Problem with Lightroom

I wonder if someone could help with a curious problem that has just developed with LR1.4? On importing my last lot of photos (from a Sandisk card) I get a message saying ‘An Unknown Error Occurred’. This only happens when I use the Loupe view/enlargement. The program then refuses to export the picture.

Nothing else in the chain has changed. I am using the same camera and card (Canon 40D and Sandisk) as on previous (successful) occasions. Moreover, everything works perfectly on my laptop, and I am able to import, open and export images from the same card.. Do any of you gurus have any ideas as to what the problem is? I’m a bit desperate!

Before you panic, are they DNG's created by LR 1.4?

Yes, they are Victoria. (You've still got the avatar I requested then)

Yes, yes, especially for you!

Ok, there is a bug which 1.4 on Windows, which was spotted just after release. It doesn't convert to DNG properly.

Before you panic though, there's an easy fix.

1. If you regularly convert to DNG, you may want to step back to 1.3.1 until a fix is available, or use the 4.3.1 DNG converter to run the DNG conversion. http://www.adobe.com …ads/detail.jsp?​ftpID=3815

2. Any DNG files created by 1.4 can be fixed by running them through the 4.3.1 dng converter. http://www.adobe.com …ads/detail.jsp?​ftpID=3824

I think I'll probably have to go back to 1.3.1 and try that. Unfortunately, I only have PS CS2, so I can't use the 4.3.1 dng converter. Thanks for your help so far Victoria.

The 4.3.1 DNG converter is a standalone program, so you'll be able to use that, no trouble. Or reconverting back to DNG using 1.3.1 should do the same job.

Thanks Victoria, I didn't know that 4.3.1 is standalone. Incidentally, I have found a workaround to the problem - I can import them satisfactorily from the card using 'Copy photos to a new location and import'. This leaves them as CR2s and the program works fine then.

Excellent, glad that'll work for you for now. Hopefully a fix won't be too far behind.

Good - thanks a lot. I shall calling you Queen Victoria from now on!

LOL Roy. Funnily enough, I've just picked up the lightroomqueen.com domain, after gaining the same nickname on another forum!

Victoria, I mentioned this in the thread where the bug was reported but I have to ask... I´ve had a case of bad timing, I converted all my cr2 files to dng last week and two days later upgraded to 1.4 and was caught by the dng bug... I know you have come with a solution but this still shook my world enough to make me question the dng format. What is your comment, can I trust the format? Can you assure me that I can throw away my cr2 or must I keep them just to be safe?

/Per

Personally, I like my cr2's. I like the fact that I can always go back and run a cr2 through DPP if I'm testing something. I like having an xmp sidecar file which I can easily back up or transfer.

You've obviously chosen to switch to DNG for a reason though, and I wouldn't panic about it. DNG's a well accepted solid format. The problem is a single verification tag in the metadata, which can easily be fixed. The image data itself is perfectly fine. In terms of possible future problems, again, it would only likely come down to a metadata error, and I think all of the testers will be on the lookout in future anyway!

If you're concerned, dump your cr2's onto dvd's or a hard drive, and stick them in a cupboard somewhere until you've confirmed for yourself that it's safe.

Thanks for your reply Victoria!

Well, I switched partly to get rid of the .xmp files because I feel that they are a pain in the *** when I do backups (many many small files) but now I do not know if my desicion was premature... Hmmm... As I see it the problem is that if I keep my cr2:s now I also have to keep the cr2:s in the future and then I miss the whole point of using DNG. If there is say two years from now a problem of some sort with DNG it would not help if I saved my cr2:s for a couple of months now while I get confident with the format. So, either I switch now or go back now, seems to me to be the only logical options. Right now I feel more like going back but I have to think this one through...

/Per