Do you use Smart Previews? Should you use Smart Previews? In this tutorial, I answer that question and everything else about Smart Previews. ** I am an affiliate for all of the other companies mentioned below EXCEPT Affinity Photo and Capture One. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement: onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/ My Current Gear I’m always trading in cameras and lenses trying out new products. As of the recording of this video, here is the gear I currently own and use. All gear is purchased by me at normal retail pricing - I’m not sponsored by anyone nor am I an ambassador for any camera/lens manufacturer. The links below are my Amazon affiliate links. **As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases Cameras: Nikon Z9: bit.ly/32Pa9Kg (Adorama Affiliate Link) Nikon Z7ii: amzn.to/351PPmL Nikon Z6ii: amzn.to/3399eS7 Nikon Z6: amzn.to/2TIBGnR Nikon Zfc with Nikon 16-50mm f3.5-6.3 Lens: amzn.to/3ykA07w Nikon D500: amzn.to/2WyO8Lt Sony A7Riv: amzn.to/3amo9JJ Lenses: Nikon Z-Mount: Nikon Z 24-70mm F4.0 Lens: amzn.to/2Z0hW55 Nikon Z 24-70mm F/2.8 S: amzn.to/2JWo5IX Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 Lens: amzn.to/3j4xVrA NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S: amzn.to/3Cw4CVU TTArtisan 11mm F2.8: amzn.to/354Vnji Sony E-Mount: Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Lens: amzn.to/3iKdbBQ Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens: amzn.to/36fD8F1 Nikon F-Mount: Nikon 200-500mm F5.6 Lens: amzn.to/2WpggM2 Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 Lens: amzn.to/2VQMKi9 Nikon 28-300mm F3.5-5.6 Lens: amzn.to/2QuWmyb Nikon 14-24mm F2.8 Lens: amzn.to/2ZXR55C Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VRii Lens: amzn.to/2WG1p5f Nikon 1.4x Teleconverter: amzn.to/2WlkZ1z Nikon 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 DX Lens: amzn.to/2MiEKUk Tokina 100mm Macro Lens: amzn.to/2ZRgxfK Sigma 105mm 1.4 Art Lens: amzn.to/32PmFDZ Other Gear: Battery Grip: VG-C4EM for Sony A7Riv: amzn.to/3g3Wvnm Tripods & Ballheads Vanguard Tripod: amzn.to/2WqWB2u Siriu Ballhead: amzn.to/2W1MyS0 MeFOTO Travel Tripod: amzn.to/31GVvys The Carbon Fiber Version: amzn.to/2LjVt9m Joby GorillaPod: amzn.to/2zMNAEc Camera Straps & Backpack Peak Design Camera Strap: amzn.to/2Sqi4Eg Peak Design Slide Camera Strap: amzn.to/2DoLxLl Peak Design Everyday 30L Backpack: amzn.to/2MJPFcb Spider Pro Hand Strap: amzn.to/30k170u Spider Pro Hand Strap ver 2: amzn.to/3aC3p1Z Memory Cards Sony 120GB XQD Card: amzn.to/2HlfR8Y Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II Card 64GB: amzn.to/2PUJHoD Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB: amzn.to/3oP6EZX Sony XQD/SD Card Reader: amzn.to/2NBuSHB Sony 128GB CFExpress Card: amzn.to/353hWC4 Delkin Devices 256GB CFExpress Card: amzn.to/3pULMDR CFExpress Card Reader: amzn.to/2X2xMbQ Anthony Morganti’s MUST HAVE applications: At least one Non-Destructive RAW Editor Lightroom - bit.ly/2zwQ0nW Capture One - www.captureone.com Luminar - bit.ly/2JUJxKw (Save with the Promo Code AM16) On1 Photo RAW - on1.sjv.io/EaGR2K (Save 20% with Promo Code: AM20) Exposure X7 - bit.ly/2U8UxrK (Save 10% with Promo Code: AnthonyMorganti) PhotoLab 5: tidd.ly/2HhiN9X At least one FULL Editing App: Photoshop - bit.ly/2zwQ0nW Affinity Photo - affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/ My MUST-HAVE Plugins: Topaz Gigapixel AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J Topaz Sharpen AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J Topaz Denoise AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J *Save 15% on all Topaz Labs apps - use the Promo Code: AMDISC15 or instead of Topaz Denoise AI: On1 NoNoise AI - on1.sjv.io/EaGR2K (Save 20% with Promo Code: AM20 - May not work on sale product) Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 - tidd.ly/3dc4gYm The Best Sky Images I've Seen Available -- Ocudrone - bit.ly/3vtDpjR *Save 10% with Discount Code: Morganti10 ** Note that all of the promo codes listed above may not work on sale products. *** I am an affiliate for all of the companies listed EXCEPT Affinity Photo and Capture One. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement: onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/ Please follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/anthonymorganti/ Thank you!
Important question not covered in you video: What happens to the edits you made using Smart Previews after you've both re-attached the external drive then deleted the previews? Does the original file now maintain the edits made earlier to the smart previews? Also, what about performance with and without smart previews? Can you still use Topaz plugins when you only have smart previews to work with?
@@SilverLarry Edits made to smart previews are automatically synched to the original photos once they are re-connected to LR. There is no impact to the originals if you delete the previews after the synch takes place. Smart Previews do not work with external editors. You need the original file. This is also true for functions such as merge panorama or HDR. Depending on your system there may be a substantial performance increase editing using smart previews only. You can mange your performance preferences to always use the smart preview for edits. LR uses compression for Smart Previews. You don't have a huge file to work with but I find the previews sufficient for zoomed-in detail work.
How are "Smart Previews" different from "Previews"? Will these Smarties be stored in the catalogue, as separate files or in a separate database/catalogue? I went through preferences and did not see options related to that. If they blow up the catalogue then that may not be a big deal with my 64GB workstation, but it will hog my 16GB notebook's RAM sooner, rather than later. (LrC already has problems to run in that with my 45.6MP raw shots anyway. Latest version of and in Windows.) The "Previews" may be simple JPEG conversions of my 14-bits RAW files so they have lost a lot in becoming 24 (8+8+8) bits RGB (where 2/3rd is the result from wild-assed guessing) and from lossy compression. Are the "Smart Previews" some format in-between RAW and JPEG where the deBayerization (wild-assed color guessing) and demosaicking already have been done, potentially with some anti-aliasing as well - but without loosing dynamic range and color space? Could I actually use the dumb "Previews" to do basic edits as well, when I take my image store off-line?
@@jpdj2715 This discussion dives into how LR handles previews which can be a bit confusing because LR creates different types of previews for different modules. Library module previews are created by default and are used to display your photo and edits in that module specifically. The only option you have is to configure the size of the preview. Typically the best option here is to create standard previews using the 'auto' size feature so LR will create previews that match the resolution of your monitor. You can choose a smaller preview but the space saved is negligible and there are caveats if you zoom or do quick edits in the Library module (A better choice would be 1:1 previews if you zoom and edit in the library module, but they are larger). LR creates different previews for use and display in the Develop module. The files are larger and capable of displaying a lot of detail for the purpose of NR, sharpening, etc. These files are managed by LR via cache. You can configure how much cache is reserved for these previews and you can also purge it. Smart Previews can replace the full-sized develop module preview if you configure LR to use Smart Previews for editing. What performance gain you see and how much space a library of Smart Previews would use vs cached develop module previews depends on the size of your library and other factors. Whether a Smart Preview is acceptable for editing vs a full-sized develop module preview is subjective to a very large degree. It depends on your use.
Hi Anthony. I think an ultimate guide should include some words about how smart previews can affect performance. It is worth noting that users can use smart previews instead of the original photo for editing even when the original is present. It can be enabled in the performance/preferences tab. This can be a huge performance boost for people with older systems or those using systems with less horsepower when travelling.
Thanks. A couple of things. Smart previews are good for basic LR editing tasks when travelling BUT they do not support using external plugins for editing like Topaz products which really limits use for me. Also I believe you mean Megabytes and not Megabits. that’s 8x more storage required for them. One further point: smart previews at 1920x1080 are a great emergency backup. I rescued some old images from smart previews a few years ago after drive loss
Hi Anthony. Thanks for the information. There is so much more to say about Smart Previews. Some were already mentioned by others down here. I have a setup which let me work from 2 PCs with the full pictures and the Smart Previews on an external drive. The Smart Previews are synced between that drive and each computer. They can also be used to sync between LRc, LR and LR mobile. Then you can share these pictures on social media and populate your Adobe Portfolio based website without having to export them. A (Kilo/Mega)'bit' is used to define transfer speed between devices and on internet (e.g. Kb/sec. or kbs, Gb/sec. or Gbs). A bit is the smallest entity (0 or 1). A (KB, MB, GB, TB) 'byte' is 8 times bigger and is used to define storage size (and used to refer to characters). Normally a small 'b' means bit(s), a large 'B' means byte(s). I know it can be confusing.
Thanks for these videos - they're the best I've come across for learning Lightroom & the Topaz suite. (On a terminology geek note, file sizes are quoted in bytes: kilobytes, megabytes etc. Data transfer rates, across networks etc are quoted in bits: kilobits/sec, megabits/sec etc. ) Thanks again.
Great video. I am subscribed! Note: Megabytes, not Megabits. 1 Megabit is 1 million '1's and '0's, while 1 MegaByte is 8 million '1's and '0's. Confusingly both terms are commonly used in computing; MegaBits are most often used for measuring an Internet connection download or upload speeds, while Megabytes are used to measure file size.
Good info again! I have an internal SSD that I store my images and catalog on and by default, was building smart previews. Just freed up a lot of hard drive space. Thanks for that!
Good topic and well explained. I don't use my laptop for processing images when traveling since I prefer to take my time and use my big monitor and new desktop. If I ever upgrade my laptop this topic may come in handy. Thanks!
Thank you and I use SP often do to the fact that having a EXTD plugged in can slow down the editing, create SP unplug - do edits - plug back in and then undue SP.
Nice video, Anthony. I have a use case that is slightly different to your traveling scenario, it might be useful to other people here. I primarily edit on my desktop PC, with a large internal "D" drive. When I am going to be away form my desktop, but may want to edit images, I select the images (or folders), Click Export As Catalog, uncheck Export Negative Files (the RAW files, which are large), and check Build Smart Previews. I transfer that exported catalog to my laptop, and edit while I am away. When I return home, I take the now-edited catalog of just the images of interest and import them back into my desktop LrC catalog. Voila - the edits are automagically added to my main catalog.
I always enjoy your videos! I find them to include good practical advice delivered in an easy to watch format. This is good actionable information. Thank you!
Anthony, if you're running out of room on your internal drive, if I was correct in looking at the "Previews" info, you had a huge Previews folder also. I don't think you'll need to have full preview of all 75,000 images of yours. You can manually delete them or your can have LRC delete them automatically after 30 days. This would be a good way to clean up your internal drive and save more space.
Thank you Anthony. Hope your son's health is getting better and better. Can you confirm that after you edited the smart previews, when the external HDD is available, all the edits are automatically applied to the original images. You were very fast in your video on this topic, so I was not sure of what happens. Thanks again.
How much space is added to your laptop with these smart images? And will all this slow down your computer and affect performance for those of us with older computers?
With this method…are you keeping your lightroom catalogue files on the internal drive? How are you able to access the catalog? I have my catalog on ext drive with photos…i think i need to set my internal drive for the catalogues so i can access previews
Thank you Anthony. I have never use them before, i try them some years ago but not worked for me then. Now i have a main LR catalog on external drive with around 80k photos, i use to shoot tether and make a temporary LRcat on laptop, then i export that catalog when i am back home and Merge him on the main. You gave me an idea but i am not sure if is correct, wonder if i can build some Smart Previews when i am on my desktop and work them on my laptop! I use to sync some collections but with Smart Previews what is the path? That is where it gets little confused for me.
I am in the process of moving my photos along with their related catalog to an external drive, to allow faster Lrc editing process. Usually after a trip I end up with perhaps 200+ photos. I start filtering these phots and delete whichever are not required. My question is if I create a smart preview for the 200+ photos and then disconnect my external drive, would I still need to have the catalog on my Mac? Also under the Smart Preview if I delete photos upon connecting the hard drive, the corresponding deleted phots will be automatically deleted as well or I will need to go through my hard drive and delete them? Thank you
Smart previews can not be edited in PS (my experience, at least). You must have the external hard drive plugged in to edit in PS. Your video did clear up an issue I had with printing. When I paper print an image from a smart preview only, the quality stinks. Now I know why!! (few bits)
David if you move them in LR vs finder or explore that will save you from having to use the find file feature when LR lets you know that the file cannot be found
@@jlopez7596 I am asking him to use my comment as a subject for another video. You are correct about moving in Lr. That said, there is a problem created when adobe does updates to Lr. The catalog on an unattached drive can get lost. A video on the subject would be helpful.
I was trying to build AFTER import, my search brought me here but I didn't see ANYTHING on that. I guess I'll rebuild my whole Cat.. and that should do it..
I imported my photos and also created smart previews but when I unplugged my external drive (this is where my catalog and photos were imported to) I have no way of getting into LRC. I tried to open LRC and it says no catalog found. How am I supposed to edit using smart previews if I can’t even open LRC without my external drive being connected. Did I do something wrong? Is my catalog supposed to be saved onto my internal drive In order for me to work on the smart previews? I’m having such a hard time because none of the videos talking about smart previews tells you how it should be saved and where it should be saved. If someone can please help me!
You have a few options. I would start by making sure the drive is mounted properly and re-starting LR. If that fails click the ! on the thumbnail and follow the dialogue box to locate the file.
When you edit a smart preview, do those edits apply to the larger files they are made from once you reconnect to LR? If they don't then it seems like you have taken up time to edit small versions of the files only, and then will have to go back and apply those edits to the larger non-compressed files. Maybe I missed a step?
Yes, I was wondering the same thing. I think Anthony touched on this in the video, but he didn't make it clear. So, are the edits that are made to smart previews automatically transferred to the original photos when the external hard drive is reconnected to Lightroom? I think the answer is "yes," but it was never clearly stated. I hope Anthony replies, though sadly he rarely, if ever, does. If anyone else knows the answer, please respond. Thanks.
Do you use Smart Previews? Should you use Smart Previews? In this tutorial, I answer that question and everything else about Smart Previews.
** I am an affiliate for all of the other companies mentioned below EXCEPT Affinity Photo and Capture One.
Please read my Code of Ethics Statement:
onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/
My Current Gear
I’m always trading in cameras and lenses trying out new products. As of the recording of this video, here is the gear I currently own and use. All gear is purchased by me at normal retail pricing - I’m not sponsored by anyone nor am I an ambassador for any camera/lens manufacturer. The links below are my Amazon affiliate links.
**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Cameras:
Nikon Z9: bit.ly/32Pa9Kg (Adorama Affiliate Link)
Nikon Z7ii: amzn.to/351PPmL
Nikon Z6ii: amzn.to/3399eS7
Nikon Z6: amzn.to/2TIBGnR
Nikon Zfc with Nikon 16-50mm f3.5-6.3 Lens: amzn.to/3ykA07w
Nikon D500: amzn.to/2WyO8Lt
Sony A7Riv: amzn.to/3amo9JJ
Lenses:
Nikon Z-Mount:
Nikon Z 24-70mm F4.0 Lens: amzn.to/2Z0hW55
Nikon Z 24-70mm F/2.8 S: amzn.to/2JWo5IX
Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 Lens: amzn.to/3j4xVrA
NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S: amzn.to/3Cw4CVU
TTArtisan 11mm F2.8: amzn.to/354Vnji
Sony E-Mount:
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Lens: amzn.to/3iKdbBQ
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens: amzn.to/36fD8F1
Nikon F-Mount:
Nikon 200-500mm F5.6 Lens: amzn.to/2WpggM2
Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 Lens: amzn.to/2VQMKi9
Nikon 28-300mm F3.5-5.6 Lens: amzn.to/2QuWmyb
Nikon 14-24mm F2.8 Lens: amzn.to/2ZXR55C
Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VRii Lens: amzn.to/2WG1p5f
Nikon 1.4x Teleconverter: amzn.to/2WlkZ1z
Nikon 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 DX Lens: amzn.to/2MiEKUk
Tokina 100mm Macro Lens: amzn.to/2ZRgxfK
Sigma 105mm 1.4 Art Lens: amzn.to/32PmFDZ
Other Gear:
Battery Grip:
VG-C4EM for Sony A7Riv: amzn.to/3g3Wvnm
Tripods & Ballheads
Vanguard Tripod: amzn.to/2WqWB2u
Siriu Ballhead: amzn.to/2W1MyS0
MeFOTO Travel Tripod: amzn.to/31GVvys
The Carbon Fiber Version: amzn.to/2LjVt9m
Joby GorillaPod: amzn.to/2zMNAEc
Camera Straps & Backpack
Peak Design Camera Strap: amzn.to/2Sqi4Eg
Peak Design Slide Camera Strap: amzn.to/2DoLxLl
Peak Design Everyday 30L Backpack: amzn.to/2MJPFcb
Spider Pro Hand Strap: amzn.to/30k170u
Spider Pro Hand Strap ver 2: amzn.to/3aC3p1Z
Memory Cards
Sony 120GB XQD Card: amzn.to/2HlfR8Y
Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II Card 64GB: amzn.to/2PUJHoD
Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB: amzn.to/3oP6EZX
Sony XQD/SD Card Reader: amzn.to/2NBuSHB
Sony 128GB CFExpress Card: amzn.to/353hWC4
Delkin Devices 256GB CFExpress Card: amzn.to/3pULMDR
CFExpress Card Reader: amzn.to/2X2xMbQ
Anthony Morganti’s MUST HAVE applications:
At least one Non-Destructive RAW Editor
Lightroom - bit.ly/2zwQ0nW
Capture One - www.captureone.com
Luminar - bit.ly/2JUJxKw (Save with the Promo Code AM16)
On1 Photo RAW - on1.sjv.io/EaGR2K (Save 20% with Promo Code: AM20)
Exposure X7 - bit.ly/2U8UxrK (Save 10% with Promo Code: AnthonyMorganti)
PhotoLab 5: tidd.ly/2HhiN9X
At least one FULL Editing App:
Photoshop - bit.ly/2zwQ0nW
Affinity Photo - affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/
My MUST-HAVE Plugins:
Topaz Gigapixel AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J
Topaz Sharpen AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J
Topaz Denoise AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J
*Save 15% on all Topaz Labs apps - use the Promo Code: AMDISC15
or instead of Topaz Denoise AI:
On1 NoNoise AI - on1.sjv.io/EaGR2K (Save 20% with Promo Code: AM20 - May not work on sale product)
Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 - tidd.ly/3dc4gYm
The Best Sky Images I've Seen Available -- Ocudrone - bit.ly/3vtDpjR
*Save 10% with Discount Code: Morganti10
** Note that all of the promo codes listed above may not work on sale products.
*** I am an affiliate for all of the companies listed EXCEPT Affinity Photo and Capture One. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement:
onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/
Please follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/anthonymorganti/
Thank you!
Important question not covered in you video: What happens to the edits you made using Smart Previews after you've both re-attached the external drive then deleted the previews? Does the original file now maintain the edits made earlier to the smart previews? Also, what about performance with and without smart previews? Can you still use Topaz plugins when you only have smart previews to work with?
@@SilverLarry Edits made to smart previews are automatically synched to the original photos once they are re-connected to LR. There is no impact to the originals if you delete the previews after the synch takes place. Smart Previews do not work with external editors. You need the original file. This is also true for functions such as merge panorama or HDR. Depending on your system there may be a substantial performance increase editing using smart previews only. You can mange your performance preferences to always use the smart preview for edits. LR uses compression for Smart Previews. You don't have a huge file to work with but I find the previews sufficient for zoomed-in detail work.
@@SteveSSBB Thank you.
How are "Smart Previews" different from "Previews"? Will these Smarties be stored in the catalogue, as separate files or in a separate database/catalogue? I went through preferences and did not see options related to that. If they blow up the catalogue then that may not be a big deal with my 64GB workstation, but it will hog my 16GB notebook's RAM sooner, rather than later. (LrC already has problems to run in that with my 45.6MP raw shots anyway. Latest version of and in Windows.)
The "Previews" may be simple JPEG conversions of my 14-bits RAW files so they have lost a lot in becoming 24 (8+8+8) bits RGB (where 2/3rd is the result from wild-assed guessing) and from lossy compression. Are the "Smart Previews" some format in-between RAW and JPEG where the deBayerization (wild-assed color guessing) and demosaicking already have been done, potentially with some anti-aliasing as well - but without loosing dynamic range and color space? Could I actually use the dumb "Previews" to do basic edits as well, when I take my image store off-line?
@@jpdj2715 This discussion dives into how LR handles previews which can be a bit confusing because LR creates different types of previews for different modules. Library module previews are created by default and are used to display your photo and edits in that module specifically. The only option you have is to configure the size of the preview. Typically the best option here is to create standard previews using the 'auto' size feature so LR will create previews that match the resolution of your monitor. You can choose a smaller preview but the space saved is negligible and there are caveats if you zoom or do quick edits in the Library module (A better choice would be 1:1 previews if you zoom and edit in the library module, but they are larger). LR creates different previews for use and display in the Develop module. The files are larger and capable of displaying a lot of detail for the purpose of NR, sharpening, etc. These files are managed by LR via cache. You can configure how much cache is reserved for these previews and you can also purge it. Smart Previews can replace the full-sized develop module preview if you configure LR to use Smart Previews for editing. What performance gain you see and how much space a library of Smart Previews would use vs cached develop module previews depends on the size of your library and other factors. Whether a Smart Preview is acceptable for editing vs a full-sized develop module preview is subjective to a very large degree. It depends on your use.
Hi Anthony. I think an ultimate guide should include some words about how smart previews can affect performance. It is worth noting that users can use smart previews instead of the original photo for editing even when the original is present. It can be enabled in the performance/preferences tab. This can be a huge performance boost for people with older systems or those using systems with less horsepower when travelling.
Exactly what I was looking for. Didnt want to have to move my files to a drive just to disconnect it.
thank you so much for commenting this when you did, saved me hours of time
Thanks. A couple of things. Smart previews are good for basic LR editing tasks when travelling BUT they do not support using external plugins for editing like Topaz products which really limits use for me. Also I believe you mean Megabytes and not Megabits. that’s 8x more storage required for them. One further point: smart previews at 1920x1080 are a great emergency backup. I rescued some old images from smart previews a few years ago after drive loss
Hi Anthony. Thanks for the information. There is so much more to say about Smart Previews. Some were already mentioned by others down here. I have a setup which let me work from 2 PCs with the full pictures and the Smart Previews on an external drive. The Smart Previews are synced between that drive and each computer. They can also be used to sync between LRc, LR and LR mobile. Then you can share these pictures on social media and populate your Adobe Portfolio based website without having to export them.
A (Kilo/Mega)'bit' is used to define transfer speed between devices and on internet (e.g. Kb/sec. or kbs, Gb/sec. or Gbs). A bit is the smallest entity (0 or 1). A (KB, MB, GB, TB) 'byte' is 8 times bigger and is used to define storage size (and used to refer to characters). Normally a small 'b' means bit(s), a large 'B' means byte(s). I know it can be confusing.
Thanks!
Thanks for these videos - they're the best I've come across for learning Lightroom & the Topaz suite.
(On a terminology geek note, file sizes are quoted in bytes: kilobytes, megabytes etc. Data transfer rates, across networks etc are quoted in bits: kilobits/sec, megabits/sec etc. )
Thanks again.
Great video. I am subscribed! Note: Megabytes, not Megabits. 1 Megabit is 1 million '1's and '0's, while 1 MegaByte is 8 million '1's and '0's. Confusingly both terms are commonly used in computing; MegaBits are most often used for measuring an Internet connection download or upload speeds, while Megabytes are used to measure file size.
This is great information that I had no idea about! Thanks!
Good info again! I have an internal SSD that I store my images and catalog on and by default, was building smart previews. Just freed up a lot of hard drive space. Thanks for that!
Good topic and well explained. I don't use my laptop for processing images when traveling since I prefer to take my time and use my big monitor and new desktop. If I ever upgrade my laptop this topic may come in handy. Thanks!
Thank you and I use SP often do to the fact that having a EXTD plugged in can slow down the editing, create SP unplug - do edits - plug back in and then undue SP.
Nice video, Anthony. I have a use case that is slightly different to your traveling scenario, it might be useful to other people here.
I primarily edit on my desktop PC, with a large internal "D" drive. When I am going to be away form my desktop, but may want to edit images, I select the images (or folders), Click Export As Catalog, uncheck Export Negative Files (the RAW files, which are large), and check Build Smart Previews. I transfer that exported catalog to my laptop, and edit while I am away. When I return home, I take the now-edited catalog of just the images of interest and import them back into my desktop LrC catalog. Voila - the edits are automagically added to my main catalog.
That was very helpful, thanks.
@@mjscpr By the way, I *do* bring over the RAW files if I intend to send any images to Photoshop.
I always enjoy your videos! I find them to include good practical advice delivered in an easy to watch format. This is good actionable information. Thank you!
Anthony, if you're running out of room on your internal drive, if I was correct in looking at the "Previews" info, you had a huge Previews folder also. I don't think you'll need to have full preview of all 75,000 images of yours. You can manually delete them or your can have LRC delete them automatically after 30 days. This would be a good way to clean up your internal drive and save more space.
Like your video. Detailed instructions, easy to follow, unlike some presenters who speed talk like an auctioneer!
Good video and very explained, as always, Anthony.
Thank you Anthony. Hope your son's health is getting better and better. Can you confirm that after you edited the smart previews, when the external HDD is available, all the edits are automatically applied to the original images. You were very fast in your video on this topic, so I was not sure of what happens. Thanks again.
I’d also like to understand this part better.
Great information. Thanks for the clear explanation .
How much space is added to your laptop with these smart images? And will all this slow down your computer and affect performance for those of us with older computers?
I learn so much for your presentations
With this method…are you keeping your lightroom catalogue files on the internal drive? How are you able to access the catalog? I have my catalog on ext drive with photos…i think i need to set my internal drive for the catalogues so i can access previews
Thank you Anthony. I have never use them before, i try them some years ago but not worked for me then. Now i have a main LR catalog on external drive with around 80k photos, i use to shoot tether and make a temporary LRcat on laptop, then i export that catalog when i am back home and Merge him on the main. You gave me an idea but i am not sure if is correct, wonder if i can build some Smart Previews when i am on my desktop and work them on my laptop! I use to sync some collections but with Smart Previews what is the path? That is where it gets little confused for me.
Thanks so much. Very helpful!
I am in the process of moving my photos along with their related catalog to an external drive, to allow faster Lrc editing process. Usually after a trip I end up with perhaps 200+ photos. I start filtering these phots and delete whichever are not required. My question is if I create a smart preview for the 200+ photos and then disconnect my external drive, would I still need to have the catalog on my Mac? Also under the Smart Preview if I delete photos upon connecting the hard drive, the corresponding deleted phots will be automatically deleted as well or I will need to go through my hard drive and delete them? Thank you
Smart previews can not be edited in PS (my experience, at least). You must have the external hard drive plugged in to edit in PS. Your video did clear up an issue I had with printing. When I paper print an image from a smart preview only, the quality stinks. Now I know why!! (few bits)
You kept saying megabits but did you mean megabytes?
I would like to use smart images but I keep the catalog on the external drive as well.
Very useful, thank you!
File sizes are measured in bytes, not bits.
what is the use case of even deleting smart previews?
Very useful 👌
Do you keep just your raw files in the Lightroom catalogue or your whole photography collection
This is helpful thanks. Now how about moving files to the accessory drive. And how to re associate the catalog with those files.
David if you move them in LR vs finder or explore that will save you from having to use the find file feature when LR lets you know that the file cannot be found
@@jlopez7596 I am asking him to use my comment as a subject for another video. You are correct about moving in Lr. That said, there is a problem created when adobe does updates to Lr. The catalog on an unattached drive can get lost. A video on the subject would be helpful.
I was trying to build AFTER import, my search brought me here but I didn't see ANYTHING on that. I guess I'll rebuild my whole Cat.. and that should do it..
I imported my photos and also created smart previews but when I unplugged my external drive (this is where my catalog and photos were imported to) I have no way of getting into LRC. I tried to open LRC and it says no catalog found. How am I supposed to edit using smart previews if I can’t even open LRC without my external drive being connected. Did I do something wrong? Is my catalog supposed to be saved onto my internal drive In order for me to work on the smart previews? I’m having such a hard time because none of the videos talking about smart previews tells you how it should be saved and where it should be saved. If someone can please help me!
can you tell us what external drive you are using for more then 75,000 RAW files ??
Hi Anthony, when you edit using smart previews are the edits saved to the original photo when you discard the smart preview.
Yes they are...
MB = Megabyte
Mb = Megabit
Bedankt
Thank you Giuseppe!
What do you do when you get the prompt that the "file could not be found" and you have the hard drive plugged in.
You have a few options. I would start by making sure the drive is mounted properly and re-starting LR. If that fails click the ! on the thumbnail and follow the dialogue box to locate the file.
@@SteveSSBB Thanks
Slight misstatement; the photos are in megaBYTES not megaBITs. At least all my Canon Jpegs and Raw files are. :0)
When you edit a smart preview, do those edits apply to the larger files they are made from once you reconnect to LR? If they don't then it seems like you have taken up time to edit small versions of the files only, and then will have to go back and apply those edits to the larger non-compressed files. Maybe I missed a step?
Yes the edits are “applied” to the larger file when it is available.
Yes, I was wondering the same thing. I think Anthony touched on this in the video, but he didn't make it clear. So, are the edits that are made to smart previews automatically transferred to the original photos when the external hard drive is reconnected to Lightroom? I think the answer is "yes," but it was never clearly stated. I hope Anthony replies, though sadly he rarely, if ever, does. If anyone else knows the answer, please respond. Thanks.
Yes the edits are automatically “applied”. Although, remember in reality Lightroom is a non-destructive editor so edits are not really applied.
I was wondering the same thing. I'm glad others confirmed "Yes!"
Smart previews are 2560 pixels on the longest edge, not 2056 pixels!
Not a bad video. But the music is dreadful.
This is great stuff, but - update your intro and drop the click-bait