LR2 Raw Import Question

I recently did a shoot in raw monochrome on my 30D, but when I imported the photos into LR2, all photos imported as color, why is this and can I prevent it from happening next time?

Raw does not incorporate camera settings such as monochrome, saturation, contrast, etc -- these things can be read from the file by DPP (and certain products that use Canon's programming) but Lightroom uses its own method for reading Raw data and doesn't "read"/interpret such things. Lightroom has a very functional Grayscale conversion, though.

Although LR does interpret the Canon picture styles very well (standard, landscape,portrait etc.), they seem to have omitted the B&W one for some reason

Actually you can import the images as shot in camera....you do have to download a plugin that has all the camera settings for most cameras and light room will be able to tell what your is and will display the picture styles as such. Download from Labs.adobe.com. I do believe the black and white is omitted but I downloaded some free presets that do some great black and whites.

I am at work right now, I will post the link after I get home.....

Lunajen wrote in post #8311767
Actually you can import the images as shot in camera....you do have to download a plugin that has all the camera settings for most cameras and light room will be able to tell what your is and will display the picture styles as such. Download from Labs.adobe.com. I do believe the black and white is omitted but I downloaded some free presets that do some great black and whites.

I am at work right now, I will post the link after I get home.....

As per my post above, the B&W picture style is omitted, also you don't have to download the camera profiles now, they come with Lightroom/ACR updates and are automatically installed.

Ferris Wheel wrote in post #8307004
I recently did a shoot in raw monochrome on my 30D, but when I imported the photos into LR2, all photos imported as color, why is this and can I prevent it from happening next time?

There is nothing you can do about it other than use Canon's DPP software. If you want B&W images you need to use Lightroom's conversion options. The simplistic explanation is that all RAW files are color files; the onboard processor (DIGIC for Canon cameras) converts them to B&W when you're shooting Jpegs but they start out as color.

The reason the images you thought were B&W show as color is because Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw do not read all the settings embedded in your RAW file by the camera. The only settings used by Lightroom are ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and White Balance. All other such as Picture Styles, contrast, sharpening, etc. are ignored and B&W is a picture style.

There's also a bit of misinformation in a few of the earlier replies. Adobe's software cannot interpret Canon's Picture Styles since they are proprietary information that can only be decoded by Canon's software. Rather, Adobe uses Camera Matching profiles to render colors that mimic the appearance of colors created by Canon Picture Styles.

But Picture Styles consist of more than just color so you'd also have to make other adjustments to get settings that equal a Picture Style.

As can be seen from this quote here, Adobe clearly states that it only attempts to reproduce the color rendering but not the actual Picture Style. Any similarity between a Picture Style and a Camera Matching profile is limited to color.

http://labs.adobe.com …_FAQ#WhereDownl​oadProfile

What are Camera Matching profiles?

These profiles match the color appearance produced by the camera vendors' software, under specific settings (described below). They are intended for photographers who appreciate the workflow and toolset provided by CR / LR but prefer the color rendering provided by the camera vendors' own software.

All CM profiles are identified with the prefix Camera in CR / LR's Profile popup menu.

PixelMagic wrote in post #8312127
...............There's also a bit of misinformation in a few of the earlier replies. Adobe's software cannot interpret Canon's Picture Styles since they are proprietary information that can only be decoded by Canon's software. Rather, Adobe uses Camera Matching profiles to render colors that mimic the appearance of colors created by Canon Picture Styles.

I think you may be splitting hairs here... Interpret/copy/reprodu​ce - whatever...

The point is they 'mimic' (your word for it ) the pictures styles EXCEPT the B&W one, which is the one the OP is talking about.

Color Matching profiles only mimic the color portion of the picture style but there are other parameters in a that aren't replicated. Those are Adobe's own words, not mine.

Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation, and Color Tone are all part of each Canon Picture Style and they are not address by the CM profiles.

NinetyEight wrote in post #8312348
I think you may be splitting hairs here... Interpret/copy/reprodu​ce - whatever...

The point is they 'mimic' (your word for it ) the pictures styles EXCEPT the B&W one, which is the one the OP is talking about.