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Archive 2017 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?

  
 
ohsnaphappy
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


I'm hesitant to buy the D850 because we process over 100,000 images a year and dealing with the D810 has been bad enough.

So I'm wondering if I should just commit to a smart preview workflow?

To my knowledge, the smart preview workflow involves 1) put raw files on external drive 2) create smart previews 3) disconnect external drive 4) edit smart previews 5) reconnect external drive & export

Is that it?

Is it true that you can't round trip to photoshop with the external drive disconnected? That could be a real problem for me. Is there a way to keep the raw files connected but only adjust the smart previews?

Thanks!



Sep 10, 2017 at 02:45 AM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


well the later versions on CC will use Smarts with the real raw present . its going to use the full raw for stuff like 1:1 zooming (in Develop) because the Smart is a lower res .
you can find the tick box in the Performance tab of preferences .

but if you want to go without the full raw then yes that workflow is pretty much how to do it .

now if you want to roundtrip to PS then your going to want the full raw file . you can send a smart to PS as a smart is a DNG raw file (just lower RES) . but doing so will send the lower res file and it won't so the file that comes back to LR will be a low res file (its approx 4mp)



Sep 10, 2017 at 01:29 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


I tried them but went back, you can't sharpen properly as you aren't looking at the actual file and you lose all the subtlety IMO


Sep 11, 2017 at 04:38 AM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


dhphoto wrote:
I tried them but went back, you can't sharpen properly as you aren't looking at the actual file and you lose all the subtlety IMO


yeah sharpening and NR are 2 things you don't really want to do on a smart preview .

Ive never really used the new option 2 use while the raw is in place in CC as my iMac doesn't struggle wth the size of my 5D3 files .

for me smart previews are a great tool to use on my laptop so I don't have to have the full raw file .



Sep 11, 2017 at 11:08 AM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


also I have to ask the OP what is it that worries about the D850 and LR as far as speed goes ? how much larger a file is the 850 with its extra 9(ish) MP ?




Sep 11, 2017 at 11:13 AM
dhphoto
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


Ian.Dobinson wrote:
yeah sharpening and NR are 2 things you don't really want to do on a smart preview .



And they are two of the most important hings you do to a RAW file IMHO

Smart previews were touted as the way to speed up LR but really that's just papering over the fact LR is too damn slow on many computers



Sep 11, 2017 at 12:18 PM
butchM
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


dhphoto wrote:
Smart previews were touted as the way to speed up LR but really that's just papering over the fact LR is too damn slow on many computers


Actually, the primary purpose of the development of Smart Previews was to afford a rudimentary RAW workflow with Lightroom Mobile. And 'touting' for speed improvements with desktop/laptop workflow were indeed shortsighted.



Sep 11, 2017 at 12:45 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


butchM wrote:
Actually, the primary purpose of the development of Smart Previews was to afford a rudimentary RAW workflow with Lightroom Mobile. And 'touting' for speed improvements with desktop/laptop workflow were indeed shortsighted.


I don't doubt you are correct but IIRC even Adobe suggested using smart previews to speed up LR, rather than actually fixing it

Don't get me wrong LR is my RAW converter of choice, but boy it's an old software engine now



Sep 11, 2017 at 01:54 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


dhphoto wrote:
And they are two of the most important hings you do to a RAW file IMHO

Smart previews were touted as the way to speed up LR but really that's just papering over the fact LR is too damn slow on many computers



Im not so sure they were originally touted as a way to speed things up . Originally they were to allow you to work with limited hard drive space . IE on a laptop while away from all your image drives .

its only recently they have become a tool to speed things up where possible .

as for Sharpening and NR yes agreed 2 very important things . but in general if your working 'mobile' you can have just about all your editing done and then when back at your desk can finish off with the NR and sharpening . of course if you know what the ballpark settings are likely to be there nothing stoping you adding those in on the smart and then you only need to check when back at the desk .



Sep 12, 2017 at 01:57 AM
dhphoto
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Should I Switch to Smart Previews?


I can't imagine a situation where I would only want to half process a file and then have to go back to it again, certainly not when there are lots of them.

Adobe changed LR to include a smart preview option to try and speed it up as I recall



Sep 12, 2017 at 02:07 AM





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