Why is Lightroom automatically cropping my raw files?

[randomfusion]

Hi there! First post!

I'm finding that Lightroom CC is automatically cropping all of my raw files. I'd very much like it to not do this. Can anyone point me in the direction of making this not happen?

Thanks!

[JP Hess]

Please explain your findings in detail. There is no "Lightroom CC", there is Lightroom Classic and there is Lightroom (for the cloud). What is the exact version of Lightroom you are using?

[randomfusion]

Sorry, my bad. For some reason I've been calling Classic "CC" not sure how this came about. I'm using the most recent version of Lightroom Classic.

When ever I import raw files from my cameras (it happens across my Sony and Canon cameras) Lightroom applies its usual chromatic and lens corrections. It is also applying a crop to the images. Not a massive one but it seems to be doing it nonetheless. It's happening across multiple focal lengths and across at least two different lenses. I have turned off all settings applied at import that I can find.

When I look at the crop itself in the develop module it shows it cropped "as shot" yet when I apply "original" to the image, it opens up and is no longer cropped. 

Not sure whats happening here. 

[JP Hess]

Could this be related to the lens corrections that are being applied initially?

[randomfusion]

I believe it might be part of the corrections that Lightroom applies for us when importing images, but the cropping thing is new and I can't seem to locate information on why its happening.

It appears, and I could be wrong, that Lightroom is applying a crop based on the layout ive chosen in my camera. I shoot at 4:3 and it crops an already 4:3 image down to 4:3. So im loosing a little, not a lot, of image on the left and right if ive shot in landscape or a little off the top and bottom if ive gone and shot in portrait.

However, the images don't need this crop and I certainly dont want to have an image, raw, right from the camera have a crop applied to it before Ive even had a chance to look at it.

[randomfusion]

Just as a follow up, I loaded the images into Lightroom (non classic) and it appears it happens there as well. So its got to be some sort of thing thats attached to the chromatic corrections settings. I cant believe that other people arent talking about this.

[JP Hess]

What is the published size (in pixels) of the image from your camera?

What is the actual size (in pixels) of the image in Lightroom before you do anything to it?

[randomfusion]

I think (im not totally sure how to get the info you're asking for) that the raw file is 5472x3648 and the cropped lightroom file is 4864 x 3648. 

[randomfusion]

I also I have to appologize, I'm not shooting at 4:3 but 3:2.

[JP Hess]

That is a pretty substantial crop! Have you considered resetting your camera defaults to see if that resolves the issue?

[randomfusion]

I hadnt thought of trying that, however this crop is being applied against anything raw I put into Lightroom. Not just from my Sony cameras but my canon as well. Like, anything raw.

[JP Hess]

Resetting defaults only impacts the camera model that you reset. So if it is the Sony you are having problems with, reset the defaults on one of the Sony raw files to the Adobe settings, and it will have no effect on the Canon settings.

[randomfusion]

I understand, however, the issue doesnt appear to be simply that my Sony raw files are being cropped for me but that anything that isnt a jpg is being auto cropped. 

[DdeGannes]

Thinking out of the box here.

I guess you have set a crop to be applied to your 3 x 2 image captured in the camera to 4 x 3 ratio through your default develop setting or a preset at import into LR. The best way to demonstrate this is by the screen capture which shows a 4 x 3 original file which has a crop applied to change to 3 x 2 you will see that portions from the top and bottom have been removed. The opposite would happen when you change from 3 x 2 to 4 x 3 and portions from the left and right would have to be discarded. Lightroom will never alter the file by stretching the file.  

[JP Hess]

Okay. I apologize. I'm just a user trying to help, and I'm out of ideas. Perhaps someone else will have a solution for you.

[randomfusion]

No worries Jim! I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into helping me so far. I'm sorry that I exhausted your brain on this one. Thanks for sticking with me for so long on this! Perhaps someone else might have that little bit of knowledge we are both missing on this.

[John R Ellis]

[This post contains embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser to see the images.]

Reading through the thread, it's not clear precisely what you've tried.  Try these steps:

1. Make sure the camera isn't applying in-camera cropping to the raws. (Many cameras can do that.) The two aspect ratios 4 x 3 and 3 x 2 that you're observing would be precisely the aspect ratios that cameras allow you to set in-camera. 

2. Select one of the cropped photos. In Develop, do the menu command Develop > Set Default Settings and click Restore Adobe Default Settings.

3. In the Import window, make sure Apply During Import > Develop Settings is set to None:

4. If none of these steps help, upload one of the problem raws to Dropbox, WeTransfer, or similar and post the sharing link here. (They all offer free accounts.)

[Use the reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[randomfusion · Accepted solution]

I'm very afraid to say that the problem was mine.

I suspect that what was going on was an in camera crop.

I changed the camera from 4:3 to 3:2 and the issue went away. 😕

I'm rather embrassed that I didnt catch that sooner. I really appreciate all the help that people gave me on this issue. 

[JP Hess]

Those things catch us all from time to time. Glad you were able to pinpoint the problem.

[Todd Shaner]

"It appears, and I could be wrong, that Lightroom is applying a crop based on the layout ive chosen in my camera. I shoot at 4:3 and it crops an already 4:3 image down to 4:3. So im loosing a little, not a lot, of image on the left and right if ive shot in landscape or a little off the top and bottom if ive gone and shot in portrait."

If you are setting a 4:3 in-camera crop and the native camera raw image aspect ratio is 3:2 this is expected behavior. For landscape images you will lose picture information on the right and left sides and portrait images will lose top and bottom picture information. If you don't want the crop applied inside LR you will need to 1) turn it off in your camera settings or 2) remove the crop after importing using Sync or Copy & Paste a Crop Reset.

[elie_dinur]

> "...or 2) remove the crop after importing using Sync or Copy & Paste a Crop Reset."

>> "When I look at the crop itself in the develop module it shows it cropped "as shot" yet when I apply "original" to the image, it opens up and is no longer cropped."

As the OP himself observed, setting Original cancels the crop because it invokes the full unedited (i.e., uncropped) Raw, whereas As Shot imitates the camera's behavior. As a matter of fact, I think Original is the Adobe default setting.

[elie_dinur]

> As a matter of fact, I think Original is the Adobe default setting.

Correction: A test with my Canon M6II shows that with the camera set to crop, LR reads the metadata notation and auto-switches to As Shot.

[Ainaras5FDF]

I notis this youre request in the same time as I am tryed to sort out the same isue. Try go on the croping tool and there close to the lock hawe option wich size pictures you want work. I am puted original size and this sorted out my croping problem.

[Lew_S]

I just experienced the same thing with my Sony a7v. Somehow, the in-camera aspect ratio was set to 16:9, but not by me. I do use raw files and, as advertised, I was able to get the entire image back by uncropping in LrC.