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Lightroom Classic 9.2.1 - file format question

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Stumped

Active Member
Premium Classic Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Messages
163
Location
Louisiana Gulf Coast
Lightroom Experience
Beginner
Lightroom Version
Classic
Lightroom Version Number
9.2.1
Operating System
  1. macOS 10.15 Catalina
So the other day I dropped some .cr2 format pictures into a folder then just added them into Lightroom instead of my usual import & convert to .dng as I prefer that format. I did not notice they were in the .cr2 format until I was noticing a little circle in the loupe view when looking at the files. The bigger part to me is that now I have all these sidecar files which I don't particularly like as I usually keep the info imbedded as a .dng. None of this im guessing is a big deal, just newish to LR and id like to know easiest & the best way to get these files into .dng while keeping the edits ive done.

1) export them and re-import & convert
2) just convert inside LR?

tks much
 
Just convert inside Lightroom. Export and reimport will make you lose history, virtual copies, collection memberships and IIRC flags.
 
Just convert inside Lightroom. Export and reimport will make you lose history, virtual copies, collection memberships and IIRC flags.
Tks. So I’m guessing if I convert inside LR to .dng, I’ll also get ride of the sidecar files at the same time and they will or that info will be imbedded into the .dng’s ??
 
So I’m guessing if I convert inside LR to .dng, I’ll also get ride of the sidecar files at the same time and they will or that info will be imbedded into the .dng’s ??
Yes, both! (i checked)
 
There is no Lightroom advantage to creating DNGs, There is no advantage to writing metadata back to the DNG or a sidecar. Your system backup will make a new updates copy of the DNG everything you write the metadata back. If you keep CR2s then that CR2 gets backed up one time and stays in backup. the Sidecar files if created are tiny compared to the DNG and require less bandwidth to back up if you insist on writing metadata to the files.
All of your metadata is in the catalog file and only some of the metadata gets saved to an XMP sidecar of DNG.
 
Thanks all - I just converted them inside LR and that’s the trick. Also, being new new to all this, I don’t remember why exactly I did the .dng the last couple of shootings. All the reading I’ve been doing, I’d have to guess I seem to remember something along the lines of .cr2 being proprietary or put another way, .dng more universal...... Honestly, when I start reading all this it hurts my head after a bit then I get a little conflicted. I do remember .dng taking up more space, but then I’m sure I figured all my stuff in now new and I have a lot of room and I’m not a super shooter taking lot and lots of pics. But, now that you mention it I might not have thought about the time capsule backing up the entire file after each change - that will definitely hog hog up the space seeing as now I do do a lot of editing - only bc I’m messing around a lot trying to figure out all these wonderful changes that can be made - I.e., making lots of errors! Tks again.

Cletus - whats “wrt” ?.

more comments / thought much appreciated.
 
Will do a search as not to veer off topic. I should have phrased it differently I’m guessing - but still a possible topic for new thread - more interested in personal experience / reasoning as to why you each here may have chosen not to use .dng or differently, why you use what you use. Personal experience seems better for me than generic can and can’t do’s. Tks.
 
About the pro’s and contra’s of DNG is written a lot on this forum. I suggest a search on the subject instead of repeating the discussion.
If you don’t mind, I’ve tried a couple if searches and had no luck - either not relatvent or see below error. Please, what term did you use in the search? Wouldn’t take my search words.....

90612133-8160-40B8-BD72-802C93850FE3.jpeg
 
Try using Google: "cr2 versus dng lightroom queen" You'll get lots of hits.
 
Do a google search for site:lightroomqueen.com cr2 vs dng and you should find the whole lot. I've found that works better than the built-in search most of the time, especially for short words.
 
If you don’t mind, I’ve tried a couple if searches and had no luck - either not relatvent or see below error. Please, what term did you use in the search? Wouldn’t take my search words.....
The forum or the website do not allow searches on phrases or word shorter than 4 characters.
 
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