Apply Preset at Import Question

See this info that is relevant to this post.

But I DID use the reset button the way it used to be. But Adobe DID change things. I'm just saying that as far as I'm concerned, with my workflow, I'm satisfied with how things are working. No, it isn't the same as it was before. No, It isn't as good as it was before. But it's you and me against Adobe. Is Adobe going to change? Probably not. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to create a big argument about this. I didn't mean to try to convert your way of thinking to mine. I was just voicing my opinion, and it is my opinion. I don't know how many millions users of Lightroom there are, but there must be that many different opinions of Lightroom. And there are probably that many different perspectives of how Lightroom works and how to use Lightroom. I was just making a suggestion. But I suppose that is now time for me to just drop out of this one. And I will. I apologize for causing so much grief.

I suppose this is where we will have to agree to disagree. I think the capability is still there. But it is necessary to make a decision. Instead of defining camera defaults, you have to put those defaults into a preset if you want to go that way. Or, it's necessary to choose camera defaults and then create presets for different situations. In my opiniion, it's just a different way of looking at things. But if you don't agree, I understand and that's fine.

I guess I'm in over my head. You will have to explain that one to me. Actually, it doesn't seem to matter. I just (right now) went and did a reset on an image that I converted to DNG on import into Lightroom Classic, and you have seen how my settings are. The reset process completely reset the DNG to an untouched image as expected. So I'm not quite sure what you are referring to.

Exactly! And that's what the original question was all about. The user wanted to apply adjustments on import, but wanted the ability to reset the DNG and have it revert to the way it was when it was first imported with no adjustments. Having these settings this way, and then choosing a preset in the import dialog will give you that capability. If you choose to have a default preset then it isn't possible to "completely" reset the raw file. So the user must make the decision whether to have default settings that will be applied in every situation or whether to choose a preset in the import dialog. I suppose it depends on how diverse the photographer is. By choosing the preset in the import dialog, the user could have separate presets for landscapes, outdoor portraits, studio portraits, interior real estate photos, etc. Then, depending on what the project is, the appropriate preset could be applied during import. On the other hand, if the user doesn't have that type of diversity, then perhaps a single preset could be assigned as the default and everything will work just fine.

As I have come to understand it (I think), if you set this setting to a preset then that preset becomes the default that the Lightroom reset button will reset to. I apologize for the redundancy. If you leave that set to camera settings, and then just choose the preset in the import dialog, then the reset button works the way you describe and the way it seems to work for me. Like I say, "I think" that is the way it works now. At least that is my understanding, and that is how it seems to be working on my computer. I hope this isn't totally confusing.

Ok, so all the discussion in the thread is semantics about the original digital image capture. So the camera captures raw data on a sensor in the camera which is sensor timed by the light transmitted through a lens on the camera similar to what happened with film cameras. The data is not in a view format to be presented on the camera or on a computer.

The camera firmware almost instantly applies the needed profiles and adjustments made in the camera by the user to create a preview in a rgb digital format as a jpeg preview that is viewable on the camera monitor. Depending on the setting the user has chosen the firmware will save the rendered jpeg file with the preview in the file to the SD or similar card in the camera. There usually is the option to save the raw data and this will be saved to the SD card with the Settings applied in the camera and a jpeg preview, also you can save both an original jpeg and raw. If you take the option to save the jpeg file only the raw file data will be discarded. That raw file data is the original capture.

When you import the Raw file or a DNG file if it has been produced in the camera into Lightroom the application will render the raw data but it will not be able to utilize the camera profiles or most of the in camera settings since that is proprietory info and is only able to use the profiles created by Adobe and other processing necessary to produce a rendered file for display. In the latest versions of Lightroom there are multiply profiles created for each camera model including camera matching.

The next issue in the thread is we do not know at what stage the DNG file is created was it produced in camera or when importing the Raw file from the camera and created by Lightroom at which point info from Lightroom would have been placed in the DNG file header.
Just some thoughts to consider as to what is the Original.

I Import my Nikon D750 raw NEF images using a Preset that includes my xRite created "D750" profile.

This D750 profile appears on all imported photos.

I can click on the [Reset] button to undo all Develop adjustments, AND I can change the Profile to anything from the Profile Chooser.

So an Import with "D750" profile can be reset and changed to "Adobe Flat" or "Adobe Neutral" profile.

It is a two-step workflow. But isn't this what might be called a total "Reset" ?

Try using the "Zeroed" preset in the pre installed Classic General presets.  This will reset everything except for  Gradient and Radial filters but you probably dont have those in your Default Preset.

I totally agree with you Jim about messing things up.    I like the NEW camera default system as I can now see what defaults are used for each camera and easily change them whereas before when you just hit the modifier/RESET it just hid everything somewhere.  It actually works better than the old method.  It needs a few tune ups in the future like to fix a few issues like this but I think Adobe will eventually get around to it.