequently to my computer. Maybe something like that is happening in your situation. But Lightroom is NOT converting raw files to JPEG.

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Vjempty

Participant

Everyone on this thread. Scroll up and see the 20 people all having the same issue. Why are you so arrogant that you can't admit that just because you've never had this problem you think it doesn't exist? Community guidelines say to be kind and respectful. You're not doing that. If you don't know the answer to the problem why are you even responding to this thread?

Jim Wilde

Community Expert

I posted a response to your previous post, which is at the bottom of the first page of this thread. As I've not had a response to the questions that I asked, I thought I'd just check to make sure you did see my post? If you have seen it, and are able to answer the questions and post the requested screenshots, I'm sure that will go a long way towards resolving the issue. Thanks.

josephlavine

Community Expert

Are you importing directly from the card or desktop? A common occurrence is another application is used to transfer images from the card to the desktop, and during the process, the images are converted to JPEGs without your knowledge. Try importing directly from the card/camera into Lightroom.

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angelicat89165221

Participant

Unfortunately, the photos I need to work on is already saved on an external drive. I have been with Adobe’s tech support, but they have not solved the issue. It is either my MAcbook’s latest OS or from my camera. I have been using the same workflow ever since. The only thing new are the updated versions of OS and lightroom. Thank you for your input.

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