Lightroom: Import RAW only, not JPG

[AxlV]

I shoot RAW+JPG.

For the more casual stuff, I can import JPG straight into Apple Photos.

When wirelessly transferring photos from my A6000 to my phone, JPG offers better quality.

For the more serious stuff, I import RAW into Lightroom 6.

The problem is that Lightroom imports both.

I have no use for JPGs in LR when I have the RAW file.

My library is full of JPGs that I do not want and I can't figure out how to only import the RAW and leave the JPG on my SD card.

[dj_paige]

There is no function in Lightroom to import RAW only in your case.

You probably need to pre-sort the photos using your operating system (RAW in one folder, JPG in another) and then import just the RAW.

[Abambo]

Or you simply delete the JPEGs after the import.

[JoeKostoss]

Depending on your camera, there is a way to do this in camera.  On my Nikon D7000, there are 2 card slots.  I can program the camera to put NEF (raw files) on one card and JPG on the other.

[AxlV]

I have JPG files in my LR library without a RAW substitute, how should I filter those out then?

My camera has 1 SD slot.

It seems very strange to me that LR is unable to deal with this.

[Abambo]

Recent imports come in a own collection "previous import". You can use here a filter on the JPEG file format. Also, I suppose that your imports go into a folder structure, that allows you to easily select pictures from a specific date.

AxlV wrote:

It seems very strange to me that LR is unable to deal with this.

I don't shoot JPEG at all and do not see use into that. When I need JPEGs I just create them from my RAW files. But that's my workflow...

[JP Hess]

AxlV wrote:

I have JPG files in my LR library without a RAW substitute, how should I filter those out then?

My camera has 1 SD slot.

It seems very strange to me that LR is unable to deal with this.

Lightroom does deal with this very simply in the library module. Activate filters choosing metadata. Then change one of the filtering panels to file type. Then you can filter on any file type that is in your library.

[AxlV]

Not every setting is able to produce RAW files.

In-camera HDR for example and some of the apps save to JPG.

So even if I filter to JPG I have to then manually filter out the ones that do not have a RAW copy.

That you can save both formats doesn't mean you'll always need both.

I think it would be neat if LR offered more control in the import dialog.

[Just Shoot Me]

I think you are missing the point of LR.

LR is design to handle all your images not just some of them.

Using 2 different image management and editing software programs is counter productive to having a well managed image collection and being able to sort and find images you might need, for whatever reason.

I suggest you pick one, LR or Apple Photos, and stick with it for all your image management.

[AxlV]

I'm happy with my current setup and choosing one over the other is not an option. They're nothing alike and serve very different purposes.

Its just that not every picture needs RAW processing. If LR insists I import everything in order to fish out the files I need, I'm basically creating my own junk only to clean it up afterwards. If that's the way it is, fine. But it's not the philosophy I'd expect from an advanced image library manager.

A simple option in the preferences as to which filetype to import if both are available would make sense to me personally.

[JP Hess]

I agree with the comment that you seem to be missing the point. Lightroom is not just a raw processor. While it's true that it isn't possible to apply different camera profiles to JPEG images, all the other controls in Lightroom can be used on JPEG images. You are making a lot of that for work for yourself by trying to work with the two different software programs. However, that is your choice. It's not a standard Lightroom workflow so you will just have to figure out for yourself how to handle it. Good luck.

[Bob Somrak]

I have to agree with the OP about his ORIGINAL topic about being able to import just JPG or RAW if the camera took JPG+RAW.  It would be easy to have JPG/RAW filters in the import dialog to show either JPG/RAW or both formats.  The only JPG/RAW option is to "Treat jpg files next to raw files as separate photos" in Preferences.  As a side question, what exactly is the purpose and use of a JPG sidecar file?   I would be happy to have someone explain how they use them.

[Just Shoot Me]

There are no JPG sidecar files in LR. LR writes any changes to the JPG file itself in a special section that does not change the original image file. That is "IF" the option is turned on to "Auto write changes to XMP". If that options isn't enabled then LR write the changes to the catalog file only. Again not changing the original file. So in either case if you view the original JPG file with some other viewing or editing program the edit you made in LR aren't displayed.

You have to actually Export a file from LR to have the edits included, burned, into the new file.

I have no idea if the Apple Photos app uses a separate JPG XMP sidecar file.

I do agree it would be nice to have an option to filter out File Types in the import dialog and for that option to have a Multi Select system where you can filter out or filter in RAW, DNG, JPG, TIFF and PSD files.

As it is now you can still do that with a little work by clicking the Uncheck All button then manually selecting the images you want to import or just go through them and uncheck the image you don't want imported.

[AxlV]

I'm not aware of cameras shooting DNG, TIFF or PSD, but almost any camera is able to shoot RAW+JPG. No matter what your reasons are for doing so, the problem is Lightroom can only store either both or none, treating it as a bundled package.

We already have Windows Explorer or Apple's Finder to manually work through them. The point of a library manager such as Lightroom is to batch process your files to keep you from doing so. Especially monotonous, repetitive tasks that are easy to program. HDRs and panoramas are other examples where LR fails to do the work for you. I have no idea what lead to these UI decisions but to me they seem awkward, focusing too narrow on a specific user or workflow.

[Just Shoot Me]

Not everyone uses LR or any image cataloging and editing program to get images off a camera or a camera memory card. Some copy images directly to their hard drive and then import them. Some even us a different RAW editor, like ACR or Capture one, and then send that file to PS or generate a TIFF from that other editor and then import them into LR for image management (All Images in one place to be searched, flagged, color labeled, filtered or whatever).

I for a long time used the Adobe Photo Downloader program that comes with PS & Bridge to get images from camera card to hard drive even though I've used LR since version 1. That is until I read an article on how to edit an import preset to give me the naming, Date, convention that I liked and had used with the Photo Downloader program.

Now I do use LR to get images onto my hard drive. But I still sometimes create TIFF files on my notebook that I then need to import into LR on my main desktop system.

[AxlV]

I think you're missing the point. Lightroom is perfectly able to import PSD, TIFF and JPG files that were never bundled together in the first place. If only it could do the same for your camera, treating RAW and JPG as separate files before they end up in your library.

[ssprengel]

Bob is talking about JPGs as sidecar files of RAW photos if you shoot RAW+JPG and disable Treat RAW & JPG as Separate Files, not that JPGs have an XMP sidecar file.

The purpose of JPGs as sidecars of RAWs is so you can delete or move both by doing that to the RAW.

The purpose of having a JPG around but not available in LR is for when you might need something quick to view or show or give to someone, perhaps a client, without even running LR.  Nowadays the OS, perhaps with the help of a codec, or a program like PhotoMechanic, can show the embedded preview, so this is less important, if you're just reviewing images and don't need to give someone the JPG.

[Just Shoot Me]

Yes I normally shoot RAW + JPG, the JPGs at a much lower resolution for just the purpose you state (to send out, email, right away if needed).

OK I didn't make the reference to a JPG being a Sidecar to the RAW. After all it is its own file not something actually attached to the RAW file. As in a motorcycle Sidecar. Not very good by itself without it being physically attached to a motorcycle.

[ssprengel]

If you look at the top of LR’s metadata panel when you have imported RAW+JPG and have them not treated as separate files, then LR calls the JPG a sidecar. It is attached because when you delete the RAW the JPG is deleted.

[Just Shoot Me]

ssprengel wrote:

If you look at the top of LR’s metadata panel when you have imported RAW+JPG and have them not treated as separate files, then LR calls the JPG a sidecar. It is attached because when you delete the RAW the JPG is deleted.

Thanks for that clarification. I have always had that option checked so I never saw the JPG referred to as a Sidecar.

[Bob Somrak]

ssprengel wrote:

The purpose of JPGs as sidecars of RAWs is so you can delete or move both by doing that to the RAW.

Thanks Steve.   I assume if you write XMP data for the Raw+JPG an XMP sidecar file is created instead of using the JPG sidecar to store this data.  Beings I NEVER use RAW+JPG I don't know what happens. 

[ssprengel]

When my Galaxy S6 is creating DNGs it also produces JPGs otherwise I wouldn’t make both, either, like with my Canons.

[Bob Somrak]

Just Shoot Me wrote:

I do agree it would be nice to have an option to filter out File Types in the import dialog and for that option to have a Multi Select system where you can filter out or filter in RAW, DNG, JPG, TIFF and PSD files.

All the options in import would be nice but even Raw and NonRaw would be handy.  You could even just add file type/extension to the SORT dropdown and it would help, although not as handy as a filter.  I never shoot RAW+JPG.  I shoot RAW most of the time and JPG on a few select occasions so I do not run into this problem but I can definitely see a need.  This has been asked for since I have been using Lightroom (Version 2) and should be EASY to implement, especially the SORT option, but Adobe seems set on not implementing any options. 

[Just Shoot Me]

Yes Bob it would.

[AxlV]

Photos is a really quick, minimal, casual but also very integrated and synchronised software for Apple users. The grand collector of all my visuals on a daily basis. Whatever I shoot with my iPhone, collect from social media, draw in Photoshop etc ends up there. I use LR for all the serious stuff. A product shoot contains a ton of pictures of the same bottle, then there are another 1000 of an event. All RAW files stored and processed by LR. The end result I drop in my Photos library to add to my visual diary.

I can imagine anyone with a capable camera to want a little more but not the complete opposite package. I never shot RAW+JPG either but Sony is offering some pretty cool features that tend to create a mix of RAW and JPG files, i.e. a small portable form factor (casual shooting), integrated wifi, camera apps. I'm not a dedicated professional leaving his camera and computer at work.