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Holger5FB5
Known Participant
February 21, 2021
Question

What are the differences between camera raw and lightroom

  • February 21, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 2077 views

Hello there 

 

I have my complete photo collection managed in lightroom classic. I have converted all my canon cr2 raw files to dng using the Adobe Tool. After that I set up lightroom. I also use the official smugmug plugin for publishing as a form of backup. 

 

Now my question. After years of just saving my pictures to my hard disk I know have the goal to sort them out and edit each acceptable photo. I do this with the dng files and overwrite the jpg of my camera after that. 

 

But now I am not sure what is the best way to do this. Should I open the dngs from my hard drive into Photoshop (Camera Raw), edit them and save them after that (this has the negative side effect that some dngs show black parts on windows explorer after saving) or should I use the develop part of lightroom classic (if I understand correctly there is no way of saving like in Photoshop but I have to export them?)?

 

Are there any differences, advantages or do advantages? 

 

I tried both methods and on both I get a notification on some (why not all?) photos that they were edited outside of lightroom and if I want to import the settings from my hard drive. I could understand this notification if I edited them in Photoshop because it is an other programm, but why does this also happens after using the develop Part of lightroom classic after the export and the folder sync? 

 

I know, much to read but I hope someone could help me 

 

Thanks in advance 

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

DdeGannes
Community Expert
DdeGannesCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 21, 2021

Maybe the article at the link below would assist.

http://www.johnshawphoto.com/lightroom-acr-difference/

 

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
DdeGannes
Community Expert
DdeGannesCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 21, 2021

It's likely you have the option "Automatically write to xmp" selected in the LrC preferences. This option allows Lightroom to add the edits that you perform to the DNG file header and will be used by ACR in the event you access the file directly from Photoshop. If you make changes there outside of Lightroom the editing info will change in the DNG and that is why you get a "notification" saying there has been a change made by another application. Lightroom only writes to xmp it does not read automatically from the file.

The notification gives you the option to choose which edits should prevail, the info in Lightroom or the info in the file. If you accept the info from the file it will change the edits you did in Lightroom.

 

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
H
Holger5FB5Author
Known Participant
February 21, 2021
  • Thanks for the information. So if I edit the dng in Photoshop and get the notification I have to choose load from file and when I edit the dng in lrc and get the notification I have to choose lightroom, correct? Should I unmark the "automatically write to xmp" Option? And do have an idea why not every edited photo gets this "notification"? 
DdeGannes
Community Expert
DdeGannesCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 21, 2021

You are the only one who will know why there is a mismatch and what info should prevail.

I keep my workflow KISS "keep it simple sweet" so I do not have the Automatically write to XMP selected.

I would normally use the "edit in Photoshop" to send images for further editing if needed.

It is also possible to work with raw DNG files directly in Photoshop / Camera Raw and that info will remain with the file, so you have to separate renditions. 

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
dj_paige
dj_paige
Legend
February 21, 2021

I can't explain why some photos get a "notification" while others do not, as I never edit in ACR, and I recommend you don't either, and then the problem goes away.

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Holger5FB5Author
Known Participant
February 21, 2021

Thanks for your help. That is really useful for my next steps. But maybe you can read my replies again. This notification do also appear if I edit in lightroom classic (develop area). And I dont understand why, because its not an external tool and I dont know which option of the notification I should use (settings from hard drive or from the catalog)? 

dj_paige
dj_paige
Legend
February 21, 2021

If you want the edits that you did in ACR, you read the settings into Lightroom Classic from the hard drive. If you want the edits that you did in Lightroom Classic and not the edits you did in ACR, you write the Lightroom Classic settings to the hard drive.

dj_paige
dj_paige
Legend
February 21, 2021

There is no difference between ACR and Lightroom Classic in terms on developing photos. They use the exact same underlying engine, and you get the exact same results.

 

Naturally, Photoshop's editor has additional editing tools not in ACR or Lightroom Classic. Lightroom Classic has organizing tools not available in Photoshop or Bridge.

 

I tried both methods and on both I get a notification on some (why not all?) photos that they were edited outside of lightroom and if I want to import the settings from my hard drive. I could understand this notification if I edited them in Photoshop because it is an other programm, but why does this also happens after using the develop Part of lightroom classic after the export and the folder sync?

 

Lightroom Classic does not know what you do in ACR. These are separate programs that do not automatically communicate with each other. So if you are going to use ACR instead of Lightroom Classic to edit the photos (even though the underlying engine is the same) you have to notify Lightroom Classic that the edits have changed.

 

In my opinion, a better option is to do as much editing and organizing as possible in Lightroom Classic. Then use Photoshop if you need to use the additional editing tools there.

 

I see really little benefit in using both ACR and Lightroom Classic, but I do see extra work. Extra work but no benefit? I don't like the sound of that.

    H
    Holger5FB5Author
    Known Participant
    February 21, 2021

    Thanks for you answer. The problem with the notifications also appeared as I edited some dngs in lightroom classic. Do you have an idea why? And why this notifications only appear on some files and not on every (I edited really every with nearly the same edits). 

    H
    Holger5FB5Author
    Known Participant
    February 21, 2021

    And if this notification comes after editing in lightroom classic directly, do I have to choose "Import settings from hard drive" or the other "add settings to catalog or something like that"..? 

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