P: New Camera Raw File Support - Requests & Information

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

For a complete overview of camera support in Photoshop and Lightroom, visit the following article:

Why doesn't my version of Photoshop or Lightroom support my camera?

1. Make sure your version of Photoshop or Lightroom is updated for the latest camera support.
2. If you own an older version of Photoshop or Lightroom, Adobe provides backward compatibility for the latest cameras through the FREE Adobe DNG Converter.

Note: ETAs for specific cameras are not available. 

[John R Ellis]

"When is de raw support for the Sony A7 IV available?"

Though Adobe almost never announces release schedules, historically support for a new camera from a leading manufacturer is usually included in the release following the camera's announcement but sometimes in the release after that. The Sony A7 IV was announced 10/21/21.  LR releases roughly every 8 weeks, so we might expect to see LR 11.1 sometime in December.  (This is just an educated guess based on past releases over many years.)

[fred4242]

I just bought a Sony A7iv, maybe the most anticipated camera in many years.

Trying to import the raw pictures into Lightroom I am met by "file not supported".

When will I be able to use my camera?

[fred4242]

Sony A7iv is one of the most anticipated cameras in years and here I sit with a very expensive brick I cannot use the pictures from.

[fred4242]

Answering that we do not tell when you will be able to use your new $2500 camera to paying customers is not an ok answer.

[TheDigitalDog]

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@fred4242 wrote:

Answering that we do not tell when you will be able to use your new $2500 camera to paying customers is not an ok answer.

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The answer however is correct: Those who know can't talk. Those who talk don't know.

You got software to access the proprietary raws from Sony. Had Sony provided raws to others like Adobe, they too could process them on day one; Sony didn't. You can use your raws today. You can use your JPEGs today. You will have to wait for Adobe support. Because again, Adobe got access to the proprietary raws when you did and they don't and cannot understand then and update their software over night. This isn't anything new! Its been this way for decades every time a proprietary raw file is released. Those waiting a few weeks/months before buying a new camera will likely be unaware that this is how its worked for decades. But it has. Such is life on the 'bleeding edge'. 

These are facts, I'm very sorry you don't think the factual answers are OK. 

[fred4242]

So you say the manufacture of the worlds biggest photo editing  software suite cannot pressure Sony about this? 

How come Phase One just released support for the camera? Adobe has so much more resources. 

[TheDigitalDog]

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@fred4242 wrote:

So you say the manufacture of the worlds biggest photo editing  software suite cannot pressure Sony about this? 

How come Phase One just released support for the camera? Adobe has so much more resources. 

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I am not saying that and I didn't say that. You can assume this if you wish....

As for pressure, perhaps you'll explore the history of this, the history of DNG of which Sony, Nikon, Canon and others didn't do anything about this long standing issue. Or examine the OpenRaw URL I provided to educate yourself about this long standing issue. 

So are you saying, all you camera owners would rather complain to Adobe than the folks who took your money and forced you to wait on raw camera support? See: if you want a resonable anwser, ask a reasonable question. 

How did Phase One just release support? Just as Adobe will do. Do you expect all software companies to do this work at the same time? See: if you want a reasonable anwser, ask a reasonable question. 

Will Adobe support this camera? Yes they will. Will it cost them money to do so? Yes it will. Will you have to wait? Yes, you will. Does this have to happen with every release of a new proprietary raw? No it doesn't. But this will continue as long as camera buyers direct their frustration at the wrong company. 

[Alluring_precision154A]

That’s curious: Adobe didn’t get the raws to work with (Sony, YOU are terrible!), but days before the a7iv start shipping On1 Photo Raw (not just the lest release, but the previous too!) and Luminar Ai (those are the ones I’m sure about because I own it) where still able to open and develop A7 IV raws… Sounds incredible but it is the true.
Who ever write bad sentences about who shows doubts against Adobe release plans (aka missing!) should be better informed about what happens outside Adobe.
I’m not payed nor sponsored by On1 or Skylum, I’m just a critic user and a professional who lives with Adobes Lightroom.
The most suspicious answer I have is that the others are trying to get bigger so they are innovative, they make extensive releases (and quite interesting too) and Adobe, from his position (and stronger from a very vaste base of people that pay annual fees), is just bored, lazy and don’t care too much about his customers…

[TheDigitalDog]

"I had no shoes and complained, until I met a man who had no feet."-Indian Proverb 

I had to wait on camera raw support and complained until I met a photographer who's raws were all corrupted.

And wait you will, now and in the future.

[john beardsworth]

There are

That’s curious: Adobe didn’t get the raws to work with (Sony, YOU are terrible!), but days before the a7iv start shipping On1 Photo Raw (not just the lest release, but the previous too!) and Luminar Ai (those are the ones I’m sure about because I own it) where still able to open and develop A7 IV raws…
By @Alluring_precision154A

Sure, there are often sample pre-release raw files floating around. Support can then be developed "at risk" and you can be first to market, or you may have sufficiently bad experience of camera makers' late changes to raw formats that you choose to hold back until the body is officially released. If you choose the latter route, your customers may need to wait a reasonable time.

I think this is a professional strategy, for customer and Adobe. Going back to my electric car analogy, if I depended on a car for work I'd delay buying that shiny new car unless I knew I could charge it. So I'd either put off the camera purchase for a month or two (that's tough) or understand that I may not be able to use it professionally or seriously for a short period.

That said, I do think Adobe could change things. I'd want Lightroom to import these not-yet-supported files and manage them, even if they can't be used in Develop for a month or so (embedded previews would be available). Secondly I've never quite understood why support for new camera A has to wait until it's bundled up with B, C, D etc in the next release of CameraRaw/Lightroom. Simplisitically, you get a new camera, 10 days later Adobe releases that camera's support file, and you could load it in a subscribed CameraRaw/Lightroom. Equally, I'm amazed camera makers get away with failing to release cameras with a DNG option.

Sometimes you get lucky with release dates of new cameras and LR. Other times, you have to wait for proper support, but it's rarely an unreasonable time.

[nickpowellphotography]

It's ridiculous that so many other software companies seem to have support for the A7iv, but the biggest doesn't.

[A_Olguin]

It is ridiculous. As professionals paying a decent amount for software you'd expect to be kept up to date when new cameras are released. Come on Adobe and Sony, work together closer please!

[Marek Stachowiak]

You can throw all the dirty things about Adobe and Sony here, but I think it would be nice if Adobe (representative) wrote clearly: "we are planning an update on December 20, 2021", then the matter will be simple.

[Skeje7]

Totally agree, I don't understand this mystery with their customers who are asking a simple question, when will the a7iv be supported? Then they complain about Sony and their policies. I sincerely think that Adobe's strategy in this matter is to use the pissed off customers as a method of pressure against the camera brands and not to give a quality service to their own customers. 

[MichalSmid]

So I tried everything and I'm already in line 😄

Should I take pictures in jpg now and pay for something that doesn't work?

[Guest]

You can convert ARW to TIFF in ImagingEdge. It takes time and is twice the size, but there's no other option until Adobe stops acting like a company run by two guys in a garage.

[MichalSmid]

Thank you. I've tried, but I have a feeling that some weird compression will take place there when I'm comparing the eye, for example.

[MichalSmid]

I have already downloaded ON1 and everything is fine.

[haeki]

That's just ridiculous. All those youtubers had the camera about 1,5 months ago to make their reviews and Sony wasn't able to send a camera to adobe and others the same day to get the software working? What is wrong with those guys, whoever they are?

[Linsenmomente]

I bought the new Sony 7 IV and can't import and retouch the RAWs. When does the update comes? 

[dj_paige]

Updates normally come approximately every 3 months (but no guarantees, either). The last major release from Adobe was October 26, 2021 (I think, I might be a day or two off). So, you do the math.

[John R Ellis]

"When does the update comes?"

LR releases a new version about every 8 weeks:

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/threads/when-do-we-see-lr-10-4.43422/#post-1287682

So we might expect to see a release towards the end of December.

[Chris85MT]

Hi guys, 

My dad recently purchased a Sony a7R IV, and he is trying to import his shots to Lightroom using. ARW format. And we keep getting (Preview Not Available) and the files cannot be opened by Lightroom.

He is using Lightroom CC 10.0 if im not mistaken. 

Can someone help us out please ? 

[Chris85MT]

I got some more information.

[Bastien22069688211u]

Hello, I Have the same problem, I can't import my ARW shots to lightroom, ohave you found the solution ? Thanks