LRC 12.0 Crushing Shadow Detail in Develop Module

[DevinDahlgren]

I noticed after the update that files worked in Photoshop and saved back to LR display different amounts of shadow detail between the Library and Develop modules. The Library module is the correct one. When in the Develop module, all sliders are in their default state. When viewing in PS, all is good. When viewing in LR Library module, all is good. When viewing in LR Develop module, shadows are crushed. When exported to jpg, etc, shadows are crushed. 

macOS Monteray 

[DevinDahlgren · Accepted solution]

I went ahead and uninstalled and then reinstalled version 11.5 and the problem doesn't exist. 

[DevinDahlgren]

I noticed after the update that files worked in Photoshop and saved back to LR display different amounts of shadow detail between the Library and Develop modules. The Library module is the correct one. When in the Develop module, all sliders are in their default state. When viewing in PS, all is good. When viewing in LR Library module, all is good. When viewing in LR Develop module, shadows are crushed. When exported to jpg, etc., shadows are crushed.  See the screenshots below.

Is anyone else experiencing this? 

2019 iMac 8 Core i9. 

[DevinDahlgren]

Please, Moderator: Do not move this to my Discussion post. It needs to be in the Bug section for Adobe to see it.

I've reported this issue on a post located in the Discussion boards. I failed to select "Bug" for Conversation Type, therefore have seen minimal response and no solution. I understand I'm not supposed to post more than once about the same subject, but I don't know how else to get this info to the Bug section so that Adobe engineers will see it. 

The problem is shadow detail is lost and crushed when viewed in the Develop Module. If I disable the GPU acceleration, the problem goes away. 

Original Post: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lrc-12-0-crushing-shadow-detail-in-deve...

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Please see: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/how-do-i-write-a-bug-report/idi-p/12386373

Note: 10X people will see this post here vs posting in bugs.  It may be that no one is able to reproduce the issue you are seeing and that is why no one is responding. I cannot reproduce the issue so far. 
 

[DevinDahlgren]

Thank You! I really appreciate your being helpful. 

[TheDigitalDog]

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@DevinDahlgren wrote:If I disable the GPU acceleration, the problem goes away. 

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If turning OFF GPU works, it's a GPU bug and you need to contact the manufacturer or find out if there's an updated driver for it. This is why disabling GPU is an option as more and more functionality moves to the GPU in newer versions of many Adobe products.
Also see: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/acr-gpu-faq.html

[DevinDahlgren]

Thank you, Digital Dog. I confirmed I am on the latest version of my macOS, which is Monterey. My iMac is a 2019 5k i9 8 Core machine. Lightroom is convinced my GPU is compatible with full acceleration (see attached screen grab). This was not an issue before LR 12.0. I have not updated to the latest macOS Ventura because I want to avoid early release issues that sometimes occur. Maybe that would solve the problem. I guess I'll run LR with GPU Acceleration turned off. I understand that even though LR 12 says it's fully compatible, it is still possible an update to the driver is necessary. 

Again, thank you for helping me understand where the source of the problem is coming from. 

[Jao vdL]

Does it still do the posterization of the shadows when zoomed in? I have seen this before on the forum and it turned out to be a problem with color management and bit depth precision in the display profile when working with the 16-bit linear prophotoRGB color space Lightroom develop works in when translating to the display profile. How are you calibrating your display? Are you making sure to create a ICC v2 display profile as you should?

Does the problem disappear when you test with GPU acceleration disabled in Lightroom's preferences?

[DevinDahlgren]

Yes. The posterization still exists when zoomed in.

I use the Xrite system with their i1 Display device and save the profile. I use the profile created, but I'm unsure exactly if it's an ICC v2 profile. 

Yes. The problem goes away when disabling the GPU acceleration. 

Interestingly, this is not a problem on my earlier versions of LR, including 11.5. 

[Jao vdL]

If the problem goes away when turning off GPU acceleration it is likely not a display profile problem. I would recalibrate the display if I were you as it might help. There is a setting in the i1 Display preferences for whether the software creates a v2 or v4 profile if I rremember correctly so worth it to ttry. The fact that the behavior changed when going to v12 might mean there is a bug in V12 with the GPU code and how it color manages. This is a bit of a recurring issue with Lightroom

[DevinDahlgren]

Found the setting. It was set to v4. I changed it to v2 and created an updated calibration. I was no improvement in LR. I think you're on to something with it being a bug. I'll wait for future updates with the hope this will be resolved. Thank you for your suggestions and time. Cheers! Devin 

[DevinDahlgren]

Please forgive me if I've misunderstood the process for getting this bug report in front of the right people. I posted about this after updating to LR 12.0 last week. There was little response to my post. Could I be the only one experiencing this issue? 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lrc-12-0-crushing-shadow-detail-in-deve...

The issue is crushed shadows and posterization in the blacks in the Develop Module. All is good when viewed in the Library Module. One thing confirmed is that the issue goes away when Graphics Acceleration is disabled. 

27" 5k Retina 2019 Intel i9. macOS Monterey 12.6. 

[simonsaith]

Thanks Devin. This looks possibly a GPU render issue. Could you share a link to the raw image file with the settings that could demonstrate the issue so that our engineers can try to reproduce?

[DevinDahlgren]

Thank you for your prompt follow-up, Simon. I've uploaded three files. The original RAW as requested and two screenshots. One with the settings and graphics acceleration on and one with the setting and graphics acceleration off. The files are named accordingly. I'm currently running macOS Monterey 12.6.3 on a 2019 Retina 27" iMac 3.6 GHz 8-Core Intel i9 and Lightroom 12.1. Please let me know if you need anything else. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hMlhIC7yqRRnLv4YZ1ogr6FfPJ-jef5I?usp=share_link

[simonsaith]

Thanks Devin.

[tomazdeis]

I see exactly the same thing.
When I downgrade to Lr 11.5 it works fine. I think it's a bug in Lightrum in version 12... (If Lr 11.5 works OK )
I would also like to remind you that ACR (Camera Raw) also works the same as Lightroom. Same problems with GPU acceleration "auto" on.

I hope this will be fixed soon.

Sincere thanks for your help.

[Jao vdL · Accepted solution]

Just discovered this post (sorry apparently way behind on reacting to updated threads). I downloaded your image and your screenshots and indeed heavy posterization in your GPU on screenshot. I downloaded the nef and tried it on my Classic install (LR 12.2 on Mac Book Pro M1 Max running ventura 13.2.1) and it does not do the posterization with GPU on and I can very nicely see the stand leg in the lower left with the raw settings as in the screenshot, so it either is something in Monterey that was fixed in Ventura or something specific to the GPU in your iMac.

[tomazdeis]

If everything works OK in Lr 11.5, I don't understand why there are problems in Lr 12.2.
With the same computer MacBook Pro 16 (2019) and MacOS Monterey.
From the above, I think that something is wrong with Lr 12.2
because Lr 11.5 works OK!
It's the same with ACR (Camera Raw).
I think there is something wrong with Lr 12 and updates for Apple M processors....????
Maybe I'm wrong???
But Lr 11.5 works OK!

PS

I checked on two more MacbookPros (2013 and 2016) and the same problem shows up.
So does the Lr 12.2 only work properly with newer apple M processors and the most recent macOS Ventura?

What about older computers and older macOS (only a few years old)?

[Jao vdL]

This posterization of shadows problem is a very long standing problem in Lightroom that returns regularly and seems to be pretty random. It depends on the precise combination of Lightroom and os X version as well as what GPU and how your display profile was created. The latter seems to be a major factor and often recalibrating or going to the default built in profile for the display will fix it. The combination of GPU acceleration with certain kinds of display profiles appears to be a big factor. If possible recalibrate targeting a v2 icc profile or try using the standard display profile to test.

[tomazdeis]

Unfortunately, I have already tried all of these and there are no results.
I have an Eizo CG277 with a built-in calibrator.
I have tried several profiles and it always shows the same.
Also tried on MacBook pro default monitor profile without external monitor and still problem.

I don't understand why Lr 11.5 works OK everywhere, but Lr 12.2 causes problems.
I conclude that there is something wrong with this version of Lr.
Because before everything was working OK.
Now I use Lr 11.5.
I'm testing Capture One and it's working fine. There is no such problem.
When preparing photos for print, this issue is a problem for me.

[TheDigitalDog]

Sorry, I too missed the post with the download. 

Downloaded and imported into the latest version of Lightroom Classic on the latest version of macOS on a pretty new M1 MacBook Pro. No banding was seen in Develop at 1:1. 

I should point out; this capture is pretty severely under exposed, as one can see in RawDigger which only examines the raw data and uses no editing, as seen in Lightroom Classic. The blue overlay shows this clearly, as do the stats:

Such under exposure isn't helping with smoothness or a lack of noise but again, I don't see posterization on my side. 

[DevinDahlgren]

Nothing looks under-exposed on my system other than the deepest shadows and the leg of the light stand. This is a totally workable file. Again, this is not an issue in LR 11.5. I haven't upgraded to Ventura yet as it is a habit to wait a few months for a stable version because rolling back an OS is a royal pain in the @$$. 

[TheDigitalDog]

Nothing looks under-exposed on my system other than the deepest shadows and the leg of the light stand.

By @DevinDahlgren

It may not look 'under exposed' on your system but RawDigger, which shows the true exposure of the raw data, states otherwise (and it is correct). And again, no banding/posterization on this under-exposed image on my system in either RawDigger or Lightroom Classic. The issue you have is your GPU or some previewing of the data. The actual data is both under-exposed and not posterized. It helps to have tools like RawDigger, which only reports and analyzes the raw data. Lightroom Classic/ACR and nearly all raw converters do not. One can increase brightness so the image 'appears' exposed properly, but that's totally divorced from the raw data and the exposure itself which took place when you clicked the shutter and never thereafter.  

[tomazdeis]

I completely agree with everything, but Lightroom is made for a wide population who may not be completely familiar with color management and various programs and... I still don't understand why it works OK in Lr 11.5 but not in Lr 12.2.
Apple says everything is fine with the GPU.
Apparently, if Capture One and Lr 11.5 work OK, there is something wrong with Lr 12.2 in connection with such a computer configuration.
Unfortunately, there is no other way to understand it.