Raw + Jpeg Import

[bassman51]

I always shoot Raw + Jpeg and have the Preference "Treat JPEG files new to raw files as separate photos" Unchecked, so I only see the raw files in Lightroom.  I've traditionally stored both the raw and JPEG files on the same SD card in the camera.  I just got a new camera with two card slots (Olympus E-M1 Mark ii) and have it set to store the raw images on Card 1, and the JPEGs on Card 2.  When I import the two cards - individually, obviously - into LR, it shows both the raw and JPEG images in the library.  Is there any way to tell LR to treat them as the same image and only show the raw?

I know I could import them into separate folders, etc., but keeping everything together and seeing on the raw files is more convenient for me.  I also could first copy the SD cards to a folder on disk and then import them in-place into LR, but, again, I prefer the one-step copy-and-import in LR.

LR CC2015.8, Camera Raw 9.8, MacOS 10.11.6

Thanks,

Scott

[99jon]

Hi Scott

Your pref setting will mean LR treats the jpeg as a sidecar but I’m sure they need to be on the same card for LR to make the connection.

I stopped shooting raw+jpeg some while ago as I can always export a jpeg at any time. No doubt you wish to use separate cards as a backup?

[bassman51]

Thanks for the quick replies.  There are a couple of reasons for my setup.

I use Raw + JPEG so that when I'm traveling I can get a high-quality JPEG image transferred to my iPad for posting or sharing, rather than being limited to the embedded thumbnail in the raw file.  I haven't traveled with a laptop since I got my first iPad years ago - I don't even own a laptop anymore.  But I always work with the raw files when I get home to my desktop.  The JPEGs are Large Fine.

With two cards in the E-M1ii, it makes sense to use the second card as backup and also save the space that the JPEGs would otherwise take on the primary.  I could change the camera settings to keep Raw+JPEG on both cards, but that seems really wasteful of both space and time - I'd then have four copies of each image.  I also can use a slower and smaller card in slot 2 (I currently have a 95 MB/s 32G Sandisk there) than in slot 1 (where I have a 280MB/s 64G UHS-II Sandisk), as the JPEGs are much smaller than the raw files.  The E-M1ii only supports UHS-II in slot 1, so writing raw files to slot 2 will significantly slow down the camera.

Another alternative is to simply import the raw files and not the JPEGs.  I can just copy the JPEGs to my backup folder ("make second copy to ...") outside of LR.  But again, this requires a second step in the workflow.

[Just Shoot Me]

bassman51 wrote:

With two cards in the E-M1ii, it makes sense to use the second card as backup and also save the space that the JPEGs would otherwise take on the primary. I could change the camera settings to keep Raw+JPEG on both cards, but that seems really wasteful of both space and time - I'd then have four copies of each image. I also can use a slower and smaller card in slot 2 (I currently have a 95 MB/s 32G Sandisk there) than in slot 1 (where I have a 280MB/s 64G UHS-II Sandisk), as the JPEGs are much smaller than the raw files. The E-M1ii only supports UHS-II in slot 1, so writing raw files to slot 2 will significantly slow down the camera.

Another alternative is to simply import the raw files and not the JPEGs. I can just copy the JPEGs to my backup folder ("make second copy to ...") outside of LR. But again, this requires a second step in the workflow.

IMHO the inclusion of a second memory card slot in a lot of higher end cameras is specifically to record the same image/s to both cards to have a backup of those images. Memory cards do fail and I can't count how many times people have posted on these forums about how LR has corrupted their images when in reality it is the actual memory card that has started to or has completely fail and that is what caused the images to be corrupted. Having a second card in the camera and making a second, real time, backup is the only way to ensure you always have a second option to get the images you shoot.

If I had one of these cameras, I will as soon as I allocate the money to buy a Fuji X-T2, I will use 2 identical cards in each slot and record the same files on both.

[bassman51]

Sadly, every choice I seem to have involves a trade off.

The Fuji system, while certainly quality gear, is just not something I'm interested in.  And I'm not sure how it helps me - my limitation is with LR, not the camera. 

I could have raw+jpeg on both cards.  Or Raw+jpeg to card 1, and raw to card 2. However, this would increase the write time to slot 1 with the UHS-II card, and significantly increase the write time to slot 2, which only supporta UHS-I.  I'm not especially concerned about the space, as I haven't filled up a card in years.  I just came back from 12 days in California where I didn't fill a 32G card with raw+jpeg on it.

I have have lost two SD cards in the last 8 years, although only for write.  Hence backup (I also spent my career in IT, where backups keep you employed).  My on-the-road backup strategy is to copy the raw images each day to a Hypercolor drive, and to keep the jpegs on the second card If I'm using the new E-M1ii.  I'm not a pro, so the only one who looses if I loose images is me. 

- if the card fails midday, I still have LF jpegs - they're pretty good, especially if I don't need much post processing.

- I still have all the raw backups from prior days. 

If if I was shooting for money or where the images were both important and irreplaceable and the card speed wasn't an issue, I might change the strategy.  

[Just Shoot Me]

I wasn't suggesting you switch to Fuji. Only that you use both cards to record all the images you shoot. Whether you shot just RAW or RAW + JPG. Redundancy is the key to not losing data. That is why you have back up hard drives. Same goes for 2 memory cards in a camera. If one card fails you have the other to get your data from.

That IMO is why the high end cameras have 2 slots. Not to record one file type on one card and another file type on the other.

Surely your Olympus camera can record all images on both cards. The other options are there for fluff (If they weren't included other users would complain).

So go out and buy 2 the biggest fastest cards you can afford and start putting all your images on both cards.

[Just Shoot Me]

Why not set the camera to record both RAW & JPG on the same card using the second card as a Back Up for the same thing. If that is possible.

Or just start shooting RAW only and have both cards record the same thing as a backup.

I personally waffle between shooting RAW only to RAW + JPG. It all depends on the type of shooting I'm doing and "IF" I remember to change the setting in the camera.