Import Camera 16:9 aspect ratio not consistent in LR

[Clive Haynes]

Lightroom Version Number

LR Classic V10.4

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I'm puzzled. Whilst on holiday I shot a series of images with my Sony A6500 camera set to 16:9 ratio. When I loaded the RAW files to my laptop PC, all images display as 16:9. However, back home, I've loaded the same images from the camera memory cards to my desktop PC and only about 15% display as 16:9, all the others are 4:3. Sometimes when in burst mode, only one out of, say, six images is 16:9. Individual successive shots of the same scene are also random 16:9 / 4:3. Does anyone know why this anomaly has occurred? Can I do anything about it? I suppose I could sync the lot and presume a 16:9 crop would suffice, though I 'd rather not do this.
The only differences I can see between the images files on the laptop and the desktop are the laptop files are all Sony ARW whilst the desktop's are DNG and the laptop built 'smart previews' whereas the desktop provides 'standard previews'. Is the the problem there somewhere? But then, why the inconstancy from one image to another? Both PCs are Lightroom Classic V10.4
Does anyone have a solution please?

 

[clee01l]

I'm puzzled. Whilst on holiday I shot a series of images with my Sony A6500 camera set to 16:9 ratio. When I loaded the RAW files to my laptop PC, all images display as 16:9. However, back home, I've loaded the same images from the camera memory cards to my desktop PC and only about 15% display as 16:9, all the others are 4:3. Sometimes when in burst mode, only one out of, say, six images is 16:9. Individual successive shots of the same scene are also random 16:9 / 4:3. Does anyone know why this anomaly has occurred? Can I do anything about it? I suppose I could sync the lot and presume a 16:9 crop would suffice, though I 'd rather not do this.
The only differences I can see between the images files on the laptop and the desktop are the laptop files are all Sony ARW whilst the desktop's are DNG and the laptop built 'smart previews' whereas the desktop provides 'standard previews'. Is the the problem there somewhere? But then, why the inconstancy from one image to another? Both PCs are Lightroom Classic V10.4
Does anyone have a solution please?

Sony or any other Manufacturer never crops the sensor for RAW files. The 16:9 ratio that you see on the JPEG thumbnail on the camera back is cropped for the JPEG. Check the aspect ratio setting in the develop panel. Set to “Original” will get you a full sensor of image. Set to “As Shot” SHOULD give you the ratio that you programmed in the camera. If it does not, then it is because Sony is not supplying that. Information in the RAW file header.


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[DCBolton]

I shoot Nikon so I'm just guessing here but I did take a look at the manual for the A6500. Its sensor is 3:2 (~6000 x ~4000). Raw output should be 3:2 native; it appears that 16:9 is an overlay on the viewer to produce a jpeg. Were you shooting RAW + JPEG by any chance? The manual appears to indicate that all raw files contain full sensor output, thus should be ~6000 x ~4000. Are the images you see in LrC actually 4:3 or 3:2? Perhaps RAW files for 16:9 output have instructions in the file header to produce that crop?

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[Clive Haynes]

Sony or any other Manufacturer never crops the sensor for RAW files. The 16:9 ratio that you see on the JPEG thumbnail on the camera back is cropped for the JPEG. Check the aspect ratio setting in the develop panel. Set to “Original” will get you a full sensor of image. Set to “As Shot” SHOULD give you the ratio that you programmed in the camera. If it does not, then it is because Sony is not supplying that. Information in the RAW file header.


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Hello 'Clee', Your swift response is very much appreciated. Yes, I know about RAW files being unadorned, full size and all that. You're right about checking the aspect ratio and a quick check reveals that images not displaying as 16:9 show as 'Original' whereas those which are 16:9 do indeed show 'As Shot'.
OK, I should be able to 'select all' and with 'Auto Sync' 'on' deal with the whole batch.
I remain puzzled as to why during the import process most of the 16:9 images didn't display with the 'as shot' ratio whilst the very same files when imported on the laptop all worked fine. Perhaps it's a random 'gremlin' or an 'Adobe mystery'. My grateful thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[Clive Haynes]

I shoot Nikon so I'm just guessing here but I did take a look at the manual for the A6500. Its sensor is 3:2 (~6000 x ~4000). Raw output should be 3:2 native; it appears that 16:9 is an overlay on the viewer to produce a jpeg. Were you shooting RAW + JPEG by any chance? The manual appears to indicate that all raw files contain full sensor output, thus should be ~6000 x ~4000. Are the images you see in LrC actually 4:3 or 3:2? Perhaps RAW files for 16:9 output have instructions in the file header to produce that crop?

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Hello DC Bolton, Many thanks for your fast reply. My Sony is set to RAW only. However, as you'll see our colleague 'Clee' has come up with a diagnosis and fix. However, the question remains, why some files and not others, when the camera was set to 16:9 for everything.
Thanks again for your input.

 

[clee01l]

.
I remain puzzled as to why during the import process most of the 16:9 images didn't display with the 'as shot' ratio whilst the very same files when imported on the laptop all worked fine. Perhaps it's a random 'gremlin' or an 'Adobe mystery'. My grateful thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

I would rather suspect the Sony ARW header not reporting the 16:9 ratio in the proper field.


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[Clive Haynes]

I would rather suspect the Sony ARW header not reporting the 16:9 ratio in the proper field.


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Yes, that could be the answer, though I don't see why it would be so intermittent and why problematical on just the one PC? I'll download the latest update for the camera. This might help.
Thanks again.

 

[clee01l]

Yes, that could be the answer, though I don't see why it would be so intermittent and why problematical on just the one PC? I'll download the latest update for the camera. This might help.
Thanks again.

There is even less of a reason for it to be intermittent and problematical in Lightroom. Lightroom reads the metadata in the header to determine if any in camera settings were applied. Computers are good a repetitive task producing the same result every time. Humans, not so much. You had control of the camera settings, Lightroom only reads them.

 

[Clive Haynes]

There is even less of a reason for it to be intermittent and problematical in Lightroom. Lightroom reads the metadata in the header to determine if any in camera settings were applied. Computers are good a repetitive task producing the same result every time. Humans, not so much. You had control of the camera settings, Lightroom only reads them.

Thanks again for the extra info. I certainly understand what you say but surely once the camera's been set to 16:9 and not changed again (by the human operator), one would expect the data output to be constant. Additionally, as I mentioned, the aspect ratio remains OK when the same files were imported to the laptop PC. Logic would therefore suggest the camera data is OK and it's just the desktop PC with LR that's misreading the data somehow. Anyway, right now, at least I have a work-around by selecting 'As Shot'. Once again, thanks for your advice.