Lightroom Classic camera-specific raw default not applied to iPhone Pro 15 Max ProRAW DNGs on import

[Joseph Kohlmann]

Hi all,

In Lightroom Classic, I have a Raw Default configured for my iPhone 15 Pro Max. It's a preset that applies Lens + CA Correction and enables HDR output (please see attached screenshot).

For reasons that are unclear to me, Lightroom Classic does not apply this profile to ProRAW DNG files from my iPhone 15 Pro Max on import. For example, when switching to the Develop module on a freshly imported iPhone 15 Pro Max DNG, nothing in the Lens Corrections panel is enabled, and HDR output is off (please see attached screenshot).

Have I misconfigured something? Is there a bug? Kind of stumped.

[John R Ellis]

Upload a sample raw with the problem to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here. If the problem can be reproduced on other LR installations, then we can file an actionable bug report with Adobe.

[Joseph Kohlmann]

Hi John, thanks for the reply and sorry for the delay on my end.

I spent a few weeks keeping an eye on this, and I also added another per-camera raw default with the same "Lens + CA Correction + HDR" user preset. With this second camera, I saw the same behavior: imported DNGs have Lens + CA corrections enabled, but HDR Edit Mode remains off.

It's as if the per-camera raw defaults feature cannot enable HDR Edit Mode for some reason. Both cameras I've tried this with now (iPhone 15 Pro Max and Ricoh GR IIIx) happen to output DNGs.

I've uploaded a ZIP archive containing an iPhone 15 Pro Max ProRAW DNG and Ricoh GR IIIx DNG to iCloud Drive: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/032f6aMVsF7UaNfMaOXYiBSwQ#Lightroom_Classic_camera-specific_raw_d...

I've also attached to this post:

• The "Lens + CA Correction + HDR" user preset I'm using
• A screenshot of my Lightroom Classic Preferences window → Presets window

[John R Ellis]

I discovered that it isn't possible for a raw-defaults preset to enable HDR mode, and I filed this bug report:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/presets-used-as-raw-defaults-can-t-enable-hdr-...

A workaround is to apply the preset on import by setting the import option Apply During Import > Develop Preset.

[John R Ellis]

Regarding the Lens Corrections settings set by your preset, when I set that preset as the raw defaults for your sample photos and import them, the Lens Corrections settings get applied to _R000344.DNG but not to IMG_8382.DNG. They don't get applied to IMG_8382.DNG because it contains Develop settings stored inside it (e.g. by doing Metadata > Save Metadata To File).  By design, raw defaults don't get applied to imported photos that have Develop settings stored in .xmp sidecars or inside the DNG.

When I use Exiftool to remove the Develop settings stored in IMG_8382.DNG and reimport it, the Lens Correction settings get properly applied.

[Joseph Kohlmann]

Ah yes, I agree that's expected. Sorry for the confusion; thought I pulled that DNG from my pre-import folder rather than from my Lightroom originals folder, but evidently not.

Thanks for reproducing the HDR output issue and filing a bug report, I really appreciate it!

[John R Ellis]

@Joseph Kohlmann, as you might have read today, the product team has declared the current behavior "as designed", without explaining further. When Adobe declares something "as designed", they rarely provide a design rationale. Here, HDR is the only preset setting that can't be used with raw defaults -- even Auto Settings, Lens Blur, and Masking can be used in raw defaults! 

The workaround is to apply the preset during Import rather than as a raw default. It's not exactly the same functionality, since when you click the Reset button, you'll clear HDR.

[Joseph Kohlmann]

Ah, how unfortunate. As it happens, I'm aware of that workaround, but I stopped using it to avoid enabling HDR output on SDR screenshots from my iPhone. In light of the "as designed" declaration, I'll reconsider how I might make use of it.

I so appreciate your help on this one, John, cheers cheers.