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Hi all,
Some time ago I gave up on LRC as I did not want to be tied in to a proprietary catalog, preferring to use named folders for various versions of my files.
I have about 1000 images processed in LRC, and now wish to convert them to DNG and ditch LR altogether.
If I then re-edit those images, do I lose any quality?
Regards,
Steve
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Converting a proprietary raw file to the DNG format does not lose quality at all- the camera sensor data is identical in both. (Converting RGB files- JPG, TIF, etc, is a waste of effort as the DNG only becomes a 'wrapper' for the RGB file contained within).
Exporting to DNG from Lightroom-Classic will however encapsulate LrC editing in the metadata of the DNG file. The editing metadata will only be visible in other Adobe apps that can read this metadata (LrC, Lr, ACR, Bridge). In other software, or file viewers, the DNG will appear as original from camera.
LrC has no problem using named folders for various versions of files. You do not have to stick with the often recommended 'Dated folder' structure. Your folder structure is entirely your decison.
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As Rob says. Nothing lost, all the camera sensor data are there.
But you need to do this first from Lightroom Classic:
LrC stores all edits centrally in the catalog database, not in the file. So ACR can't read it unless you first export all this metadata to the files (as a sidecar for proprietary formats, into the file header for DNG).
Just so it's said, you can use LrC entirely based on your physical folder structure on disk. That's what I do. The "Folders" panel in LrC operates just like a normal file browser. You don't need to use the catalog-based modes of organization.
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Interesting. I am not sure how I have LRC set up, but if I export one of my LRC edited file to dng, all edits are present in the dng. So it must be set up to save edits in the metada in the dng file. I have used my folder structure when I was using LRC.
My main concern was if I exported to dng from LRC with edits embedded, if I then proceeded to do further edits would I lose any quality? It appears not.
My current PS workflow is basically to use adjustment layers on a single duplicate smart object layer for each process, such as curves, colour balance, etc so if I reopen the file later it is easy to tweak later if I want to re-edit. I also do a lot of edits in ACR first, and of course those are retained in sidecar files as well as the file itself.
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DNGs do not use a sidecar — the edits are stored in the file.
If you look at the images in Adobe Bridge, you will see a small icon showing that edits have been made. You can right-click the image to copy or clear the edits.
Edits in Photoshop have no effect on the RAW file.
Jane
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@jane-e wrote:
DNGs do not use a sidecar — the edits are stored in the file.
If you look at the images in Adobe Bridge, you will see a small icon showing that edits have been made. You can right-click the image to copy or clear the edits.
Edits in Photoshop have no effect on the RAW file.
Jane
I have set LRC to automatically write edits to xmp files. I probably did that when I installed it many years ago. If that raw image file is then exported as a dng, then when the dng is opened in ACR, then those edits are visible in ACR.
I do realise that PS edits are not reflected in ACR or the raw file, which is why I do a lot of edits in ACR then open in PS for tweaks that cannot be done in ACR (not many in fact)
I did not know about the right click clear edit. That is good to know.
Regards,
Steve
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if I export one of my LRC edited file to dng, all edits are present in the dng. So it must be set up to save edits in the metada in the dng file.
By @OzPhotoMan
Yes, if you Export a raw file to DNG, the edit metadata will be read from the LrC catalog and included in the DNG.
Or you can save metadata to files and batch convert to DNG in Lightroom.
If you're going to convert proprietary raw files (nef/arw/cr3 etc) to DNG anyway, either method will get you there and be equally effective.
If the conversion is not necessary, you can just save metadata and the files will be ready for use in ACR, as they are.
And to be perfectly clear, all these formats are just wrappers. The camera sensor data inside that wrapper will be the same (excluding some types of optional lossy compression, which I would not recommend)
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As far as I know, exporting as DNG will always include the edits, even when Automatically write changes into XMP is not enabled in the catalog settings. If you open an exported DNG in ACR, the edits will be applied, and all the sliders will be at the same position as they were in LrC.
As others have mentioned, you can manage your photos based on existing folders.
I use named folders, and rarely use keywords and collections, but I do use ratings and flags.
Note that the folder tree in LrC doesn't mirror the folder tree as seen in the OS.
For a folder to appear in the LrC folder panel, you need to import at least one image from it.
And the folder could contain images that don't appear in LrC because they have not been imported.
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As far as I know, exporting as DNG will always include the edits, even when Automatically write changes into XMP is not enabled in the catalog settings. If you open an exported DNG in ACR, the edits will be applied, and all the sliders will be at the same position as they were in LrC.
By @Per Berntsen
Just tested this, and if write to xmp is unchecked, no xmp file is created.
As others have mentioned, you can manage your photos based on existing folders.
I use named folders, and rarely use keywords and collections, but I do use ratings and flags.
Note that the folder tree in LrC doesn't mirror the folder tree as seen in the OS.
For a folder to appear in the LrC folder panel, you need to import at least one image from it.
By @Per Berntsen
Thanks, I do know that and in fact I work much the same. A folder for raw, one for psd and one for jpg. These are all subfolders under master folders named for categories and events by date shot, such as sport, animals, etc. Bearing in mind this is my PS workflow, but it also works for LR once the folders are imported.
Regards,
Steve
Regards,
Steve
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With all the great comments from others above and Reading your first post again and considering- "..ditch LR altogether."
Then your options are-
1) In LrC: Write metadata to proprietary raw files. This will create sidecar XMP files with the proprietary raw files. All raws will open in Photoshop (from Bridge or a file browser) through ACR with the last edit state visible. You always keep the raws with a sidecar.
2) In LrC: EXPORT files as DNG. No sidecar is created, but the last edit state is visible from the metadata saved within the DNG file. Now you have two files to contend with- the proprietary raw and the DNG raw. ie. more things to worry about. Are you going to delete the proprietary raw files and just keep the DNGs? Or are you going to Convert in LrC (Not Export)?
3) Keep Lightroom-Classic running and indexing all your files, then you need do nothing more. You get to keep all History, Virtual Copies, Collections, etc. And you simply [Edit in Photoshop] when you want -creating a new TIF or PSD file in the LrC catalog.
I question why you want to Export to DNG. I recommend you simply stay with Lightroom-Classic and all these questions and hassles go away. Lightroom-Classic is ACR !