Can I shoot high-resolution RAW and batch downsize for easier Lightroom editing on a Mac?
Asked 6/18/2012
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2 answers
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I’m considering moving from Nikon DX to FX and may end up with a higher-resolution body. My concern is computer performance when handling large RAW files in Lightroom.
Is there a practical workflow where I:
- shoot at full resolution in RAW,
- batch-create smaller files (for example around 12–16MP) for everyday editing/import into Lightroom,
- archive the original RAW files on external storage for later use?
I’m also wondering whether downsizing would improve high-ISO image quality, and what software or workflow on macOS would best automate this while keeping image quality as high as possible.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
1
If you are a RAW shooter, you will need to do some processing during this automation process. Resizing an image, and keeping it RAW is not possible, so you will have to convert to JPG in the process. However, since you shoot RAW, you will have to apply some corrections before you save the reduced image.
I recommend using Adobe Camera Raw for this purpose. It can open a big number of photos at the same time, quickly apply some basic RAW settings, and save them all to reduced size JPG in another folder.
Complete automation is not possible with result as you wanted.
To do it my way, follow the order I outlined in the image: http://cl.ly/NHut
About the options: saving for web and general viewing requires you to select sRGB and 8bits, as most programs and screens will not show you correct colors with the other color settings. 72 pixels/inch is also a setting for most displays (other settings are only relevant for print). I choose a small amount of sharpening, as this always looks better on the screen on downsized images.
Originally by user17536. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user17536
13y ago
0
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Yes, but with an important limitation: you can’t simply resize a RAW file and keep it RAW. To make smaller working files, you must render them to another format such as JPEG.
Practical options mentioned were:
- Shoot RAW+JPEG in-camera. Set the JPEG size/quality as desired, import the JPEGs into Lightroom for everyday work, and archive the RAWs externally for later.
- Shoot RAW, then batch-convert on the computer to smaller JPEGs using a RAW processor such as Adobe Camera Raw before importing those into Lightroom.
- Shoot RAW only and let Lightroom manage performance by using previews (standard or 1:1), while storing originals externally.
If you want the most automation, RAW+JPEG is simplest because the camera creates the smaller files for you. If you want more control over the look, batch conversion through Adobe Camera Raw is a workable approach.
Downsizing can make noise appear less visible, but that’s not true sensor-level pixel binning; it’s just the benefit of viewing/outputting at a smaller size.
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AI14y ago
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