Why is Lightroom Classic resizing my photos during import?

[Sander Marra]

I am having a problem with Lightroom Classic that I've never faced before. During import I see black bars on top & bottom of some of the photos in the preview window, just randomly distributed. Just at the final moment of importing I see Lightroom is stretching the photos with black bars up vertically and than immediately after CROPPING them horizontally to maintain the aspect ratio (I guess). All this is done automatically and I can not do nothing about it, there is no cancel button. The cropped pixels are gone forever, I don't see them anymore in Crop Overlay on the Develop module.

I have to say that the original CR2 photos have all the same resolution and aspect ratio, all shot during the same photo shooting, with the same camera and same settings. 

I used -> Camera: Canon 5D MarkIII, Memory: SanDisk Extreme PRO 256GB micro SD with SanDisk adapter, Remote Triggering: Camranger with iPad, Lightroom: Latest version 11.3.1.

What am I doing wrong? Is there any way to tell Lightroom to not do any resizing after import?

Thanks

[JP Hess]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no function in LrC that would cause it to resize images automatically. I don't know anything about the camera you are using. Is it possible there is a setting in the camera that modifies the aspect ratio of the image taken?

[Sander Marra]

Yes that is why it is so strange that LrC is resizing my shots, apparently in a random way. I'm using a Canon 5D3 at the default aspect ratio that I always use.

[dj_paige]

Very long thread about this is here: 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lightroom-4-1-rc-and-canon-5d-mark-iii-...

Some solutions are suggested

[Sander Marra]

Those threads are 10 years old already, the plug-ins they are talking about doesn't even work anymore with the new versions of LrC.

[TheDigitalDog]

We really need to see a DNG (which would bake in any edits if they exist) uploaded to something like Dropbox. AFAIK, LR can't do this on input. However, you can set your camera (well many cameras) to capture at a specific aspect ratio which may be what you're seeing and of course, Lightroom Classic is honoring that as it most. 

[Sander Marra]

I didn't set my camera to any specific aspect ratio, it's just at the default aspect ratio like I always shoot at. How is it possible that one shot is at a given aspect ratio and the shot next shot just 3 seconds later is at a different aspect ratio? I don't understand why LrC would interpret these shots taken at the same time period in different ways

[Lumigraphics]

RAW files are never changed, you always have the original bits from the camera.

[Sander Marra]

Yes the RAW files are fine, I'm just talking about the converted dng files inside LrC

[GoldingD]

Ok, so Canon 5D Mk III. 

What lens?

What lens hood?

What filters attached? Multiple? Thick?

A few of you previews look like an issue with vignetting, as if the hood was in the wrong orientation.

Many of hour previews look like the image in camera is not properly filled, cut off. Some sort of odd lens attached? Some setting in camera?

On the latter, LrC may be showing images fit to screen.

Look at the images in camera.

[Sander Marra]

I don't see how vignetting / lens hood / filters would affect how LrC converts my shots. Besides, there are 2 shots taken just few seconds from each other with the same exact settings, which LrC treats in different ways.

[TheDigitalDog]

Again, if you want help, you need to provide a DNG. And ideally, the raw that was used to convert to DNG. 

[Sander Marra]

Thank you for the help. Inside this Google Drive folder there are two CR2 files straight out of the camera, and two DNG files which are the two converted files of the above in LrC. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Onr4ND9gIvvNl4ZeN9fbGGiQp_F4QC9J?usp=sharing

[TheDigitalDog]

Downloaded one DNG and its associated raw, after import, the two are identical. 

I did see the 'black bars' for a split second, but after import, they disappear so what I saw briefly is simply the embedded preview (JPEG) which doesn't reflect the raw data. Again, the two are identical after import. There's no issue here. 

[Sander Marra]

Can you please try with the other files too? There is an issue here, otherwise I wouldn't have asked for help. There is a  crop on the left and right of the frame which in the raw cr2 file you can see. Maybe I can't explain this good enough.

[TheDigitalDog]

The other two are the same; no issues and they both match. 

[Bob Somrak]

@TheDigitalDog 

There appears to be an issue in LrC the OP is experiencing.  

In your post with photo 3425 the photo is cropped and the aspect is changed.  You can see the photo on the wall on the left side is missing.  In the OP's screenshot of the import screen photo 3425 has the photo on the wall.

[TheDigitalDog]

The raw and converted DNG look the same to me. Didn't the OP indicate it's a DNG issue?

“Yes the RAW files are fine, I'm just talking about the converted dng files inside LrC”

[Bob Somrak]

Yes, they are both cropped.  Compare your 4325 images to the 4325 image in the OP's import dialog screen shot and you can see the photo on the left wall is missing in your import and not missing in the OP's import dialog.

[Rob_Cullen]

Yes, I took the liberty of downloading your files and I also see your problems with the 'cropped?' images! ( I am on v11.3.1 in Windows-10)

However I suspect that the problem is starting in your camera! Your Canon model does not have a selection for the choosing a different aspect ratio for raw files, but I do see the black bands when I view the "Embedded" preview file (that the camera generates) in the import dialog.

Some of your files are definitely re-sizing, as the 'native' pixel dimensions for your camera are 5760x3840, some of your files are indicating 5120x3840.

 Here are some screen-clips of what I saw using only a CR2 file (not a DNG):

1) Import dialog preview with 'Embedded Preview' option for imports-

2) After Import- In the Library view. No edits (Note the embedded badge) -

3) View the image in Loupe mode and a Standard Preview is built that looks different! (cropped  5120x3840)- (And a Develop [Crop] cannot fix it back to original 5760x3840)

So a 'bug' somewhere- keep up the search. I do not have an answer. File a Bug report. Check the Canon forums for similar problems.

[Bob Somrak]

@Rob_Cullen 

The Canon 5DMk3 saves the 3:2 aspect in Raws but Lightroom honors the changed Camera Aspect Ratio setting and will crop the photo.  Unfortunately, the Mk3 was implemented in LrC before Adobe changed the behavior to allow the user to undo the crop. I dont know why Adobe chose to not make the Mk3 backward compatible with the new behavior and the only way to get the full image back is to use the Recover Edges tool Adobe provided.  Another oddball decision Adobe made in LrC.

https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/cc/en/products/eula/third_party/photoshop_lightroom/Lightroom_DNG_...

[Rob_Cullen]

Thanks Bob. Now the answer is arriving!

[Sander Marra]

There is an update regarding the issue I have with LrC. Apparently the problem of the crop is Camranger, the app that I use for triggering the Canon 5D MarkIII. Yesterday in a photoshoot I had to trigger my camera manually because of a problem with Camranger, and today as I was importing the CR2 and converting into DNG I noticed that the files are not cropped anymore.

Any idea why Camranger app is doing that? I checked the setting on the app, there is no cropping or resizing, everything is OFF so the photos should go unedited straight to the sd card. The app is updated to the most recent version too. The hardware dongle attached to my camera is the Version 1, not the new Camranger.

I'm affraid I'm not gonna use Camranger anymore, at least until I find out the issue.

Thanks

[GoldingD]

Downloaded your two RAW files. I brought them into Canon DPP. And I noticed the style is a user specified one, and is CINESTYLE.

So, a style meant for video, and I think sets the aspect ratio to 16:9 instead of 3:2 w/o user intervention. This affects the embedded JPEG and not the RAW. The RAW is still 3:2.

Looking again at the properties, the first RAW has Aspect Ration 4:3, the second has 3:2. Notice in the first screenshot the frame within the preview.

When you bring these images into LrC, you first see the embedded JPEG, and that is not 3:2 for the first example. Once LrC creates the first preview as to show the RAW the aspect ratio setting is ignored and you see 3:2. As for the initial black bars, LrC is probably expecting 3:2 and fills in the black bars initially.

As for why I went into Canon DPP, well I went down a rabit hole on that. But it did allow me to see the images without LrC preview creation. Could of used ExifToolGui for the info.And from ExifToolGui, I can extract the JPEG:

Embeded JPEG ( _CJ_4325.jpg ) extracted from RAW

JPEG Export from LrC from RAW (Profile cmaera matching Standard, I do not have Cinestyle)

[Bob Somrak]

If that is the case, the OP could try the DNG Recover Edges Plugin.  Not sure if it still works but it is available here

https://helpx.adobe.com/be_en/lightroom-classic/kb/canon-5d-mark-iii-images.html