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Lightroom: Imported RAW goes darker after "loading"

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waiwai

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I used with Lightroom for a long period, but I found there is a strange behavier on Lightroom. After I imported the RAW file, the preview is quite perfect compared with the picture displayed on my camera. However, after a while for "loading", the picture goes darker and seems make my picture underexposure.
I'd love with Lightroom except this issue make me want to get rid of this tool, and go back to DPP. Anyone know how to fix this strange behavior? Thanks.
 
Very simple:

use Standard default picture profile,

turn OFF auto lighting optimizer.
 
XeroJay is correct. When LR first reads a file it is using the embedded JPEG, which may have camera processing applied. One the full file read is completed the preview is based on the RAW data. LR will not read camera specific processing tags in the RAW file like Picture Styles, ALO, etc..
 
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As I understand it, the LCD on the camera displays a jpeg image processed however you have your camera set up for jpeg processing. In Lightroom, the first version of your image that you see is a jpeg, then the software processes the RAW image as per your camera settings. So if your camera has a jpeg setting that is not very similar to Camera RAW, you could be underexposing the RAW images to try to match the image on the camera's LCD display. Two things to do when shooting RAW: (1) set your jpeg Picture Style in camera to either Neutral or Faithful and (2) use your histogram, not the brightness of the LCD image, to set your exposure. Then, while you will still see some change in the image as Lightroom software process the RAW file, it will not be as dramatic.
 
CameraCarl said:
CameraCarl wrote:

As I understand it, the LCD on the camera displays a jpeg image processed however you have your camera set up for jpeg processing. In Lightroom, the first version of your image that you see is a jpeg, then the software processes the RAW image as per your camera settings. So if your camera has a jpeg setting that is not very similar to Camera RAW, you could be underexposing the RAW images to try to match the image on the camera's LCD display. Two things to do when shooting RAW: (1) set your jpeg Picture Style in camera to either Neutral or Faithful and (2) use your histogram, not the brightness of the LCD image, to set your exposure. Then, while you will still see some change in the image as Lightroom software process the RAW file, it will not be as dramatic.
Click to expand...
Carl's correct on the mechanics of this, but I would not recommend Neutral or Faithful.

You have to understand that Lightroom is setup and calibrated to each camera's Standard profile. There is the calibration options in Lightroom, which could mimic those profiles a bit more closely, but again, I find that the closest that you'll get is with your camera's out-of-the-box profile, with all bells & whistles turned-off.

I'm actually going to be writing a blog post in the coming weeks about shooting raw and "calibrating your expectations with third party software". It will basically outline how to setup your camera for predictability when shooting raw, and how this is more important that chasing a preferred look with in-camera processing. You have to adjust your frame of thinking to the fact that you will be processing images AFTER the fact with your software when shooting raw, and not with the camera's processing options.
 
I guess we can disagree on this. I did extensive testing with my 1D Mark IV set to Picture Styles of Landscape, Standard, Neutral and Faithful and compared the histogram on the LCD with the RAW final histogram in Lightroom. Neutral and Faithful gave the closest results.
 
XeroJay said:
XeroJay wrote:
XeroJay said:
CameraCarl wrote:

As I understand it, the LCD on the camera displays a jpeg image processed however you have your camera set up for jpeg processing. In Lightroom, the first version of your image that you see is a jpeg, then the software processes the RAW image as per your camera settings. So if your camera has a jpeg setting that is not very similar to Camera RAW, you could be underexposing the RAW images to try to match the image on the camera's LCD display. Two things to do when shooting RAW: (1) set your jpeg Picture Style in camera to either Neutral or Faithful and (2) use your histogram, not the brightness of the LCD image, to set your exposure. Then, while you will still see some change in the image as Lightroom software process the RAW file, it will not be as dramatic.
Click to expand...
Carl's correct on the mechanics of this, but I would not recommend Neutral or Faithful.

You have to understand that Lightroom is setup and calibrated to each camera's Standard profile. There is the calibration options in Lightroom, which could mimic those profiles a bit more closely, but again, I find that the closest that you'll get is with your camera's out-of-the-box profile, with all bells & whistles turned-off.

I'm actually going to be writing a blog post in the coming weeks about shooting raw and "calibrating your expectations with third party software". It will basically outline how to setup your camera for predictability when shooting raw, and how this is more important that chasing a preferred look with in-camera processing. You have to adjust your frame of thinking to the fact that you will be processing images AFTER the fact with your software when shooting raw, and not with the camera's processing options.
Click to expand...
 
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I have the exact same problems, yet haven't been able to figure it out either. It drives me nuts. I usually just end up overexposing some while I shoot and when the files load into Lightroom, they normalize. While it works, it's still frustrating.
 
The most likely explanation is, as XeroJay said, that Lightroom at first viewing shows the imbedded JPG from the RAW as a preview. When LR has finished its own processing the preview is then replaced with the LR one.

Why is there a noticeable difference between these two previews?

Basically because the processing instructions for the two JPGs are different. The embedded JPG is processed by the camera according to the JPG settings. The LR preview is processed according to the profile selected for the camera as a default.

The LR default processing is often rather neutral, so especially if you have experimented with the JPG camera settings, the differences between the two will be more pronounced.

What to do?

Ignore it. I leave the camera settings on neutral and LR on standard, ignore the differences I see on import, and process in LR according to my taste.


Or find a processing default which you like, then adjust both the camera settings and the LR profile to give that 'look'. This option will require some experimentation...

Third, if you really like the embedded JPG preview, consider that you may not need the hassle of RAW processing.


Do note that in-camera JPG processing is often set up to give a more immediate appeal. This often, but not necessarily ialways, includes brighter images.

Why doesn't DPP have the same problem?

In contrast to LR, DPP knows about and can process according to the camera JPG settings. There should therefor be little to no difference between the embedded and the processed JPG (caveat - there are exceptions to this!).

Regards, Mike
 
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