Finding missing photos - but it's mainly a change of extension

Report · Nov 21, 2023

I have 1260 photos 'missing' - in an LrC catalog on an external drive now connected to my MacbookPro = I did a Find and found one that has the same ## but different extension == ie 4595.CR2 is the missing one and it looks like 4595.CR3 is the found one - not sure why the difference other than the raw file may have upgraded? In any event should I just go ahead and say it's the found image? I just looked inside the actual library and Canon Raw CR3 images are there - no CR2s -- it is possible that the original catalog was made with CR2s nd enough time has passed that now we're up to CR3 --- I can reimport too if I shouldn't match the 2 to the 3....just not sure how to fix it== and the whole catalog is fine = it's only this number of pics

Report · Nov 21, 2023

There is no such thing as a "raw file may have upgraded". There is also no such things as "the original catalog was made with CR2s nd enough time has passed that now we're up to CR3".

Is it possible that at one time you were using a camera that takes .CR2 photos, and later you are using a different camera that takes .CR3? So at one time, you took a photo 0376.CR2 and at a later time you took a different photo on a different camera named 0376.CR3. I guess that's a possibility.

Other than that, I can't explain what may have happened in your case.

To fix missing photos, the instructions are here: https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm. Do not import the photos again.

Report · Nov 21, 2023

Thank you - I'll look into the link you provided === I went in to Library and scrolled thru == they apprear to be duplicates of others there == in other words, there's Image A which has a title and keywords and time/date etc and it's a CR3 version = and then the 'missing' Image B which has the same title, no keywords,a GPS description and it's a CR2 version = my hunch is that I imported all the pics back in early March into LrC and then maybe re-imported them again after they'd been inside the camera and it'd been upgraded? In any event they do appear to be the same images -- I'll check again and see what I can figure out from your provided link.

Report · Nov 21, 2023

The file extension cannot upgrade. A .CR2 file is always and forever a .CR2 file and there is no way it can change to a .CR3 file.

Is it possible that the .CR2 photos were shot with one camera and the .CR3 photos were shot with another camera?

Report · Nov 21, 2023

No - I was overseas, using Canon R6 camera and the pics come from that trip and that camera. It is possible that I exported those pics for safe keeping and then re-imported them. It probably doesn't matter as long as I have 1 of the two images == the screenshots below are of the two side by side and the info for each in LrC - I guess as long as they are in my Library/Catalog in LrC I can just rate them 1 star and at some point delete them???

Report · Nov 21, 2023

No - I was overseas, using Canon R6 camera and the pics come from that trip and that camera. It is possible that I exported those pics for safe keeping and then re-imported them. It probably doesn't matter as long as I have 1 of the two images == the screenshots below are of the two side by side and the info for each in LrC - I guess as long as they are in my Library/Catalog in LrC I can just rate them 1 star and at some point delete them???

By @victoriajourneyzing

I was not asking about this trip. I was asking about in the entire history of your photography that has been imported into Lightroom Classic, at any point in time did you take photos a camera that takes .CR2 photos and a then a different camera that takes .CR3 photos.

Re-importing will not cause this.

Report · Nov 21, 2023

the missing photos were all from that 1 trip= one thing that I think I did with one card was transfer the photos to my iPad and then export them - unfortunately this was 7-8 months ago so can't be sure but I think I also had to fix the date/time on the images because I had forgotten to set the camera for the new time zone == all I know is that these missing ones are essentially duplicates of the ones which are not and the only different is GPS info is missing one one and keywords too = but basicallly same shot. Thanks - I'll have to study the link further and if these are duplicates, best to delete them if they are and I'm sure.