Sony a7iii. Camera format set to just RAW. Lightroom only showing JPEG version of img and never RAW

[ry_0015]

Hi guys, I just recently purchase a Sony a7III. I have my file format on my camera set to just RAW.

I've uploaded all of my pictures to my pc (uploaded as .arw files) and upon viewing them on the default photo application for windows 10, it shows a 'filtered' preview (jpeg) of the image for a few seconds before switching to the raw version (dulled out version, no filters, etc).

My issue is when uploading my pictures to Lightroom, Lightroom only shows the jpeg images for me to edit and never the raw. I get this same issue when uploading my pictures to photoshop too.

I have tried everything (and spent hours on this) and cannot find out how to get Lightroom to show me the raw image. I have googled possible solutions and have matched my settings/preferences to x source but still have been unable to solve this issue.

I'm using Lightroom classic 12.4 / camera raw 15.4.

If anyone can help me or has a possible solution to this, I would be forever grateful. Thank you in advance.

[richardplondon]

(When you write of 'uploading my pictures to Lightroom', I will assume this means importing your pictures into the Lightroom Classic Catalog - though the basic issue is AFAICT the same across both Lightroom, and Lightroom Classic.)

If your camera is set to shoot Raw only then there is no JPG file being saved or imported. Therefore what you are importing is indeed a Raw. This is confirmed in your screenshot - file type ".ARW".  Even if your camera was set to shoot Raw+JPG, and even if your image reports as Raw+JPG inside the Catalog, this would still only be processing from a Raw image. Only when you see a separate image with the file type reported as JPG only, are you actually dealing with a JPG.

That said, when the camera shoots a Raw it includes a JPG preview and this reflects whatever image settings were active in the camera menu at the time of shooting. So that preview will itself look very similar to what the camera would have otherwise produced, if it had been set to JPG instead of to Raw.

Also, a record of these in-camera image settings is included in the Raw. To the extent that these settings are compatibly usable, LrC may employ equivalents in response or else it may be set to use certain settings regardless, for its own initial processing default - controlling what you will therefore see before you commence your own editing. 

Thus, there is no single standard appearance that all Raws will always show. If you are viewing a Raw you are either still seeing the embedded preview from the camera, or else the results of one or another Raw conversion. And the particular conversion that you will initially see is to some extent within your control but also can be specific to the viewing application and also how well or badly it understands any metadata attached to the file. A Raw conversion utility supplied by the camera manufacturer will read and use the camera settings present exactly the same as the camera would have done. Windows photos viewer does not possess that level of camera specific support. 

If the presentation you are used to seeing with Raws at import has always been dull up to now, then that might become your familiar way to recognise what is or is not a Raw. But this is not necessarily so. Consider: after you've applied your own editing choices the appearance will presumably never be dull, but the underlying file will still equally be a Raw then.

[ry_0015]

Thank you for the detailed explanation. Im still not quite understanding something as this is all new to me.

In the image I attached to my post above, the picture to the left is the raw image without any altercations to it opened with the default windows 10 photo app (starts off with a 'jpeg filter' and then changes to this a few seconds later - dulled version). The picture to the right is my raw file (presumably what I am seeing to the left) uploaded to lightroom but has the jpeg filters/properties applied. This is pretty much what I see in the preview of my camera.

1. Is there any way for the dulled version (image to the left without any filters) to be uploaded/shown to lightroom for me to edit instead of the version with all the filters, etc? Why is it that it shows the clean unfiltered image in my photo to the left but then adds the jpeg preview (what shown in the first few seconds when opened via win 10 photo app) when imported to lightroom?

2. I just want to edit the unfiltered image to the left in lightroom, which based on reading your response, may not be possible? Is the filtered image that lightroom is currently showing my only option? 

Thank you so much for your time and response to my question. Thank you.

[dj_paige]

I've uploaded all of my pictures to my pc (uploaded as .arw files) and upon viewing them on the default photo application for windows 10, it shows a 'filtered' preview (jpeg) of the image for a few seconds before switching to the raw version (dulled out version, no filters, etc).

My issue is when uploading my pictures to Lightroom, Lightroom only shows the jpeg images for me to edit and never the raw. I get this same issue when uploading my pictures to photoshop too.

Do you mean import?

This is what happens when you import a RAW. Initially, you see the JPG preview embedded in the RAW files. Then a few seconds later Lightroom Classic renders its own version of the RAW and the appearance of the image changes. This is normal, and cannot be turned off.

You can create presets to be applied at Import such that the first rendered image of your RAWs is more to your liking initially.

[ry_0015]

Thank you for your response. 

Why is is that my picture is shown so much differently in the windows 10 photos app (picture to the left) compared to the image displayed in lightroom (pic to the right)? The windows 10 photo app shows the jpeg preview for a few seconds before turning into the dulled version but that jpeg preview is (correct me if im wrong) the same as what lightroom shows by default. 

Is there any way to have lightroom show the dulled version or does every program process their own version of a raw image despite having the same exact properties? This is all new to me so trying to understand everything, hopefully i'm making sense. Thank you

[JohanElzenga]

There is nothing wrong. Your screenshot shows Lightroom is editing a raw photo, not a jpeg photo. You can see that if you look at the white balance setting options. You see the Temperature is set in Kelvin. That is indicative for raw. Jpeg has white balance already 'baked in', so you would see only correction options, both initially set to zero.

[ry_0015]

Hi guys, I just recently purchase a Sony a7III. I have my file format on my camera set to just RAW.

I've uploaded all of my pictures to my pc (uploaded as .arw files) and upon viewing them on the default photo application for windows 10, it shows a 'filtered' preview (jpeg) of the image for a few seconds before switching to the raw version (dulled out version, no filters, etc).

My issue is when uploading my pictures to Lightroom, Lightroom only shows the jpeg images for me to edit and never the raw. I get this same issue when uploading my pictures to photoshop too.

I have tried everything (and spent hours on this) and cannot find out how to get Lightroom to show me the raw image. I have googled possible solutions and have matched my settings/preferences to x source but still have been unable to solve this issue.

I'm using Lightroom classic 12.4 / camera raw 15.4.

If anyone can help me or has a possible solution to this, I would be forever grateful. Thank you in advance.

[Merged by moderator because of double posting]

[Per Berntsen]

The Windows Photos app cannot display raw files, so it displays the jpg embedded in the raw file.

Your screenshot shows that you do have a raw file open in LrC.

Profile is set to Adobe Color, which is only for raw files. If this was a jpg, it would just be "Color".

Also, Temp is set to 3500 (Kelvin), another indication of a raw file. For a jpg, the scale would go from -100 to +100.

If you select this file in Library, the Metadata panel will most likely display 154.arw under File Name.

The jpg has been rendered in the camera, based on the current camera settings. You seem to be using a setting that underexposes the image to prevent highlights from blowing out. You can probably recover the highlight detail in the raw file by using the Highlights slider.

LrC creates its own rendering of the raw file, and ignores the camera settings.

[ry_0015]

Thank you for your response. 

Why is is that my picture is shown so much differently in the windows 10 photos app (picture to the left) compared to the image displayed in lightroom (pic to the right)? The windows 10 photo app shows the jpeg preview for a few seconds before turning into the dulled version but that jpeg preview is (correct me if im wrong) the same as what lightroom shows by default. 

Is there any way to have lightroom show the dulled version or does every program process their own version of a raw image despite having the same exact properties? This is all new to me so trying to understand everything, hopefully i'm making sense. Thank you  

[Per Berntsen]

The Windows Photos app does NOT render raw files, it displays the embedded jpg.

If the image changes after a few seconds in Photos, it is not normal, and I have no explanation for it.

LrC, on the other hand, will display the embedded preview briefly in Library before it has rendered its own preview.

There is no "correct" rendering of a raw file. Each raw converter  (including the camera) has its own default rendering, but  basic image viewers like Windows Photos are not raw converters.