How to setup Lightroom to automatically remove Chromatic Aberration and apply the appropriate Lens Profile on import

[jjlad]

Lightroom Version

11.2

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I kind of like backlit outdoor images and get minor CA on many of them.
Lately the Remove Chromatic Aberration and Enable Lens Profiles in Lightroom, both seem to do an excellent job, so I trust them enough now to want those two steps applied during the import process by default.
I read some old tutorials by Scott Kelby and others that showed a big button at the bottom of the Profile Corrections box which apparently could be clicked and after that all your imports would have those steps applied automatically:

Unfortunately in the latest version of LR ...11.2, that button isn't there and nothing I've done in this Panel seems to 'stick' for the next imports:

I checked in Gloria's book "The Missing FAQ", and couldn't find what I'd need there either.

Under the Setup option above where it says "Default", I clicked that and then clicked

Then I removed all the images from the last import, and that folder, restarted Lightroom and imported the images again.
Here's that option now with the image at 200% so show the CA:

As illustrated there was no automatic application of anything.
Here's that panel and image after applying both:

Anyone know of a way to achieve this so both settings get applied by default on import?
Thanks

 

[Paul_DS256]

Anyone know of a way to achieve this so both settings get applied by default on import?

I know there is more than one way to do this but I normally have Lens Correction applied during Import under the APPLY DURING IMPORT-> DEVELOP SETTINGS. It loos like CA can also be enabled.

 

[Califdan]

1) Taken an image where you have already applied CA and added the lens profile.

2) With that image still selected, create a new prest (Presets Panel on left in Develop Module), and check the boxes for the settings you want

3) In the Import Dialog, select the preset containing your CA and Lens profile adjustments?

 

[gegjr]

Why can't this be done as part of the import presets? Hey I'm just asking.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Why can't this be done as part of the import presets? Hey I'm just asking.

It can be. If you save an import preset, then a develop preset that is applied on import is saved in that preset too.

I prefer to do this in a slightly different way. Create a preset that applies the lens profile corrections and any other adjustments you’d like to apply on import (like a special profile, for example) and then use this preset as the camera default (Preferences - Presets).

 

[jjlad]

I know there is more than one way to do this but I normally have Lens Correction applied during Import under the APPLY DURING IMPORT-> DEVELOP SETTINGS. It loos like CA can also be enabled.

View attachment 18452

Thank you Paul. I selected Lens + CA Correction, and that works perfectly! Much obliged!

 

[jjlad]

I kind of like backlit outdoor images and get minor CA on many of them.
Lately the Remove Chromatic Aberration and Enable Lens Profiles in Lightroom, both seem to do an excellent job, so I trust them enough now to want those two steps applied during the import process by default.
I read some old tutorials by Scott Kelby and others that showed a big button at the bottom of the Profile Corrections box which apparently could be clicked and after that all your imports would have those steps applied automatically:
View attachment 18450

Unfortunately in the latest version of LR ...11.2, that button isn't there and nothing I've done in this Panel seems to 'stick' for the next imports:
View attachment 18446
I checked in Gloria's book "The Missing FAQ", and couldn't find what I'd need there either.

Under the Setup option above where it says "Default", I clicked that and then clicked
View attachment 18447

Then I removed all the images from the last import, and that folder, restarted Lightroom and imported the images again.
Here's that option now with the image at 200% so show the CA:
View attachment 18448

As illustrated there was no automatic application of anything.
Here's that panel and image after applying both:
View attachment 18449
Anyone know of a way to achieve this so both settings get applied by default on import?
Thanks

Thanks to the others who replied on this. Paul's solution works really well so I've set my import dialog accordingly. Tested it by removing a folder of images from Lightroom and re-importing them, and the corrections were applied to all of them automatically with no further tweaking needed for those corrections. Really like that!

 

[Donald Feltham]

How does this work when you are shooting with different lenses within a group of Photos?

 

[WorldShooter]

A sightlier complicated (but only slightly) and much more versatile solution (for raw images!!) would be:

1. Go to LRC "Preferences..."
2. Select the second tab "Presets"
3. The "Global" is the preset that's applied by default, unless...
4. you click "Override global setting for specific cameras".
5. Now the second part of the dialog box becomes active.
6. Select relevant camera model from drop down list
7. You can even distinguish between individual camera bodies by selecting "show serial numbers" (potentially convenient if you had a specific camera body modified, while also using another unmodified camera body of same model)
8. Select desired default preset from second drop down list; choose from "Adobe Default", "Camera Settings" and "Preset" options. Note that the "Preset" option leads to all your installed (and previously created) presets, amongst which are e.g. "Preset > Optics > Lens + CA Correction".
9. and click "Create Default" button.
10. Note the Camera Model plus Default preset combination being added to the list.

This gives you the possibility to create different presets for different camera bodies that will be applied by default without selecting anything in the import dialog. Selecting something in the import dialog will override these settings in Preferences.

You can even create raw defaults specific to ISO values.

All this is probably much better explained in Adobe Help

 

[WorldShooter]

How does this work when you are shooting with different lenses within a group of Photos?

Depends on the camera model.

Some camera models (e.g. Nikon Z line) or brands (e.g. Olympus | OM Systems) embed the lens corrections in the raw file data. So you don't have to select anything in LRC. Lens corrections (for each specific lens model) will be automatically applied by LRC. (Slight tangent: not all raw converters recognize embedded lens corrections in raw files, LRC does).

For raw files that don't embed lens correction data, the LRC Profile Corrections database maybe of help.

1. In the Develop module go to the "Lens Corrections" panel
2. Click "Enable Profile Corrections"
3. Select "Make" from the "Lens Profile" drop down list
4. The other fields will probably autofill when the lens model is in the database (recognized by EXIF data); if not, select something that's close and judge whether you like the results.

 

[gegjr]

Although I'm pretty good at following instructions this is all very, very techy and complicated. I'm sure some will think it's simple. That said, I have an issue whereby LrC does, not by default, apply lens profiles and perform CA correction even though the lens(es) are in the LrC lens database. I have to use custom and manually select the appropriate lens to apply the profile. Additionally, when the images taken with these lenses (Tamron lenses) are imported LrC miss-identifies the lenses as Sony lenses. I spoke with Adobe tech support about this and was told this is proper behavior for LrC because "some lenses just have to have the lens profile manually applied". This issue was even documented by Tim Grey well known photographer, photographic educator and artisan. He has inquired to both Tamron and Adobe about this behavior and is awaiting a response. If they ever provide an explanation I will of course share it here.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

I have to use custom and manually select the appropriate lens to apply the profile. Additionally, when the images taken with these lenses (Tamron lenses) are imported LrC miss-identifies the lenses as Sony lenses.

On page 320 of your book @gegjrphotography, there's instructions under the heading "How do I set a default lens profile?" It runs you through how to set your own lens profile defaults for those Tamron lenses, so you won't have to keep selecting them manually.

 

[gegjr]

On page 320 of your book @gegjrphotography, there's instructions under the heading "How do I set a default lens profile?" It runs you through how to set your own lens profile defaults for those Tamron lenses, so you won't have to keep selecting them manually.

Hi Victoria,
Thank you for the information. I understand. However, setting the lens profile default does not solve the initial issue of the lens being misidentified by LrC on initial import. This is difficult for me to explain so I'm attaching a screen shot of the pop-up I get in LrC Develop module when I click on Built-in Lens Profile applied, even though I have set the correct lens profile using the custom setup in lens correction. The message is because LrC has misidentified the lens on import. Is there a way to correct the initial lens identification?

 

[gegjr]

On page 320 of your book @gegjrphotography, there's instructions under the heading "How do I set a default lens profile?" It runs you through how to set your own lens profile defaults for those Tamron lenses, so you won't have to keep selecting them manually.

P.S.
BTW it's not just the Tamron 18-270mm PZD lens that is misidentified but also the Tamron 24-75mm is misidentified as a 24-105mm lens.

 

[johnrellis]

when the images taken with these lenses (Tamron lenses) are imported LrC miss-identifies the lenses as Sony lenses.

I agree that how LR handles lenses can be very confusing, partly due to LR's user interface and partly do to a lack of industry standards. In this case, I don't think the lens has been misidentified -- rather, Sony has written misleading information in the EXIF metadata, but LR has correctly decoded it. Let's disentangle what's going on with the screenshots you posted.

Here's what the Metadata panel says:

The Metadata panel's Lens field displays exactly what the camera wrote in the EXIF:LensModel field: "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3". Note that according to Google, sony.com, bhphoto.com, amazon.com, and dpreview.com, there is no Sony DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3. But that's what your camera wrote in the EXIF.

The Lens Corrections panel shows Model as "TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3...":

The Model field comes from the lens profile selected by LR. Since there is no industry standard for authoritatively identifying a lens, LR has a database of lens profiles, with various manufacturer- and camera-dependent rules about how to use EXIF and proprietary Makernotes fields to identify the lens.

Lens profiles are stored in .lcp files, which are simple text files. Here's the relevant part of the profile for the Tamron lens displayed above:

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/LensProfiles/1.0/Tamron/Sony/SONY (TAMRON 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S) - RAW.lcp

       stCamera:Make="SONY"[/FONT]
       stCamera:CameraRawProfile="True"
       stCamera:Lens="DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3"
       stCamera:LensInfo="18/1 270/1 35/10 63/10"
       stCamera:CameraPrettyName="SONY"
       stCamera:LensPrettyName="TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S"
       stCamera:ProfileName="Adobe (TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S)"

This indicates that to identify as this Tamron lens, the EXIF camera make should be "SONY", the EXIF:LensModel should be "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3", and the EXIF:LensInfo field should contain "18/1 270/1 35/10 63/10".

So that's how LR takes what's written in the EXIF metadata, including "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3", and identifies the lens as "TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S" in Lens Corrections.

Regarding this message:

When LR sees a lens profile embedded in a raw, it automatically applies it. That doesn't require any identification of the lens -- it just takes the profile from the raw and applies it to the photo.

The name "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 SSM" isn't exactly the same as what's in EXIF:LensModel. I'm guessing that it comes from the proprietary Makernotes in the raw file (written there by the camera), where the embedded lens profile is stored.

If you upload the raw to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here, we can confirm.

 

[gegjr]

Hi @johnrellis,
Thanks for responding. I will copy the raw fike to Dropbox and post a link. But, since I have already added the custom lens profile, as I say below, to the file I'm not sure if the profile hasn't been written to the file.
That said, I want to correct what you said about

The Lens Corrections panel shows Model as TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3...: The Model field comes from the lens profile selected by LR.

LR did not put that in the lens profile panel. I put that there by selecting the CUSTOM > TAMRON and finding the correct Tamron lens in the lens profile database which in this case is the TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S. That is how it got there not because LR put it there. Before I used the custom option there was nothing there and when I selected the i to display the lens profile, I got the pop-up window advising no lens profile was found.
You are I believe correct in that Sony does not have a DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 lens but Sony does have an E-mount 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 lens and used to have a Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DT A-Mount Autofocus Lens [62] lens. I don't know if perhaps that is where the erroneous information showing in the exif/iptc lens field is coming from. Unfortunately I'm not tech enough or have enough information on how Adobe reads the lens info and how the 2 lens companies, Sony and Tamron, write the exif data into their lenses to be able to say.

 

[gegjr]

I agree that how LR handles lenses can be very confusing, partly due to LR's user interface and partly do to a lack of industry standards. In this case, I don't think the lens has been misidentified -- rather, Sony has written misleading information in the EXIF metadata, but LR has correctly decoded it. Let's disentangle what's going on with the screenshots you posted.

Here's what the Metadata panel says:

View attachment 18608

The Metadata panel's Lens field displays exactly what the camera wrote in the EXIF:LensModel field: "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3". Note that according to Google, sony.com, bhphoto.com, amazon.com, and dpreview.com, there is no Sony DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3. But that's what your camera wrote in the EXIF.

The Lens Corrections panel shows Model as "TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3...":

View attachment 18611

The Model field comes from the lens profile selected by LR. Since there is no industry standard for authoritatively identifying a lens, LR has a database of lens profiles, with various manufacturer- and camera-dependent rules about how to use EXIF and proprietary Makernotes fields to identify the lens.

Lens profiles are stored in .lcp files, which are simple text files. Here's the relevant part of the profile for the Tamron lens displayed above:

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/LensProfiles/1.0/Tamron/Sony/SONY (TAMRON 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S) - RAW.lcp

       stCamera:Make="SONY"[/FONT]
       stCamera:CameraRawProfile="True"
       stCamera:Lens="DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3"
       stCamera:LensInfo="18/1 270/1 35/10 63/10"
       stCamera:CameraPrettyName="SONY"
       stCamera:LensPrettyName="TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S"
       stCamera:ProfileName="Adobe (TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S)"

This indicates that to identify as this Tamron lens, the EXIF camera make should be "SONY", the EXIF:LensModel should be "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3", and the EXIF:LensInfo field should contain "18/1 270/1 35/10 63/10".

So that's how LR takes what's written in the EXIF metadata, including "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3", and identifies the lens as "TAMRON 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII PZD B008S" in Lens Corrections.

Regarding this message:
View attachment 18609

When LR sees a lens profile embedded in a raw, it automatically applies it. That doesn't require any identification of the lens -- it just takes the profile from the raw and applies it to the photo.

The name "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 SSM" isn't exactly the same as what's in EXIF:LensModel. I'm guessing that it comes from the proprietary Makernotes in the raw file (written there by the camera), where the embedded lens profile is stored.

If you upload the raw to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here, we can confirm.

Hi again @johnrellis,
As you requested here is link to file on Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvdd23yxr3ax62t/DSC02604.ARW?dl=0

 

[johnrellis]

Here's the lens-related metadata in that sample photo as shown by Exiftool (LR never overwrites fields in a raw):

$ exiftool -a -G DSC02604.ARW | grep -i lens
[EXIF]          Lens Info          : 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3
[EXIF]          Lens Model         : DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 SSM
[MakerNotes]    Lens Type          : Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) or Tamron Lens or Commlite CM-EF-NEX adapter
[MakerNotes]    Lens Spec          : DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 SSM
[MakerNotes]    Lens Format        : APS-C
[MakerNotes]    Lens Mount         : A-mount
[MakerNotes]    Lens Type          : Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) or Tamron Lens or Commlite CM-EF-NEX adapter
[MakerNotes]    Lens Format        : APS-C
[MakerNotes]    Lens Mount         : A-mount
[MakerNotes]    Lens Type          : Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) or Tamron Lens or Commlite CM-EF-NEX adapter
[MakerNotes]    Lens Mount         : A-mount
[MakerNotes]    Lens Format        : APS-C
[MakerNotes]    Lens Type          : Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) or Tamron Lens or Commlite CM-EF-NEX adapter
[MakerNotes]    Lens Spec Features : DT SSM
[Composite]     Lens ID            : Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II PZD

All lines except the last are what's recorded in the file. The last line, Composite:LensID, is the lens identification made by Exiftool, using its own database (which is more comprehensive than LR's).

Note that the full EXIF:LensModel field is "DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 SSM". Who knows why the camera wrote that.

 

[johnrellis]

LR did not put that in the lens profile panel. I put that there by selecting the CUSTOM > TAMRON

Got it. But I still think LR is behaving correctly here.

Here's what the Lens Corrections Default setting looks like:

Default shows you the settings you'd get when you first import the photo or do Reset -- the default can be changed in Preferences > Presets. The default value of Built-In indicates that the default is to use the lens profile embedded in the raw.

Here's what the Auto setting looks like (Auto is the "default default", what LR uses when the user hasn't overridden the default in Presets. It's the same as Built-in, because I haven't changed the defaut in Presets:

Auto isn't choosing the Tamron lens because it's giving preference to the embedded (Built-in) lens profile, indicating that it is being applied. With this camera/lens combination, Adobe isn't allowing you to disable the built-in lens profile (upon request from the camera manufacturer)

But as soon as you change Make from Built-in to Tamron, LR automatically chooses the right lens profile (because it's correctly identified the lens based on its database of lens-correction profiles):

All this behavior looks correct to me. The only screwy thing is why Sony wrote the wrong EXIF:LensModel field.

 

[gegjr]

[EXIF] Lens Info : 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 [EXIF] Lens Model : DT 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 SSM [MakerNotes] Lens Type : Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) or Tamron Lens or Commlite CM-EF-NEX adapter

Hi @johnrellis,
Thanks again for taking time to look at this. I am completely flummoxed I don't understand how Lens Info is 18-270mm... why it translates to DT 18-270mm ** SSM and where the heck did [MakerNotes] Lens Type: Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) come from? I don't get it. Mind you, I'm not really asking you, these are rhetorical questions. I don't understand why a Tamron lens would resolve to a Sony lens. Is this data suggesting that the Sony camera ILCA-A77M2 is reading the lens as a Sony lens or is it suggesting that the lens is passing Sony lens nomenclature to the camera which is in turn passing erroneous information to LrC? Could buy all this if it weren't for the fact that this is not the only lens/camera combination where this happens. I also have the Tamron SP AF 28 ~ 75 mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Macro (Model A09) paired with Sony ILCA-A99M2. It registers in LrC library module as a 24-105mm lens but doesn't show a maker. I used custom to find the correct the lens profile and apply it as default.

 

[gegjr]

Got it. But I still think LR is behaving correctly here.

I hear you, John. And believe me I have much respect for your knowledge and experience and as much as I'd like to hold LR blameless I just find it hard to swallow that Tamron (lens) and Sony (camera) both would be at fault. I would love to hear from some other users of the lens and camera combinations users to see if they have the same issues. I've reached out to all parties involved and have asked a professional I trust to reach out to all but have not heard squat from any of them.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Great detective work @johnrellis

I also have the Tamron SP AF 28 ~ 75 mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Macro (Model A09) paired with Sony ILCA-A99M2. It registers in LrC library module as a 24-105mm lens but doesn't show a maker.

Great, upload that raw file too. It's possible that there's an error with that lens, but not with the other one.

 

[johnrellis]

The root cause of this confusion is that there has been no widely agreed-upon industry standard for precisely identifying the lens used in an image. Each manufacturer does it somewhat differently, and often imperfectly. Software like LR and Exiftool thus need to keep a database of manufacturer-specific rules for mapping industry-standard and proprietary metadata fields to their best guess as to the lens model. These guesses are usually correct, as in the case of your sample photo, but not always.

I don't understand how Lens Info is 18-270mm...

The field shown by Exiftool as EXIF:LensInfo is an industry-standard field (called LensSpecification in the standard) written by the camera. It contains four numbers, minimum and maximum focal length and minimum and maximum F number. E.g. for your sample image, Exiftool displays those four numbers as:

[EXIF] Lens Info : 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3

where the heck did [MakerNotes] Lens Type: Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18) come from

The field MakerNotes:LensType in that photo is a manufacturer-specific proprietary field containing just a number, 57. The Exiftool app looked up that number in its database and saw that, in isolation, it is associated with the Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18). But that's not very useful, since Exiftool knows that with this camera, that field alone doesn't determine the actual lens. Exiftool's database of rules uses other metadata fields as well to come up with its best guess, the same as LR's best guess using its own set of rules: Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II PZD.

Is this data suggesting that the Sony camera ILCA-A77M2 is reading the lens as a Sony lens or is it suggesting that the lens is passing Sony lens nomenclature to the camera which is in turn passing erroneous information to LrC?

That's a good question, I don't know where things are going wrong in the camera and lens firmware. I know little about that part of the ecosystem. All we can see is what gets written in the photo metadata.

I also have the Tamron SP AF 28 ~ 75 mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Macro (Model A09) paired with Sony ILCA-A99M2.

As Victoria suggested, upload a sample photo and we'll take a look. The situation with that pairing may or may not be the same (different camera, different lens).

 

[gegjr]

Great detective work @johnrellis


Great, upload that raw file too. It's possible that there's an error with that lens, but not with the other one.

Hi @Victoria Bampton,
Here is the file _geg2679 ID as 24-105mm and the LrC develop module screen shot. Hope it helps.
P. S. As I said, this lens is paired to the Sony ILCA-A99M2.

 

[gegjr]

The root cause of this confusion is that there has been no widely agreed-upon industry standard for precisely identifying the lens used in an image. Each manufacturer does it somewhat differently, and often imperfectly. Software like LR and Exiftool thus need to keep a database of manufacturer-specific rules for mapping industry-standard and proprietary metadata fields to their best guess as to the lens model. These guesses are usually correct, as in the case of your sample photo, but not always.



The field shown by Exiftool as EXIF:LensInfo is an industry-standard field (called LensSpecification in the standard) written by the camera. It contains four numbers, minimum and maximum focal length and minimum and maximum F number. E.g. for your sample image, Exiftool displays those four numbers as:

[EXIF] Lens Info : 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3



The field MakerNotes:LensType in that photo is a manufacturer-specific proprietary field containing just a number, 57. The Exiftool app looked up that number in its database and saw that, in isolation, it is associated with the Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM (SAL50F18). But that's not very useful, since Exiftool knows that with this camera, that field alone doesn't determine the actual lens. Exiftool's database of rules uses other metadata fields as well to come up with its best guess, the same as LR's best guess using its own set of rules: Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II PZD.


That's a good question, I don't know where things are going wrong in the camera and lens firmware. I know little about that part of the ecosystem. All we can see is what gets written in the photo metadata.


As Victoria suggested, upload a sample photo and we'll take a look. The situation with that pairing may or may not be the same (different camera, different lens).

Hi John,
Hear all that and at the risk of being too simplistic, as just a user, like my wife tells me when she has a computer issue at work, "I don't want to know why I just want it to work". I try to explain to her that it helps to explain the issue so we (I in her and my case) can try to determine if the issue is user error, or software (computer) error. But she doesn't want to hear it and I get where she's coming from.
That said, I'm not saying that to you, please don't think so, I deeply appreciate yours and Ms. Bampton's efforts to troubleshoot this issue. Where I have issues is with the lens, camera, and software manufacturer not acknowledging the issues exist and doing something to fix it. I do realize none of that is either here or there as far as this discussion and forum is concerned so please forgive me and if you can, overlook my rant.
BTW I responded to Victoria's request to the file.
Thanks