Can Lightroom be used just to edit RAW files without managing a catalog?
Asked 1/6/2014
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I’m choosing a RAW workflow for a Nikon D5100 and prefer Lightroom’s editing tools over Capture NX2, but I don’t want a library-style workflow. I’d like to open RAW files, make adjustments, export JPEGs, and then potentially delete the RAWs rather than keep everything organized in a long-term catalog. Can Lightroom be used this way, or is another Adobe option better for a simple open-edit-save workflow?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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You can use Lightroom for editing photos only, although I'm sure once you start using it, you'll want the benefits of a catalog also. If you're wanting to get rid of the RAW files because of their size, there are a couple of options with LR:
Convert to DNG (Digital Negative) with lossy compression. The files get significantly smaller (a bit less than half the size), with no noticeable loss of quality and keep the flexibility of RAW, which allows for much greater adjustments in exposure, shadow and highlight recovery, etc.
Convert from RAW to JPEG. When you export in LR, there's an option to reimport to the catalog. I do this when I want to get rid of RAW files but still keep the JPEG just in case.
If you still want to use LR for strictly editing purposes, you can have a blank catalog where you import the files, do whatever changes you need, and then export them. You can then delete the RAW files right in the catalog so you can re-use the catalog later.
Originally by user9666. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user9666
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, Lightroom can be used mostly as an editor-only tool, but it still requires importing files into a catalog. You can keep a simple or temporary catalog, edit your RAW files, export JPEGs, and then delete the RAWs and even discard the catalog if you want.
That said, Lightroom is designed around workflow and photo management, so it doesn’t naturally behave like a per-file “open, edit, save” editor. If you truly want that simpler approach, Adobe Camera Raw in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is a better fit, since it uses the same RAW conversion engine as Lightroom without centering everything around a catalog.
If storage is the concern, Lightroom also gives you options such as exporting JPEGs and optionally reimporting them, or converting RAW files to smaller DNG files while keeping RAW-style editing flexibility.
So: Lightroom can do what you want, but it’s not its preferred workflow. For straightforward one-file-at-a-time RAW editing, Camera Raw with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements may suit you better.
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