Lightroom Classic changing sort order to Capture Time constantly?

Report · Aug 21, 2023

I am going through a big Lightroom catalog and removing duplicates, so I'm looking at a Smart collection of Duplicates that I want to keep ordered by File Name because then I can actually see the duplicates.

However, when I click back and forth between two images to compare them, Lightroom is changing the Sort Order back to Capture Time quite often. It is VERY frustrating to have to reset the sort order all the time.

What is going on here? I can't find any documentation describing this behaviour in Lightroom Classic so I really don't know why the sort order is getting reset all the time?

* can I change the default sort order to be File name?

* can I disable whatever weird shortcut of clicks is resetting the sort order to the default?

Any help woul dbe great because it's driving me nuts!

Report · Aug 21, 2023

One possibility has to do with the padlock icon towards the right hand end of the Filter bar in Library.

When this padlock is 'open' each different Collection based, or folder based, view remembers and restores whatever view settings it has previously showed, when you next return to viewing that.

When 'closed', as you switch from one Collection or Folder based view to another, whatever view settings you have just been working with, are carried over the same to this other view.

Report · Aug 21, 2023

I should have said that I had already tried the Padlock icon. It does not seem to help, unfortunately. I am not changing the collection/folder so it should not be changing filter/order. I am clicking between two images with the same file name to decide which of the two duplicates should be kept. (For the rejected file I'm applying a Keyword so I can then find/remove it later)

Thank you for the suggestion Richard, apologies I forgot to say I'd already tried that 🙂

Report · Jun 10, 2024

Hey Richard. The padlock seems to not affect the sort order between collections. Did you find it different? TY.

Report · Jun 13, 2024

I have never seen the sort order change just due to clicking between images within the same folder, or within the same Collection. However if clicking between images as seen in different folders, or within different Collections, and if the "padlock" icon mentioned is open, then one folder may remember a different sort order than the other one does. If the "padlock" icon is closed, if I remember correctly whatever sort order you choose should continue until you say different, regardless of switching around between folders etc.

But also: if your sort order is set to (for example) Edit Time, then interacting with an image will automatically move it right to the start or end, and thus move it away from whichever other image it was previously alongside. This is as designed.

I always use Capture Time sort (disregards import / add, editing etc: variants of a given photo stay together).

Report · Jun 17, 2024

Padlock closed. Folder set to Capture Time. "Collection A" set to capture time as well. If I create a new "collection B" and I move some photos from the folder and/or collection A in it, it defaults to File Name sort order. I desperately want to fix this please and finally set Capture Time everywhere, as it has always been.

Report · May 06, 2024

Yes very annoying I have the sane problem