Why am I seeing posterization / tonality problems after exporting to LR from PS?

Not sure what we're looking at here, but the first thing I noticed is the PS window shows 359% magnification and it's a bigger magnification that the LR window. Strange things can happen at odd (and large) magnifications. And since the magnifications are different you are kind of comparing apples to oranges. I doubt the pattern you are seeing is really in the image itself, but instead is a by-product of the magnification plus your monitor profile.

Suggest you repeat the comparison at equal magnifications and even boundry magnifications (100%, 200%, 400%)

Here are both images opened in Photoshop to add to the confusion. The first image was from the LR -> PS export. The second was the NEF raw file opened directly in PS. Both are at 300%.







If you look carefully there is a clear green hue and banding effect on the left, but not on the right around the cheek.

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multiphrenic said:

Here are both images opened in Photoshop to add to the confusion. The first image was from the LR -> PS export. The second was the NEF raw file opened directly in PS. Both are at 300%.

If you look carefully there is a clear green hue and banding effect on the left, but not on the right around the cheek.

Click to expand...

I see a difference as you describe. - but what exactly are you doing? You say "NEF RAW opened directly in PS", and to to me that means using ACR standalone, so how have you ensured all adjustments are same as in LR?? Particularly for camera profile, process version, color-space, bit-depth, etc., etc.,

What is your working color-space (and bit-depth) in CC? Have you got CC color-space warnings set on?

Your thread header also says exporting to LR from PS, so just to confirm your problem is an image developed in LR does not look same when Edited In from LR into CC? (NB an Edit In CC is not an Export operation, as no file is actually Exported from LR - LR invokes ACR of CC to silently process the RAW directly with LR's adjustment settings and then open it as CC background layer).

--
Mark W.
http://500px.com/Mark_Wycherley

If the OP is really going from Photoshop to Lightroom, the workflow is backwards. Not using the right terminology here and not following the workflow completely, it's difficult to understand what is being done or how to fix it.

Post the NEF file

multiphrenic said:

Sample photo:

https://imgur.com/YpKGqmh

In PS, the smooth skin tones from LR seem more abrupt and have an almost green cast. These are a pure export with no edits. Using Lr 5.4 and PS CC.

My Lightroom "Open in PS" settings are PSD, Prophoto RGB, 16 bit, 300 ppi. Tried using TIFF as well, exact same results.

If it matters, I'm using a D800. 200% zoom, ISO 200, 24mm f/2.8 1/250 second. Nikon 24-70 2.8 lens.

Click to expand...