Lightroom cc HDR merge doesn’t work

[J_backpacker]

I just updated my Lightroom cc and when I try to merge 3-5 identical photos (different exposures), it “gathers data” then when it tries “create preview”, it says “unable to merage. Please cancel and review section.”

How do I get them to merge?

[Akash Sharma]

Hi J.backpacker,

Sorry that you're unable to merge photos in Lightroom CC after the recent app update as you're getting an error message.

Could you please take a look at this discussion Lightroom Classic: Unable to merge the photos. Please cancel and review your selection. | Photoshop ... ​and let us know if that offered suggestions help in merging them?

Thanks,

Akash

[J_backpacker]

Hello. Thanks for replying. I have reviewed the thread provided and what I get from it is that the pictures must be the same size and not too exposed. I’ve confirmed the pictures are the same size and the exposure is different, but not excessive.

I took some new photos using my GoPro hero 5 black in RAW mode. Tried to use the raw photos and the .jpg photos, but I still get the same message.

[GoldingD]

First off are you running Lightroom Classic CC (the desktop version) or Lightroom CC (the cloud version)

[GoldingD]

Second off, LightRoom Classic CC Photo Merge HDR is rather picky about the exposure offsets. So, if most of your frames are say 1 stop in difference, but one in the set is say 1/2 stop in difference, then no joy. Also Lightroom appears to occasionally running into sets that it does nit think match this rule. They need work on this.  But, an error message should have occurred in that case.

did you get an error message, if so what?

what are the exposures?

[J_backpacker]

It says Lightroom CC on the top of my screen.

The exposurea are 2 ev, 0 ev, and -2 ev.

The error mesaage says: unable to merge. Please cancel and review section.

[GoldingD]

your bracket is just fine. Other issues that can hide up a HDR merge are

difference in focal length

difference in crop

difference  aperture, especially at wide focal lengths.

[J_backpacker]

They were taken in wide angel so I will try I’ll try another to see if I still run into the problem.

[GoldingD]

Should have asked, RAW, DNG, TIFF, or JPEG?

[GoldingD]

And for each of the three images, aperture, shutter, focal length as Lightroom reports them.

[J_backpacker]

Update: I took some photos in on my GoPro is narrow and medium. Narrow view I received the same error As before. Medium actually gave me a preview of the photo which I hadn’t received before. But, when I go to “merge” for the final photo, I get another error: unable to merge the photos, unknown errors occurred.

To answer the questions- I was able to find the info button in LR but the details I get are: 3mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec. all photos are the same except one is 1/60 sec, one is 1/150 and one is 1/120.

From the Windows info bar, it says all three photos are 2.97 max aperture.

[GoldingD]

1/60

1/120

1/150

so

1 stop from 1/60 is 1/120 (but many cameras would select 1/125)

1 stop from 1/120 is 1/240 (but many cameras would select 1/250)

1/150 does not fit in neatly, not a nice clean offset. Oh, did you mean 1/250?

one issue I have with Lightroom photo merge hdr, is a camera if set up to accomplish a three frame bracket (for example) might go with say 1/60, 1/120, 1/250. and LR will not like the 1/250, insisting upon 1/240.

some cameras may have given 1/125 instead of  1/120. Typical sequence would be 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000.

not sure if that’s an difference between half stops and third stops. Or if the camera manufacturers just like nice round numbers or something.

try merging just two of the images, any two.

[Jao vdL]

Can you share a set of raw files somewhere for people here to try?

[J_backpacker]

I've tried to combine two random ones and it still doesn't work.

Dropbox - GOPR4607.JPG

Dropbox - GOPR4608.JPG

Dropbox - GOPR4609.JPG

[GoldingD]

J.backpacker  wrote

I've tried to combine two random ones and it still doesn't work.

Dropbox - GOPR4607.JPG

Dropbox - GOPR4608.JPG

Dropbox - GOPR4609.JPG

Downloaded your JPEG exemplars, and I could merge them

[GoldingD]

Looks like you need to contact Adobe.  Actual Adobe employees rarely interact on this site. To actually contact someone at Adobe read Ref (1). Another way to get Adobe’s attention is to place your issue at REF (2)

REF (1) https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2105584

REF (2) https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/categories/photoshop_family_photoshop_lightroom

[J_backpacker]

I posted my issue in the 2nd forum as mentioned.  While in there, I found this thread: https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/merge-to-hdr-simply-doesnt-work?topic-reply-l...

I was able to get the config.lua flag to show up in the system info. Now I can merge two photos, but not three.  Any further ideas?