Excruciatingly slow import of images in Lightroom Classic CC for Mac 2018

[Rolando Gutierrez]

Importing images into Lightroom Classic CC 2018 has become excruciatingly slow. What used to take 10 minutes is now taking close to four times as much! I've updated to most recent April 19/2018. I'm importing RAW images from a Fujifilm X-Pro1 using SDHC Card 16GB and no more that 30 images at a time. Please help!

[dj_paige]

This gets reported frequently, and there are a number of possible causes.

One likely cause is a bad card reader, or bad camera card. You need to make sure this is not the problem by trying to import the photos using different hardware, and also try importing from a different camera card.

[Chris Tsorotes]

More likely, Adobe programmers aren't focussing on optimising the software for MAC.

The problem is widespread amongst numerous others problems with Lightroom/

[Bob Somrak · Accepted solution]

One way to check this is to use the OS to copy the files fron the card to the computer hard drive and the us Lightroom to import from the drive.

[Rolando Gutierrez]

Bob, thank you very much, this did the trick!.

Rolando

[Bob Somrak]

Glad that worked.  I would be interesting to know what the problem with import directly into Lightroom is for you and how it could be solved.

[Rolando Gutierrez]

I ordered a new SD card reader and SD Cards, I’ll share results with you upon their install.Thank you again for your help Bob.

Best

Rolando

[cmgap]

Where are you importing to? A NAS, EXD, local drive? I have also seen the import process also slow down when importing to a NAS with thunderbolt connection.

[Rolando Gutierrez]

Exporting to EXD, but per suggestions, I resolved the problem by downloading from the SD card to my hard drive. Back to full speed imports. Thank you

Rolando

RXG

[fkyle]

That doesn't sound like a solution... that means the card works fine but lightroom is having trouble with it.

[Shrogg]

Im also having a terrible time downloading.

Brand new 120MB/s CF card, near new card reader. lightroom just locks up when importing.
Downloading to HDD then adding to lightroom is fast.
Im on Windows 10.

[Ian Lyons]

Typically, SD and CF cards appear in both the 'Device' and 'Files' segments of the import source. There is an known issue when you use the import from 'Device' segment of import dialog. This particular option uses a different code path than location identified under the 'Files' segment (see below screenshot). Can you try this to see if improves things.

More info on above at Lightroom Classic 7.3 Import Problem | Photoshop Family Customer Community

[davidm46560345]

This solution didn't work for me when importing to NAS.  Experienced slow import.  Copying to NAS using OS is as expected.  Lightroome to NAS is extremely slow and grinds the NAS drives very loudly.

[fayer77]

Yes, I confirm this. It drives me crazy - each time I sit to import photos from card, especially when there are duplicates already imported from the card. That’s why I use LR.

[Jamezers]

This has been driving me nuts for more than a year. Work at auction house manging two cameras, daily imports. The Solution to import from camera card instead of device did provide some impovent, but why after decade of doing things one way all of a sudden do we have to change .. instead of the same workflow being possible? Ive done all optimizations and now this new import method and it still leaves much room for improvement in Jan 2024, especially initial import preview/checking duplicates/final total of images to import > very slow. I might import 800-1,200 photos @ 3-5mb per photo (low 10mb setting on card NOT 20mb) per session. Really has slowed my work flow in last few years when guys are waiting around for their cameras back to go back to the shoot. oh well, at least this helped- THANKS