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SoCal Diver
Participant
August 18, 2022
Question

Lightroom Classic 11.4.1 on Windows Import XMP files along with Nikon NEF files.

  • August 18, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 1739 views

I’m using Lightroom Classic R11.4.1  I have some Nikon RAW files, i.e. NEFs, which have previously been edited and have XMP files associated with them.  These files are not in the LrC Catalog.  How do I Import the RAW files AND the associated XMP files into LrC so that LrC knows about the edits?   I looked at the Metadata panel and it doesn’t seem to enable me to specify that the RAW files already also have associated XMP files containing previous edits.  Help please.  Please respond to {Personal info removed}  .  Thanks.  Vic

 

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2 replies

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 19, 2022

You do not have to do anything. When Lightroom Classic imports images that have an XMP sidecar file, then it will automatically read that file and apply the edits that are stored in it and add the other metadata (like keywords) to the catalog. It does not import the xmp itself and should not do that. And contrary to what @Sameer K suggests, you also do not have to choose 'Embedded & sidecar' for the previews. You can choose any other preview setting as well.

 

If it seems that some sidecar settings are not imported, then check that you do not apply a develop preset and/or a metadata preset on import, that may override the contents of the sidecar file. Don't forget that you can also have a develop preset as camera default!

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 19, 2022

    In case you wonder about this 'embedded & sidecar' previews and why I say you do not have to use that: the 'sidecar' in this setting does not refer to XMP sidecar files but to something else. If you want Lightroom to use the camera-embedded previews, then you could get a problem because some cameras do not embed a full size preview but only a small preview. I think some Sony cameras do this, and there may be more. If you own such a camera and still want to use full size camera-generated previews, then what you should do is shoot raw+jpeg. Lightroom will then use those jepgs (which are full size) as previews rather than the small embedded previews. That is what 'sidecar' refers to in this case. The jpeg is used as a sidecar preview file.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
      Sameer K
      Community Manager
      Sameer KCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      August 19, 2022

      Hi there,

       

      Welcome to the Lightroom community. This is a great question, and I'd love to help you figure this out.

       

      Lightroom Classic can read the XMP sidecar right from the import stage. In the File Handling section, you can select 'Embedded & sidecar' & proceed with importing your images.

       

      You have already imported your images into Lightroom Classic. Simply going to the Develop module will make Lightroom read the sidecar XMP metadata if it is readable & it exists.

       

      You can select a group of images as a test in the Library & go to Metadata > Read Metadata from File.

       

       

      This will force Lightroom to read the existing XMP file. If this does not work, please share a few sample RAW files with the XMP sidecar with me.

       

      Let me know how it goes.

      Thanks!
      Sameer K

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