Need help getting initial LR preview "look" back.

[jim.batzer]

I prefer, in most cases, the initial preview LR renders from my D80 raw files. After a few seconds, however, that render changes. I did a search on the forum and it appears there is no easy way to return to that look. Perhaps the initial preview is from the embedded JPEG in the raw file - a JPEG that probably has in camera adjustments (auto saturation, auto contrast, etc.). Since there is no easy way to return to that "look", does anyone have any advice for recreating it. I've attached a couple samples showing the phenomenon. I've tried to replicate the look, but have had little or limited success. I can match the black clipping and contrast easily enough, but I'm having a harder time with the color. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim Batzer
www.batzerphotography.com

Initial preview render on the left, final LR render on right


Initial preview render on right, final LR render on left (vice versa)

[DarkPenguin]

Have you downloaded the DNG profiles?

[David Sutton]

The initial preview is from the embedded jpeg.
Have you tried going to:
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/DNG_Profiles
and downloading camera profiles beta 2?
Then in the develop module you go to "camera calibration" and select your profile. It will only show options for that model camera.
Cheers, David

Edit: Ha! While I was still trying to put one word after another DarkPenguin had it in a nutshell.

[jim.batzer]

Thanks so much for the answers.

This was my first post - great forum, been reading for years. I've downloaded the beta 2 profiles and I'll give them a try.

Jim Batzer

[MBehrens]

If you want to extract the JPG file from the RAW without having to use the RAW+JPG setting in the camera (and filling up your memory card) The RAWWorkflow guys have a tool for extracting the JPG from the RAW after the fact.

http://www.rawworkflow.com/instant-jpeg-from-raw-utility/

Can be really handy for extracting a reference image.

 - Morey

[BruceHouston]

I have a few related questions, if someone could help me out:

(1) Help About in LR shows: LR Version 1.4.1 and ACR 4.4.1.  However, Help About in PS (under Plug-ins) shows ACR 4.6.0.30.  I believe that I remember PS doing an auto-update from Adobe to update ACR a week or two ago.  Is this normal, that LR does not recognize the correct version of ACR?

(2) Only two camera profiles show up in LR: ACR 2.2 and ACR 4.4.  Is this normal, or should there be a later camera profile (but of course not the new "AS" profiles that Adobe makes clear do not work with LR 1.4.1 and earlier)?

(3) The ACR 2.2 and 4.4 profiles include a modest amount of sharpening and color noise reduction for the Canon 40D.  Is it best to use these instead of the Photokit capture sharpening and Noiseware, or should I set the LR sharpening and color noise reduction to zero and do these functions using Photokit and Noiseware in PS?  (Never mind the trouble of doing the trip to PS; I am only concerned with which method produces the best results.)

(4) I know that LR 2.1 may resolve some of these issues.  However, from what I have read my sense is to delay the upgrade to LR 2.1 until I get a faster CPU.

Thanks all,
Bruce

[David Sutton]

I have a few related questions, if someone could help me out:

(1) Help About in LR shows: LR Version 1.4.1 and ACR 4.4.1.  However, Help About in PS (under Plug-ins) shows ACR 4.6.0.30.  I believe that I remember PS doing an auto-update from Adobe to update ACR a week or two ago.  Is this normal, that LR does not recognize the correct version of ACR?

(2) Only two camera profiles show up in LR: ACR 2.2 and ACR 4.4.  Is this normal, or should there be a later camera profile (but of course not the new "AS" profiles that Adobe makes clear do not work with LR 1.4.1 and earlier)?

(3) The ACR 2.2 and 4.4 profiles include a modest amount of sharpening and color noise reduction for the Canon 40D.  Is it best to use these instead of the Photokit capture sharpening and Noiseware, or should I set the LR sharpening and color noise reduction to zero and do these functions using Photokit and Noiseware in PS?  (Never mind the trouble of doing the trip to PS; I am only concerned with which method produces the best results.)

(4) I know that LR 2.1 may resolve some of these issues.  However, from what I have read my sense is to delay the upgrade to LR 2.1 until I get a faster CPU.

Thanks all,
Bruce

Hi Bruce.
2) Camera profiles from Adobe labs need a raw converter that supports DNG 1.2. That rules out LR 1.4
3) Do capture sharpening in LR.
    For noise reduction I look at the image and try LR first, remembering I'm going to print. There is only so much of a print you can pixel peep, especially on matte paper. If there is a lot of noise or a particular area that needs NR (like a sky) I make sure I'm not sharpening the noise too much and then sent it to Photoshop for Noiseware on a layer. I still do what I can in LR. The only time I set the sliders to zero and go straight to Photoshop is for an image with a lot of fog. I could probably mask that out  in the detail panel but I'm lazy.
I still use Photokit for creative sharpening.
4) Here are several answers (sorry!):
a)you are probably right
b)you could try 2.1 trial version on your machine and see if it works well enough.
c)the beta 2 version worked on my ancient laptop, but slowly. It's probably only the adjustment brush that is really processor intensive, so if you get LR 2.1 and avoid the brush tool  where possible you will have access to all the other cool stuff.
Hope that is some help, David

[madmanchan]

(1) Help About in LR shows: LR Version 1.4.1 and ACR 4.4.1.  However, Help About in PS (under Plug-ins) shows ACR 4.6.0.30.  I believe that I remember PS doing an auto-update from Adobe to update ACR a week or two ago.  Is this normal, that LR does not recognize the correct version of ACR?

LR does not use the Camera Raw plug-in. The latter is only used by Photoshop and Bridge. Thus there is no connection whatsoever between the version number displayed in the LR about box and the Camera Raw plug-in version number displayed in the PS about box for Camera Raw.

The way to think about the equivalence is raw image processing capabilities. The raw processing engine in ACR 4.6.0.30 is more recent than the raw processing engine in LR 1.4.1 (which is equivalent to the raw processing engine in the older ACR 4.4.1).

(2) Only two camera profiles show up in LR: ACR 2.2 and ACR 4.4.  Is this normal, or should there be a later camera profile (but of course not the new "AS" profiles that Adobe makes clear do not work with LR 1.4.1 and earlier)?

Yes, this is normal.

(3) The ACR 2.2 and 4.4 profiles include a modest amount of sharpening and color noise reduction for the Canon 40D.

No, they don't. These profiles only affect color. It is true that Camera Raw does have some default sharpening and noise reduction settings, listed in the Detail tab. But these are completely independent settings from the profile setting.

Is it best to use these instead of the Photokit capture sharpening and Noiseware, or should I set the LR sharpening and color noise reduction to zero and do these functions using Photokit and Noiseware in PS?  (Never mind the trouble of doing the trip to PS; I am only concerned with which method produces the best results.)

My recommendation is that for mild noise cases, use the Detail tab for capture sharpening within Lightroom or Camera Raw. It was designed specifically with capture sharpening in mind.

However, if you do plan to use heavy-duty noise reduction using Noiseware or a similar external tool, then I would disable capture sharpening within Lightroom (set Amount to zero in Detail) and then do noise reduction in PS followed by the capture sharpening tool of your choice (e.g., PKS).

(4) I know that LR 2.1 may resolve some of these issues.  However, from what I have read my sense is to delay the upgrade to LR 2.1 until I get a faster CPU.

Yes, probably a good idea.

[BruceHouston]

Thank you, David and Eric; your reponses very much appreciated as usual.

Best,
Bruce

[RGT5]

Have you downloaded the DNG profiles?

I am new to this forum hopefully posting correctly. Can I convert all images in my catalogue to DNG files? What are the steps? A second question when previews are rendered in full view and library or develop module they are shown + exposed by at least 1 stop possibly more than shown in camera. I am not using any presets. How can I keep the exposure as shot?

[DarkPenguin]

You can.  But you don't not have to in order to use the DNG profiles.

I'm not sure about the exposure thing.  I would ask again in a new thread.  Some people might have moved on from this one already.