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Raw photos in-camera b/w show color once viewed?

Advocate ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Hi all-

Fairly new to Lightroom, so I am not sure what to search for this. (What I did search came up with 10 zillion unrelated posts )

Anyway, my son shot a bunch of "black and white" photos in RAW using a Nikon D5500.

They import fine, and appear black and white - until viewed, then the preview reverts to showing the color information.

Any way to keep the shots appearing black and white?

thanks,

Andrew

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

LEGEND , Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

RAW photos are always color in Lightroom. This is normal behavior, first Lightroom shows you the JPG preview which is black and white (if you set the camera to take black and white) and then once Lightroom has the time to render the RAW. There is no way to turn this off.

If you want B&W, you can either shoot JPG, or use the manufacturer's software, or use Lightroom to turn the colored photo into B&W.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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RAW photos are always color in Lightroom. This is normal behavior, first Lightroom shows you the JPG preview which is black and white (if you set the camera to take black and white) and then once Lightroom has the time to render the RAW. There is no way to turn this off.

If you want B&W, you can either shoot JPG, or use the manufacturer's software, or use Lightroom to turn the colored photo into B&W.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Let me start with RAW is RAW. What you are seeing when first imported and viewed in the Film strip is the embedded JPG inside all RAW files. That JPG follows the in camera settings, this case B&W. The RAW data does not follow in camera settings, at least not in LR for Nikon cameras. If viewed with the Nikon supplied software they might show as B&W, Not sure haven't used a Nikon in 9+ years or the software Nikon supplies.

What LR sees is the RAW sensor data, which from a color sensor, will be in color.

Once viewed LR builds it own Preview image which will also be in color.

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Advocate ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Thanks guys-

Well, that's disappointing. I understand that RAW is RAW, but Lightroom shouldn't automatically convert a preview without prompting.

One of the reasons for wanting this is because my son (who just got this camera) is learning, and has been shooting fully manual, but in both color and "black and white"; without this reference, is there any reference in Lightroom as to which photos he intentionally shot in black and white?

That said, I believe Apple's Photos does the same thing.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Well, that's disappointing. I understand that RAW is RAW, but Lightroom shouldn't automatically convert a preview without prompting.

But it does, it always has done this, and if you want software that doesn't do this, use the camera manufacturer's software.

One of the reasons for wanting this is because my son (who just got this camera) is learning, and has been shooting fully manual, but in both color and "black and white"; without this reference, is there any reference in Lightroom as to which photos he intentionally shot in black and white?

Not that I know of, but I haven't looked very hard for this either. Again, use the manufacturer's software, it solves your problem.

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Advocate ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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What I'm going to do is send Adobe a feature request.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Well, you're certainly welcome to send Adobe a request ... However if I may be so bold and impertinent as to inject reality into the discussion ... let me point out that Lightroom has always done this, it has been hotly debated over the years, and Adobe has not changed this behavior. And furthermore, I think the request runs against a basic premise of Lightroom, that is to let you start the editing from scratch, and to not try to emulate the in-camera modification you are applying.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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turner111 wrote:

What I'm going to do is send Adobe a feature request.

To add to what dj_paige said, the chance of Adobe changing this behavior is nil.   If you want to have the JPG rendition than just shoot JPG or better yet JPG+RAW if your camera supports it.  Converting a color RAW to B&W in Lightroom is a WAY better option than shooting a B&W JPG as you are throwing away a lot of data where you can simulate the use of color filters like using B&W film and a lot of other things. 

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Community Expert ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Disappointment is easily overcome-

1. In the library grid mode- press CTRL+A  to select All photos

2. Press V

All the photos are now B&W.

Or you can do a better conversion in the Develop module by clicking B&W on the header of the HSL/Color/B&W panel.

Why do I see my images change after they are imported into Lightroom? | Laura Shoe's Lightroom Train...

Regards. My System: Lightroom-Classic 13.2 Photoshop 25.5, ACR 16.2, Lightroom 7.2, Lr-iOS 9.0.1, Bridge 14.0.2, Windows-11.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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You have already expressed your concern about this on Photoshop.com. That is the forum that the engineers  monitor closely. But like I told you there, if the image has to be in black and white then your son should shoot JPEG. Since every camera maker stores their settings differently, they have to be ignored. It's the nature of the beast when working with raw images.

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Advocate ,
Dec 10, 2016 Dec 10, 2016

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Hi Jim,

Actually, I posted in this forum first.

We'll work around it - probably start by trying to figure out if the Nikon software will allow us to add keywords or some other metadata that can then be successfully imported into Lightroom.\

Thanks all.

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New Here ,
Aug 09, 2019 Aug 09, 2019

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From day one I was scratching my head as to why I spent a ton of time getting my camera to shoot a RAW picture just so, only to have Lightroom revert to some standard blah RAW file that lacks the nuance of what I set in camera. It’s awful. The RAW file should be imported as per the cameras settings. Period. Yes the RAW file can be manipulated any way I’d like once imported but it would be nice if the manipulations I applied in camera would appear in Lightroom. Then I could chose to adjust any way from there. I’m sure Adobe could do this but without any real competition they don’t bother. I’ve got issues with aspects of Lightroom, photoshop, illustrator, and ID. Everyone does. It’s just nonsense. And debates are nonsense too. This is software. They could do this easily And have a setting to import in camera setting or just ignore in camera settings. Jeez. Do this already.

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LEGEND ,
Aug 09, 2019 Aug 09, 2019

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What you are looking for is called Profiles. Specifically Camera Matching profiles

April Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw Releases: New Profiles and More | Adobe Blog

In my non pro opinion, this should be your very first edit.  Then WB, then White/Black point adjustment, perhaps a brightness adjustment, and then tone curve.

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LEGEND ,
Aug 09, 2019 Aug 09, 2019

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By the way, adding on to a three year old discussion? Best to create your own discussion. You would get more hits that way.

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Advocate ,
Aug 10, 2019 Aug 10, 2019

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LATEST

carbonadam  wrote

From day one I was scratching my head as to why I spent a ton of time getting my camera to shoot a RAW picture just so, only to have Lightroom revert to some standard blah RAW file that lacks the nuance of what I set in camera. It’s awful. The RAW file should be imported as per the cameras settings. Period. Yes the RAW file can be manipulated any way I’d like once imported but it would be nice if the manipulations I applied in camera would appear in Lightroom. Then I could chose to adjust any way from there. I’m sure Adobe could do this but without any real competition they don’t bother. I’ve got issues with aspects of Lightroom, photoshop, illustrator, and ID. Everyone does. It’s just nonsense. And debates are nonsense too. This is software. They could do this easily And have a setting to import in camera setting or just ignore in camera settings. Jeez. Do this already.

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t disagree more. Maybe because out of my 60 years in photography the first 40 were in the film medium, where I learned from Weston, Adams, White and others that what is done in the camera is prelude and preparation to what is to done in the darkroom. In those days I would never have used a Polaroid camera as anything but an occasional auxiliary tool. For the last twenty the camera and the darkroom have been digital but if the balance has shifted on the camera > print continuum, it is the digital darkroom’s role that has been expanded. More than ever, the camera is for Composition, Lens Choice, Focus and Exposure while the computer is for Tonality, Color and Graphic Enhancements.  My creative space has grown exponentially, but I would not use that freedom to try to imitate a camera-made jpg any more than I would have once sought to imitate a Polaroid.

Moreover, I know that given the state of present technology and the level of cooperation between various camera makers and software publishers, equivalency between camera-made jpgs and computer-made RGB renderings is impossible. Nikon processing does not equal Canon processing does not equal Sony processing……does not equal Adobe processing does not equal Capture One processing does not equal DxO processing …… and so on ad nausea. If you are entirely happy with jpgs from your camera, stop using Lightroom, cancel your subscription and buy a new lens. If you think you can do a better job than some firmware engineer hired by the camera maker who is striving for a please-all compromise, reset Lightroom’s defaults to whatever rings your bell and no more “standard blah RAW file”. It is easily done and will produce a far greater range of "controlled nuance".

Sorry for the Grouchy Old Man tirade.

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