# LR untrustworthy; other import software options



## FunPhotons (May 13, 2013)

LR keeps choking on video files. They've always had bad support of video but this goes beyond. I'm frequently getting errors importing video now. My method is to import via LR - change the file name to an extended date, convert to DNG and backup original file to secondary location. Then I run a script which backs up the imported files to a server. 

Guess what? It choked a video file, _and messed up the backup copy._ The backup copy should just be a copy, right? No, somehow Adobe managed to actually screw up the backup version. The file is clipped and messed up. 

Fair warning, I've about had it with Adobe and all their products. LR is slow and now I'm sure I can't trust it. I'm even wondering if I made a mistake converting all my pictures to DNG - how many applications other than LR support it?

Anyhow I've rewritten my script to run the command line Adobe DNG converter for importing - keep LR out of the picture entirely. I rarely do a much editing on the computer, I'd rather be shooting. 

Any other pure import options?


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## Canon-F1 (May 13, 2013)

FunPhotons said:


> LR keeps choking on video files. They've always had bad support of video but this goes beyond. I'm frequently getting errors importing video now.



yep same here.
i reported it a few times. send them example videos.
adobe acknowledged the problem last year.

NOTHING happend. the latest LR5 beta still has the same issues importing some videos. :

there is another problem with DNG files.
DNG files are altered even when you don´t touch them.

i use "second copy" to backup my files and i noticed that old DNG files, i have done nothing to in years, are changed by LR. 

whenever i start LR and let it rest idle for a while, i can be sure that some of my DNG files are changed.

i checked with exiftool and there is on line changed in the metadata.. over and over.
the files are exactly the same (did a binary compare) except for this metadata field.

the result is that DNG files get copied to my backup drives again and again.

TIFF, JPG, PSD are not affected, only DNG files.


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## pwp (May 13, 2013)

Breezebrowser Download Pro is the gold standard:
http://breezesys.com/Downloader/index.htm
http://breezesys.com/downloads.htm

One thing that will be slowing down your image file import process is converting to DNG on the fly. It's a more usual process to import the RAW files, sort/rank/tag in something fast like Photomechanic or Breezebrowser Pro (both light-years faster than Bridge or LR for this sort of work) and just convert your keepers. I leave the DNG Converter on the desktop and just drag my sorted/ranked/tagged files from Photomechanic onto the DNG icon and off it goes. 

If you already have Photomechanic, it does have a very fine Ingest function. It's highly configurable, but falls slightly short of Breezebrowser Download Pro for functionality.

BreezebrowserPro http://breezesys.com/BreezeBrowser/index.htm
Photomechanic http://www.camerabits.com/

Both these vendors have generous free trial periods.

-PW


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