Camera Labs

I just got the EOS 5D mk III and I'm loving it, but Lightroom 3 won't import my pictures, it can import JPEG
It says that it can't import because it doesn't recognize the camera.I cheked for updates for LR 3, but there aren't any.

I read somewhere I could import them as DNG files, but it doesn't work.

But I'm not really sure what DNG is compared to RAW, from what I can read it's the same, but why do both systems exist? - will the file loose information etc by importing them as DNG, like a JPEG file does?

Do I really have to buy an update to LR4 to import my photos???

M

Short answers (in reverse order): yes. no. no reason.

Longer answers:

Because Adobe has a policy of not upgrading a product after a new full version is released, there will be no further updates (to support new/future cameras) for LR3. So yes, one way to get support for 5DIII RAW files is to upgrade to LR4.

However, another way to work with these (and supposedly future files) is to convert them to a format that LR3 can currently read. And since version 6.7 of Adobe's DNG converter lists support for 5DIII files, you can use that to convert the RAWs to DNGs, and then work with the DNGs in LR3. And since one of the benefits of the DNG format is that it can (supposedly) be lossless, no, you shouldn't lose any information (like you would when converting to a lossy format like JPEG) unless you explicitly specify to use lossy compression when converting.

As to why both formats exist, you may want to check out this previous thread in which the differences/pros/cons were briefly discussed.

HTH - Mark

Thanks

So do I understand correct if this is what I do:
1 - I download the software
2 - Use it to copy images from my camera to my computer
3 - Import to LR

Or wil it automatically be in LR?

If I use iPhoto etc to import, then I have to import again to be abel to use them i LR

Will I loose image qality or metadata?`

Is the LR4 update worth the money?

LR 4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> LR3 in so, so many ways. Well worth the (cheap) upgrade price!

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I'm not sure since, as noted in the thread I linked to previously, I prefer to work with RAW files (in LR4), not DNGs. But I would copy the RAW files from the camera to the computer first, then convert them to DNG format, and then import the DNGs into LR.



I also don't use iPhoto, but I would guess that's how it would work.



Again, DNGs are supposedly lossless, so you shouldn't lose any image quality. I'm not sure about metadata, tho. But if you do as above and copy the RAW files from the camera before converting them, the metadata should still be in the (original) RAW files (on the camera) if the conversion strips it out.



Depends on whether or not you use the new features.

Mark

I copied the files from my 5D mk III to the computer, using EOS utilities, but LR won't import not as RAW or DNG files

Did you actually convert them first using the converter, before trying to import them?

_________________
Dan Marchant
I am learning photo graphee - see the results at www.danmarchant.com

Convert the into what?
I can't help that think that if I try to trick LR into thinking that my 5D mk III pictures aren't 5D mk III pictures, that I will loose some info especially some metadata

M

Did you convert the RAW files into DNG files using the converter?
If so what (exactly) happens when you try to import the DNG files?

_________________
Dan Marchant
I am learning photo graphee - see the results at www.danmarchant.com

I didn't use the converter I misread that, but now that I did and it worked.
But it takes forever to import them to LR
Thanks

DNG can't find my camera, and it doesn't come up on my desktop or in finder, only in EOS utilities
- Canon EOS utilities to import to computer
- DNG converter to convert to DNG
- Import to LR3

So I end up spending a lot of time, and have 3 different copies of the same image.

I can see my external hard disk on the desktop, but not the camera.

Am I doing something wrong?

Not sure why you would end up with three copies unless you are also counting the exported final jpg.

• Copy the RAW from camera/memory card to the PC (into whichever directory you want them to live).
• Convert to DNG
• "Import" the DNG to Lightroom.

Importing to Lightroom doesn't create a third copy (unless you set it to do so), you are simply telling Lightroom which directory the DNGs are in. So that means you have the original RAW and the DNG that you will edit. Obviously you will then add any TIFF, PSD, JPG etc that you create during the editing/export process.

_________________
Dan Marchant
I am learning photo graphee - see the results at www.danmarchant.com

1 version - imported file from camera via EOS utilities
2 version - converted DNG
3 version - imported to LR (I import to LR to an externad harddisk)

Well there is nothing wrong with having three copies - it means you have a back up on an external drive. If however it bothers you then why not just import the originals directly to the external drive, then convert them. Or, convert them then move them to the external drive and then import into LR. Either way will reduce the number of copies to two.

_________________
Dan Marchant
I am learning photo graphee - see the results at www.danmarchant.com