Silvermeteor Loc: South Carolina, USA

I currently use LR5 and only shoot RAW on my Canon T3i.

With my shutter set to continuous I may get from one to four shots of each subject to attempt to control camera shake, etc.

This process seems to work well for me although I am always open for new ideas. Unfortunately even a short day trip can produce quite a volume of RAW images.

LR takes forever to set up all of these images for review and it is slow to look at them to try and determine which ones to keep and which ones to clearly delete before importing into LR.

It seems like I saw something about Mircosoft Windows Explorer making a modification to allow the viewing of RAW files from a number of manufacturers. Not sure about this.

How do you address this problem or do most of you just go ahead and import into LR and go from there?

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

What I did was install a SSD drive in my computer so that I import or download the raw images from my camera/card to the SSD using LR and then they are much faster to view since the Solid State Drive have no moving parts. Then I delete the images that don't make the grade, make a few edits, then drag the images that are keepers to my external storage for safe keeping. Then backup the external storage to another external storage for safer keeping.

sparkie102 Loc: New Jersey

You really want to delete files within lightroom to avoid problems.

Silvermeteor Loc: South Carolina, USA

I do that sparkie. the files I am talking about are still on the SD card prior to import into LR.

IMHO LR takes a long time to import & display these files. This is with good reason due to their size.

What I would like to do is preview them more easily prior to going thru all of the trouble of importing them into LR.

jcboy3

I usually shoot both RAW and JPG for that very reason. I load the RAW and JPG files into separate folders. I then evaluate the JPG images in another program, and delete the JPG files that I don't want. Then I delete the corresponding RAW files, delete the rest of the JPG files, and import into Lightroom. I usually take a couple of passes through the files in Lightroom, rating and rejecting photos, and finally delete rejected photos (with delete from disk option).

I use a script I wrote to delete RAW files that don't have a corresponding JPG file, but its easy to do manually. Put all files in the JPG folder, order by kind and select all RAW files, and then order by name. When you scan the folder, you will see groups of RAW files; each one but the first should be de-selected (for deletion). When done, move the remaining selected RAW files back to the RAW folder. What's left in the JPG folder are the JPG files and RAW files to be deleted. Delete the folder and you are done.

If you don't want to shoot JPG with RAW, then I suggest you use your camera makers program to process the RAW files into JPG files that match your camera settings.

Finally, you can help speed up the Lighroom process by generating 1:1 previews on import. That will reduce the processing time when you start reviewing them. Still takes some time to load each file, but it's much faster than otherwise.

shakr524 Loc: Springville NY

I have Windows 8.1 and the embedded photo app will display RAW files from my Nikon D3200. I don't use that to edit but it is handy to cull them first. I import the files to a folder, view them in the app and delete. When I am finished deleting I edit what is left with whatever editor I am using and then save a Jpeg copy in a separate folder to post or share. Hope that helps.

ShaKr

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

It is called the Microsoft Codec Pack. On the details tab the T3i is listed.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26829

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

First, let me say that it is always easier/quicker to do whatever you're gonna do from within LightRoom, including making the decision which to keep and which to delete. After import, I use the 'flags' to indicate which I want to throw away. Once I've gone through the photos, flagging the deletes, I filter on the flag and delete them all at once.

I believe your issue is not having sufficient hardware to get LightRoom to import at a normal rate. You may not be willing to spend the money, but consider a RAM upgrade and possibly a faster hard drive.

You might also look at your configuration in Lightroom. What size previews are you creating during import. Full sized previews take a while to create and could be what is slowing you down.

To answer one of your questions specifically, by having the correct CODEC, you can view image files within Windows Explorer. The best tool I've found for this is a product named FastPictureViewer. It costs $10-15, but will allow you to view any image file from within Windows Explorer. Adobe, Nikon and probably every other camera manufacturer provide CODECs, but only for their specific file types. FastPictureViewer provides the CODECs for every image type.

Good luck!! Hope you find happiness.

skingfong Loc: Sacramento

I had the same problem using Lightroom until I installed
USB3 on my PC to view directly from the memory card. USB3 makes a world of difference in speed. Also try using faster SD memory cards for your T3i.

grusum

If you have a PS CC subscription; merely use Bridge to view your images and delete those you choose to.

THEN, import into LR.

LiamRowan Loc: Michigan

A fair number of hogs use FastStone Image Viewer to cull their raw images and even to edit. I used FastStone for about a year before I got LR. When I got LR I thought I would be done with FastStone, but you can load, view, and evaluate images so much faster than in LR, and my LR is on a solid state harddrive (as is FastStone), so I still use FS pretty much every day. For me a raw image in FastStone loads in a fraction of a second, and hitting the number key 1 enlarges the image 100%, also in a fraction of a second. It's great for comparing 4 similar images as you indicated is your approach. So I cull in FS, and THEN import only the keepers to LR. Also, you don't even have to install LR on your hard drive. If you want you can store on a thumb or external drive and operate it from there, and take your thumb and use FS on any computer.

By the way, FastStone is FREE.

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

+1

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

I import everything. Then I look at them in 1:1 for sharpness. Those that are not sharp, I use the 'x' key and then delete. This is the fastest way and keeps me from deleting an image based on an incomplete import or small 'preview' image.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

It depends on what computer you are using and how you are uploading. I have an Intel I7 processor, 16 gb memory, a 2 gb Nvidia graphics processor card, 6 - 4tb SATA drives and a USB3 card reader that I put the memory card from my camera in to upload. I typically take between 250 and 500 pics at a time and it takes about 3-5 minutes for the upload. Plus, while LR5 is uploading I can already be working on the first 5 or 6 shots... It is generally finished uploading before I am to 8 or 10 depending on what I am doing to the photos. You didn't mention how you were uploading but I would recommend a card reader to do your uploads.. Plus, I have extra cards, so if something happens and I need to grab the camera in the middle of the uploads, I am still in business and not waiting on the computer.