LR Bug - Tethered RAW image conversion to DNG (Don't delete from CF cards)

[Braders]

Hi there

I posted this elsewhere on another forum, but would like to post here as it seems relevant and hopefully usefull to other readers.


I shot my first studio session a few weeks back, Tethered. I took 1150 images and LR had no problems at all in handling the load as they were imported from the watched folder (little too slow, but hey). As is known, files from a tethered shoot are imported into LR as there native RAW file, in my case CR2's.

The problem arrose when i got home and went to convert all of them to DNG.

LR got about 1 hour and, 360 images into the process and refused to convert any more. "Lr was unable to convert this file to DNG" for 790 images.  This was for every image, as i randomly selected about 50 images and tried with no luck.  No matter what i tried it failed to convert any further images. I rendered all standard previews. I optimised, nothing.

It was not the CF cards, as you will see. Luckily, i made sure before the shoot to tick the box in my EOS capture not to delete files from card during capture/import.

Moral or the story
In the end i had a back up copy of the images on the Cf cards that i had to re-import. (All up this process took me 4 hours, where instead i should have been working on developing some images to show to the client that morning)

I have not shot tethered since, but will do so in the near future, so if anyone could enlighten me on what might have happened i would love to know.

Cheers
Brad

[peterkrogh]

Brad,
Did you keep the files that were unable to convert?
Was there enough room o the target drive?
Peter

[Braders]

I kept them for as long as i was sure that the re-import worked and then trashed them.

On my external HD is where i keep LR and its folders with plenty of room, about 180gigs.

Brad

[peterkrogh]

Brad,
Did you try to open the DNG files with any other application?  Or try to convert the CR2 with the DNG converter?

I'm wondering if it was a program error, or a file corruption problem.

Peter

[Braders]

Peter

The files that did not convert stayed as CR2's. I did not try and view in another program. Still learning myself regarding the digital way of doing things, including your recent white paper. New to DAM so on reflection i should have kept the files.

I did read somewhere recently, after the fact, that i might have been able to trash the XMP files and then convert to DNG.

It seemed at the time to be program error, but i did not try to convert in another DNG converter. I did not think i had one, but i bet you are going to say CS2 CR has one!

The only way i can think it was file corruption was that the CR2 file convertion is _MG_100.CR2 on a normal import, but due to the files coming from a watched folder that changed to IMG_100.CR2 or after DNG conversion IMG_100.CR2. mmm

Brad

[peterkrogh]

Brad,
While I'm betting on a program error, it could be corruption caused by something else, and that would be really good to know.

Anytime you are confronted by unrecoverable errors, it's generally advisable to keep hold of the files until you can figure out what caused the problem.  Sometimes intermittent problems are total anomalies and never recur, but often they will come back. Tracking down the issue with non-critical files is good practice.

Peter

[Braders]

Totally agree Peter.

As i said, new to DAM and difital in general so still on a steep learning curve.

I have another tethered shoot in a couple of weeks. Will report on the process when i do.

Cheers for the help

Brad

[Braders]

Peter

It seems there are some others who are having issue with DNG conversion/updating within LR.

Was wondering if this might be an example of what happened to my files.

Don't trash your CR@'s until you are sure they have been converted to DNG and a back up is made.

http://www.lightroomforums.net/showthread.php?t=1041

Brad