Export file size for one collection exporting smaller than others

[lkscher]

Just exported a collection of photos, those files sizes are drastically smaller than any other photos I export. They were shot as Raw, edited and exported. A few are cropped but not all. I have not changed any of the settings. Why would one collection of photos export smaller than others? Please help if you can.

[dj_paige]

Comparing file sizes are almost always misleading and irrelevant.

It is the image size (pixels, width and height) that is meaningful, along with the quality settings chosen in Lightroom (which you say you have not changed).

So please give concrete, specific examples of the image sizes that are exported (not the file sizes) from these collections.

[lkscher]

Photos from current collection are all exporting at

300 dpi (as I chose as size to export) un-cropped image is exporting at 1709px x 2560px

Photos exported before today are exporting at 300dpi un-cropped 4912px x7360px

I did not change anything. Why would this happen?

[dj_paige]

The answer is one of these:

• The original photographs were not the same size
• You cropped the photo (even though you said you didn't)
• You changed the export settings (even though you said you didn't)

Since you have ruled out the last two, can you please check to see if the original images are the same size? What camera took these photos?

[lkscher]

Current photo Original:

Raw: 300 dpi 4912 by 7360

Previous photo Original:

Raw: 300dpi 4912 by 7360

Both shot on Nikon D810

Both same size going in to LR. Both should be the same size coming out of LR.

What else could it be?

[dj_paige]

Then obviously you have either cropped the photos in Lightroom, or changed the Image Size during export. Those are the only possibilities. Please investigate.

[lkscher]

NO I absolutely did not.

neither photo was cropped

and both were exported with the same settings.

I have included screenshots of both images in crop mode as you can see they are NOT cropped. I also included screenshots of both in export mode with the settings. Nothing is different.

[Todd Shaner]

lkscher wrote:

Photos from current collection are all exporting at

300 dpi (as I chose as size to export) un-cropped image is exporting at 1709px x 2560px

Photos exported before today are exporting at 300dpi un-cropped 4912px x7360px

I did not change anything. Why would this happen?

It looks like the smaller export images are actually created from Smart Previews and not the original raw files.

[lkscher]

How did I manage to do that? how can I change that? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Did i import them differently?

can you help?

[Todd Shaner · Accepted solution]

You can create Smart Previews during the Import process or from the Library> Previews menu after importing. Some people do this so they can edit images stored on an external drive when it is not connected.

Go to one  of the files in the collection that exports the smaller dimension files. Look at the Histogram lower-left corner. If it says Smart Preview and not Original + Smart Preview the original raw files have been moved outside of LR or the external drive they are on is not plugged into the system.

More info here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/help/lightroom-smart-previews.html

[lkscher]

Thank you for all your help today. You solved the problem. It appears for some reason it only imported a smart preview. now I have to figure out how to undo this mistake without loosing all my edits.

[Todd Shaner]

If with 'Build Smart Previews' checked in the Import module the original files will be loaded into the Destination folder you've selected. They should be in there unless you moved the folder or image files from outside LR with Windows Explorer or Mac Finder?

What source were you using to import these image files (memory card, camera, other)? What Destination folder location did you use and are you using an external drive?

[lkscher]

I made it work, thank you. The originals are on an external hard drive and I told LR to find originals and it is all fixed now.

Thank you so much for your help.

[Todd Shaner]

lkscher wrote:

I made it work, thank you. The originals are on an external hard drive and I told LR to find originals and it is all fixed now.

Thank you so much for your help.

It sounds like you moved these imported image files or a folder from outside LR using Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. This causes LR to show them as "missing." You should only Move or Rename imported files and folders from inside LR to prevent this from happening. I suggest using menu item Library> Find All Missing Photos to see if there are other files or folders that have been moved and are now showing  a '!' symbol on the thumbnails. Good video here:

Missing Files « Julieanne Kost's Blog

Unless you need to access image files on an external when it is not connected (i.e. traveling) there is no need to create Smart Previews during the Import process. You can uncheck that option as shown in my reply #9 screenshot.