Lens profiles for old lenses

[Kjoelur]

Hi, I am using a few older Nikon lenses which used to have lens profiles in Lightroom in the past, but now seem to have been removed by Adobe. They probably think that these are not needed anymore or whatever. Does anyone know about a way to get these old profiles back or a repository that stores them? I could of course make new lens profiles myself using the Lens Profile Creator, but I would like to save the time for this, as these profiles already exist(ed). Any comments or hints?

[F. McLion]

I haven't seen any lens profiles removed.

Are you aware that most profiles work with raw data only, in your case NEF files?

Which exact version of LrC are you using?

[Kjoelur]

Hi,

I am using LR-CC 10.2 (haven't managed to upgrade to 10.3 yet).

Specifically I noticed this for a number of old AF-lenses (before the current AF-S), most notably the 70-180 Micro Nikkor. This lens definitely had a profile I used before which is not available anymore.

[Kjoelur]

What I forgot: I work exclusively with raw files.

[JohanElzenga]

Adobe never removes old lens profiles. Why would they do that? If your lens was ever supported, it should be in this list: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/supported-lenses.html . If it is not, then you probably do not remember it correctly.

[richardplondon · Accepted solution]

Alternatively, a user lens profile may have been created in the past (or downloaded, that another user has created). This would need to be transferred e.g. into a different computer: it would not have been automatically installed along with the software.

Next, lens profiles refer to a particular camera model as well as to either Raw or non-Raw.

Separately, if such a user lens profile is present it will not have been included in the supplied auto-lens recognition. It can be manually selected; if not, then it is not in the right place or the current image does not support having that profile applied. Anything other than an Adobe original supplied profile must be saved into the user profiles area: it will not be seen if put into the central folder where the Adobe supplied ones live.

In order to have the lens profile auto-recognised for new imports, two further steps are necessary: the profile must be set as a user-custom assignment via a sample image (from that camera, with that lens) for which this profile has been manually selected; AND the default processing applied to all new imports from that camera, must include "Default" lens profile selection rather than "Auto" lens profile selection. Auto would disregard added user profile assignments, only employing Adobe's built-in lens recognition.

[Kjoelur]

Next, lens profiles refer to a particular camera model as well as to either Raw or non-Raw.

I think this is the solution, I didn't knew the lens profile is also tied to a certain camera model. The profile is most likely available for my old camera, but not for the new. I guess that there is no other way of profiling this lens then.

In order to have the lens profile auto-recognised for new imports, two further steps are necessary: the profile must be set as a user-custom assignment via a sample image (from that

By @richardplondon

Thanks for this hints.

[richardplondon]

A lens profile file is relatively easy to alter in a text editor. It may be possible to get this to work for the new camera the same as it did for the old one. What won't equate, would be if the two sensor formats are different (e,g, one APS-C and the other fullframe). Maybe check another lens profile which does work with that new body, to see what exact text your other profile will need to include in order to get recognised. Outcome will either be fine or a failure, but no permanent damage can arise from making the experiment!

[Kjoelur]

These would both be full frame sensors, so I think I will give it a shot when I am at home. Good idea.

[richardplondon]

On reflection, I am not so certain there is any camera-specificity to the lens profile itself, albeit that does record from which sort of camera and sensor format it was originally generated.

One should be able to manually select the profile regardless, in other words.

But user-overridden default assignments / auto profile recognition definitely are camera-model specific.

[epianist]

Hello, I´m using an old Tamron lens TAMRON SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di A001S on old Sony camera SLT-A65 (both listed as supported by CameraRaw), but LR does not dispaly this lens on import RAWs or after import in DEV tab whereas other lenses e.g. Sony DT16-50mm F2.8 SSM were shown automatically. I know of other 3rd party software which interpretes that Tamron lens correctly which is LensID 255 in Exif. I´m able to choose the correct profile from the pull down menu for RAW only in DEV tab, which I obviously not want to do considering approx. 7 lenses in use which are sometimes hard to discern when not being tagged. So my questions is why does LR not "know" automatically the lens when the picture was taken with this Tamron and how can I force assigning the lens to metadata (during import or later) because even when assignig the lens profile the LR grid view does not list that special lens (it is simply shown as ---), so filtering this camera/ lens combi cannot be achieved. Thanks a lot.  All the best.

[DdeGannes]

@epianist , the specific lens you are referring to is definitely supported, see the screen capture. If you are not seeing it automatically then try selecting it manually then select the option to make it the default.

Make sure you are working with a raw image,.

[epianist]

Hello @DdeGannes, thanks for your quick reply. Can one have multiple standard lens profiles and is LR then distinguishing these ones correctly because I want to avoid that LR is suggesting this Tamron lens "as standard" for every picture which would be not right due to other "standard" lenses I´m using. The second thing is how can I get LR DISPLAYING this lens type in the filtering section of the library tab, because there is still no automatic mentioning of this lens (only ----) even when applying its profile to some RAWs (=Sony arw) manually which is tedious work (because of double checking which picture belongs to which lens). Thanks for any recommendation. Regards, epianist

[DdeGannes]

@epianist , Lens profiles created by Adobe for third party lenses i.e. Tamron are specific to file type raw and camera body Sony.

I was replying specific to your question, a specific Tamron lens and a Sony Camera, see the screen capture I included in my earlier post. That is the only profile you should be selecting for your camera raw files.

If it's not being selected automatically do a manual search and select the profile. Then you should find an option to select it as the "default" so that the next time you are working with a raw file from that lens and camera body it should be selected automatically.

I am not at home as I am at a country resort for the week end and will try an provide a screen capture when I am at home tomorrow.

IMHO it's not a good idea to use other profiles.

As far as I recall when I did a search for profiles for the specific lens there were individual profiles for Nikon and Canon mount also. Use the one for Sony.

P.S. If you are not happy with the profile correction there is also the options to make manual adjustments.

[epianist]

@DdeGannes, thanks for this info.

Basically I wanted to say that I really have different lenses and cameras and got in trouble at displaying some of these lenses in LR Library tab and at automatically assigning some of the respective lens profiles for a raw.

To keep it simple I only speak about Sony camera SLT-A65 and different lenses where an Adobe lens profil for Sony does exist.

 

a.) My standard lens is Sony DT16-50 F2,8 SSM and LR always recognizes this standard lens profile for RAW pictures in the LR DEV tab (since it is standard and integrated lens profile I guess) and additionally it is detected as camera/ lens combination in the metadata filtering section which enables me e.g. to select ALL RAWs (=ARW) AND JPGs taken with this camera/lens combi without doing anything.  That´s my goal for other lenses (supported by Adobe) as well. 

b.) The Sigma 10-20 lens will also be detected as metadata for both RAW and JPG in the library tab filter automatically which is nice BUT in DEV tab not a single RAW gets this profil expect I assign the right profile manually.

c.) As I wrote in the original post I was able to assign the right Tamron profil (A001S Sony) for a RAW in DEV tab but there is no detection of this lens in the library filter neither before or after the assignment of the profil to a raw (only --- is to be seen) nor a detection of this lense profile for other RAWs taken with the same Tamron.

 

So my question is please:

1.) Do I need to make every lens profil which is suitable/ available for my camera and real used lens combi make as standard to get 7 standard lens profiles so to speak hoping LR is finding this possible combinations also for other pictures then? I assume yes bc you wrote the standard profile would be detected for other raws then, but I was a little bit hesitating bc you might have thought that I only use one lens and I thought there could be ONLY one standard...?

2.) How can I force displaying the right lens name in the Library metadata filter section, because this seems to be independent from assigning profiles to raws and I could not find a button to edit the unknown profile (which is clear to me if the lens is NOT supported by Adobe but not clear to me if this lens is supported? 

Thanks again for a short explanation.

Best regards

 

 

 

    

[JohanElzenga]

1: If a lens profile is not automatically assigned, then you do indeed have to save it as a new default. You should only have to do this once.

2: What Lightroom reports as lens is depending on what the camera has saved in metadata. Over the years, I have seen the same Canon lens being reported differently by different Canon cameras. You can't change this in Lightroom, except with a plugin (LensTagger) that changes these metadata.

[DdeGannes]

@epianist , you stated "

2.) How can I force displaying the right lens name in the Library metadata filter section, because this seems to be independent from assigning profiles to raws and I could not find a button to edit the unknown profile (which is clear to me if the lens is NOT supported by Adobe but not clear to me if this lens is supported? 

Thanks again for a short explanation."

The metadata info in the Library Module is taken from the info in the Original image the Camera created. So you are correct that is not connected to a lens correction profile.

I think the only option you have is to input that info manually.

[JohanElzenga]

@DdeGannes You can't manually change metadata in the catalog which are coming from the camera, such as the lens info. You need to use a plugin that changes the metadata in the file, and then reads those into the Lightroom catalog. LensTagger can do this.

[epianist]

Hi, thanks for your recommendations. Then I´d like Adobe developers please to update the LR camera/lens recognition engine in order to be able to tag all these RAW images correctly (at least in library tab) where an Adobe supported camera/ lens profile exists. It is not an alternative method for me to fiddle around with 3rd party Exif tools just to assign a lens model that already belongs to the vault. Moreover other RAW photo editing software like the French one with the 3 letters has no trouble recognizing/assigning this exact camera/ lens profile which means to me that everything is correct with the RAW/ARW file and Exif data. For LR this SHOULD BE THE SAME. SOON. So thanks for putting that thing on Adobe's DEV todo list and letting me know when it´s ready 🙂

Best regards.