P: Support for HEIC file format (Windows)

[ebigmac]

Support for HEIC file format was included in Lightroom CC but still is needed in Lightroom Classic.  When will it be added?

[HEIC image support was added to LR 7.4 (for Mac OS 10.13 or later) and LR 7.5 (Windows 10).  (We're now at LR 8.2.1.) See https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-cc/kb/heic-files-support.html.  

- John Ellis]

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Whaaaaa! I just installed the latest version... with HEIC support. (It says so, haven't tried the pudding yet)

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Booooooooom!

It took them a little while 😉



(Haven't got the time to test it right now, but I just installed 'm).

[_Edouard_]

Better late than never — though it's not available for me yet — however we were right to complain that they left us in the dark for a long time.
Is there support for HEVC videos? (useful for the short videos generated by Live Photos on iPhone)

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Support for HEIF was added for 10.13.x in Lightroom Classic CC 7.4 released earlier today. 

[Mr. Dmitry]

Does it support import of portrait photos and editing portrait photos?

[Mr. Dmitry]

Please fix the bug in Photoshop that prevents mac from sleeping when Photoshop is open. Why do you ignore such serious issues for years?

[_Edouard_]

I'm betting that it doesn't.

[_Edouard_]

OK the update appeared. No HEVC support. Still not practical enough for iPhone users.

[Butch_M]

And likely never will ... after all, format support for the untouched HEIC file is one thing, but the 'edited' portrait renderings are a result of special proprietary adjustments made by Apple software in iOS. 

Adobe has never offered direct rendering of such formats as offered by the camera makers. For many reasons it's simply a bridge too far.

[rubberry]

Can it be clarified, does it just support HEIF by bringing it in as a JPG, or was it supposed to be able to bring it in as an HEIF format? If so, that is not working as outlined. Since Lightroom CC supports HEIF, no reason I can understand why Lightroom CC Classic will not import in HEIF format and defaults to JPG.

[Mr. Dmitry]

But is it right that Photoshop already supports editing background on portrait photos imported from HEIF files?

[Mr. Dmitry]

But is it right that Photoshop already supports background editing on portrait photos imported from HEIF files?

[johnrellis]

Note that HEIC support was added to LR CC 1.4 and LR Classic 7.4 for Macos 10.13 (High Sierra).  For Windows, Adobe's help article says, "Adobe is working on providing the support."

(I changed the title of this feature request to say "Windows".)

[johnrellis]

I just verified that my LR 7.4 on MacOS 10.13.5 is able to import HEIC files from my iPhone 7 without problem.

I also verified that the new LR CC Mobile 3.3 will sync camera roll photos in HEIC format to LR CC, and those will sync into LR 7.4 in HEIC format.  But make sure this iPhone setting is checked:

Camera > Formats > High Efficiency

[rubberry]

Thanks for the info John, I should clarify my question regarding the support. In the release note of LR Classic 7.4 they indicated it was supported. I would conclude that means I can import to Classic in the HEIC format, not have it converted. Strangely as the work around I could import the photo in Lightroom CC and not Lightroom CC Classic and via sync they appear in that format in Lightroom CC Classic. Seams very odd that it can not just be imported in that format directly, that's a lot of extra workflow.

[johnrellis]

Yes, when you have the most recent versions of LR Classic (Mac), LR CC (Mac), and LR Mobile (iOS), you'll get HEIC-format photos in all three (provided you've got the iPhone setting Camera > Formats > High Efficiency checked).

Note that in the previous version of LR CC, you weren't getting HEIC-format photos -- iOS was converting the photos to JPEG when LR CC imported them.

[rubberry]

Indeed I have all the latest versions and have High Efficiency Checked. Have you been able to try out importing from the phone library to Lightroom CC Classic? Was there any preferences that had to be changed?

[johnrellis]

See my previous post: 
https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/support-for-heic-file-format-was-included-in-...

[Butch_M]

Yes, Ps can utilize some depth info from HEIC shot on iPhone ... but, any background editing that is accomplished is done on a separate channel at a pixel editing level, not in RAW processing in ACR.

Since Lightroom only processes at the RAW image level ... and is not a pixel editor ... I doubt if we will see that capability in Lr.

[rubberry]

I missed that one in the chain. To simplify, Classic is able to import HEIC, but it will be in JPG format whereas Mobile can import in HEIC format then readable in Classic after a sync. 

[johnrellis]

No, the HEIC format will be preserved in LR Classic 7.4, whether via direct import or via sync with LR CC.

[Sunil_Bhaskaran]

Ryan,
What is the extension it displays in the Import grid? HEIC or JPEG?

Please see if you have selected "Keep Originals" for Settings > Photos (instead of Automatic)

Thanks,
Sunil

[rubberry]

Thanks, I checked, but I do not see this option for "Keep Originals" Do you explain in more details where one sets this? I use the mac version of Lightroom CC Classic.

[Jerry Syder]

I believe it's in photo settings on your iOS device. Go to Settings > Photos and scroll all the way down to the bottom under 'Transfer to Mac or PC'

[rubberry]

That was exactly it, now it works. Much appreciated.