Lightroom catalogue Back up questions

dannyjo22 · 12 Feb 2013 at 12:08

I currently have my LR3 on my C drive and do my editing and after finishing my catalogue is backed upto a folder on my c drive. I then manually back up that folder and copy it to another hard drive for safety. Is there a way to automatically back up the catalogue files to two locations?

Also do you go over these back up files and delete the old ones and just leave the latest few? I've noticed the file is getting rather large.

londonbairn · 12 Feb 2013 at 12:30

I make it backup directly to my nas drive.

I also copy all RAWs to my NAS using filezilla.

Raymond Lin · 12 Feb 2013 at 12:38

Or convert them to DNG and delete the original RAW when you are done processing them.

DNG is like RAW with the adjustments steps attached to it. So even without the catalogue, you don't lose what you've done as long as you have the DNG.

An Exception · 12 Feb 2013 at 13:58

^^^
This. You also save disk space.

dannyjo22 · 12 Feb 2013 at 14:57

So when you convert them to DNG can you then go back and make changes again like you can with the raw file or go back steps?

I have been exporting them to JPEG elsewhere for a complete file in case anything happens.

londonbairn · 12 Feb 2013 at 15:49

Yes, DNG saves approx 15% I think, but it's not something I have worried about yet personally as I have a lot of storage.

An Exception · 12 Feb 2013 at 15:59

dannyjo22 said:
So when you convert them to DNG can you then go back and make changes again like you can with the raw file or go back steps?

I have been exporting them to JPEG elsewhere for a complete file in case anything happens.

If you export them as compressed DNG's, they will be smaller than JPG yet be better quality and still fully editable.

dannyjo22 · 12 Feb 2013 at 16:05

So let me get this 100% in my tiny brain:

You import you RAW to LR
Do your Adjustments
Export as DNG
Delete RAW

And LR still tracks all your adjustments and are reversable even though you have converted to DNG?

And you just convert the DNG to JPEG for printing etc?

Back to the original question do you still manually back up your catalogue to another place? I know your changes are saved but the library and tagging is important too right? I'd hate to start that all over again.

An Exception · 12 Feb 2013 at 16:13

dannyjo22 said:
So let me get this 100% in my tiny brain:

You import you RAW to LR
Do your Adjustments
Export as DNG
Delete RAW

And LR still tracks all your adjustments and are reversable even though you have converted to DNG?

And you just convert the DNG to JPEG for printing etc?

Back to the original question do you still manually back up your catalogue to another place? I know your changes are saved but the library and tagging is important too right? I'd hate to start that all over again.

Firstly you can import them as DNG instead, saves allot of messing around later.
But yes, you don't lose anything. The only time you will lose anything is if you export the files at a different resolution.

Razor-BladE · 12 Feb 2013 at 16:23

Interesting, didn't know that about DNG. That would be so much effort converting my entire library to DNG but might start doing that from now.

An Exception · 12 Feb 2013 at 17:04

Just Select your lightroom image folder, depending on how you have it setup you may need to do it one year at a time. Select all the images. Go to Library - Convert to DNG. Select only convert RAW files and Select Delete RAW after conversion. Choose if you want any compression or not (I always do, you can't tell any difference and file size is much smaller).
Now LR will go through your entire library and convert it for you.

Later if you decide you are happy with the changes to your PSD files, you can go to library - find - Type '.psd' and all you PSD files will be shown, you can then convert those to DNG.

D.P. · 12 Feb 2013 at 17:21

Are DNG files only smaller than the uncompressed NEFs?

Anyway, one thing to consider with DNGs is that the adobe raw converters are not as good as Nikon proprietary, they are after-all reverse engineered. If you want th absolutely best IQ with Nikon NEFs you need to use Capture NX2, tweak your exposure/wb/sliders etc, then export as a 16bit TIFF and work in photoshop or whatever.

I don't bother with such a process but it make a noticeable difference for any file that will need to be pushed more. NX2 seems to handle highlights much better.

For that reason I am happy enough to leave the NEFs as they are in case I want to go back to a file in the future to really processes it.

And although the idea of an open source manufacturer independent format is appealing the truth of the matter is even if Nikon completely disappears off the planet the files will still be supported for a long time by 3rd parties, e..g that is exactly what Adobe is doing anyway. Furthermore, the DNG format is largely only supported by Adobe at the moment so you have really only changed companies, not resolved the problem. but then in the wordl of image editing Adobe has a pretty big monopoly anyway.

Would be much nicer if the camera manufacturers just had open and published formats. Using a common format might be nice but it can be limiting if that format is not capable of supporting any feature you want to support. E.g. maybe Sigma invent a sensor that can resolve and process a 24bit depth, DNG is only 16bits I believe soit is fine if Sigma use thir own format but they should publish all details of it for 3rd parties like Adboe to properly decode.

Raymond Lin · 12 Feb 2013 at 17:25

I wouldn't convert when importing as I import the whole card, then you are wasting time converting images you are rejecting as well as the one you keep.

Convert at the end of the work flow. Only the ones you keep.

An Exception · 12 Feb 2013 at 17:46

^^^
A decent computer will pretty much convert as fast as it can import from the card.
For me it makes sense as for weddings I can import the files as 20mp DNG's that are only 5-10mb, and thus easier to work with than full blown 36mp Nefs. Also if processing on SSD's your writing much less to the drive.

Then when finished at the end you can sort by rating, and delete the ones without a high enough rating.

Raymond Lin · 12 Feb 2013 at 17:49

Latest ivybridge i7 here and I still convert on the way out

Neither way is wrong but I prefer my way, final storage space will be the same either way...I am not bothered about storage, I have like 20TB at home lol

dannyjo22 · 12 Feb 2013 at 17:59

So where do you back your catalogue files up? Do you even bother backing them up? I'm not sure if I'm wasting time and space having them on my C drive and then manually backing the cat up to another drive?

Or just back it up automatically to another drive?

I like to keep my record of changes and tags etc and I'm a bit of a paranoid freak regards my photos and videos.

An Exception · 12 Feb 2013 at 18:00

Time machine backs it up. If your on windows, look for a TM equivalent.

Edit: Or just let LR prompt you to back it up and then save to another drive.
Personally I don't like the nag, so I disabled it.

mr tommo · 13 Feb 2013 at 11:04

I'm glad this has come up.

Something I've been struggling with as I still haven't totally got my head around the lightroom workflow.

At the moment I do the following for weddings.

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Download my RAW images to the computer & Then copy these to another location as back up.

Open lightroom > Import all images from above
Mark keepers as a colour (usually red)

During viewing I then mark their favourites (for full page spreads) in Green

Mark others that they want in album as yellow

I then Export as JPEGS into an 'Album pages' folder as I make up the album page by page.

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So are you guys saying there is a way I can cut down on my storage. Don't you keep any of the raws at all? Even the back ups?