X-Pro 2 slow with Lightroom

[DIS Ottawa]

Since I got my X-Pro 2, I've noticed that even after import is over, raf files are converted to DNG and previews have been generated, the Library module is very slow.  Each file I click on takes 5 seconds to load (I get a small black dialog box which says "Loading").  I never had this problem with the T1, E1 or 100T files.  While I still get the dialog box in the Develop module, it's only there for a second or so at most and often not at all.  Whether or not "Use graphics processor" in Preferences is on or not, doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

My computer is a late 2012 27" iMac with 3.4 GHz Core i7, 32 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 memory and a three TB Fusion Drive.  Three years old but still good specs.  I know the Pro 2 produces larger files, but this slow?

 

Any ideas if this is a Lightroom problem or a computer problem and how to fix it?

[AndrewDavid]

Are you staying in the Library module to view the individual images (by selecting an image and pressing spacebar), or opening each image in the Develop module by double-clicking on an image? I too have the X-Pro2, capture full uncompressed RAW files, and use Lightroom, but I do not have issues with the speed of loading files as you have reported. I'm running a late 2014 Retina iMac with an i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 2GB AMD m290 graphics processor and a 512GB flash drive, and both the Lightroom catalogue and the images are stored on a 4TB Seagate Backup Fast portable Raid drive connected via USB.

 

I don't convert to DNG though, I leave the RAW files in their RAF format and generate High quality previews at a resolution of 2880px. Keep in mind though that Lightroom does delete these previews after 30 days by default, so perhaps Lightroom is regenerating deleted previews for you? You can disable this function in the Catalog settings, although that means your Previews file will begin to gradually take up more and more space and also take longer to backup.

 

Also bear in mind that whilst the Fusion drives were a good compromise between speed and capacity at the time, they can't compete with an all flash storage drive (an SSD) for performance. Anything stored on the 128GB flash partition of your drive will be accessible very quickly and your system will be significantly more responsive, but anything stored on the hard drive partition will be just as slow as a computer from 10 years ago. It's possible you're seeing a slowdown in your workflow as your Catalog and Previews Catalog grow too large to be stored on the flash partition, and get transferred by the operating system off to the normal hard drive.

[DIS Ottawa]

Yes, I'm staying in the Library module; strangely the Develop module is more responsive.  The system isn't regenerating previews as this happens with all files, ones I've just imported as well as older ones.  

 

My catalog is quite large but I tried creating a new catalog with only 50 or so images and still, it takes 5 seconds to fully open a file and/or to move between files.  

 

It's possible, even likely, that the catalog and previews have been transferred off the flash drive to the HDD, however, one doesn't hear of this sort of slowdown with 24 mp files from Bayer sensor cameras.  

 

I have a Macbook Pro with a 512 gb SSD and will try some Pro2 files on that and see what happens.  

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

[DIS Ottawa]

I seem to have found a solution of sorts.  I have been building standard previews upon import and this never caused an issue with Canon, Olympus or 16 mp Fuji raw files.  However, it seems Adobe can't manage the 24 mp Fuji files with standard previews.  

 

I just imported about 70 uncompressed raf files, converted to DNG and built 1:1 previews and now I can scroll through mostly without issue.  I did see the "Loading" dialog box briefly a couple of times but overall, a huge improvement.  

 

I also tried the same files in my late 2013 Macbook Pro with a 500gb SSD and standard previews and it was much better, but I did still sometimes see the "Loading" dialog box.

 

So from now on I will have to use 1:1 previews and my next iMac with have SSD only, no more spinning drives.  Or Adobe could fix their software.

Edited May 11, 2016 by DIS Ottawa

[addicted2light]

It's not the computer, it's the engine of Lightroom that is basically outdated crap.

 

Besides, Lightroom has a bug that causes exactly the kind of behavior you're speaking about: if you have too many developing presets (and no, they don't need to be in the thousands) it can become unbelievably slow in the Library module -  up to a crawl, in the most extreme cases like the one I experienced. Strangely enough, it will still be fast in the Develop module, so you'll have an hard time pinpointing the problem if you don't know about this.

 

BTW, I use LR 6.5.1 (the latest version) and it still takes a noticeable time to import Fuji files. But the previews are fairly instantaneous, with 16Mp Fuji files, with 36Mp Sony files and with film scans that run between 40Mp and 180Mp.

 

My configuration is: iMac mid 2011 with core i5 2.7Ghz, 24Gb ram, El Capitan. The only thing I changed is that I removed the nowadays useless DVD writer and put instead an SSD in its place - putting only the LR catalog on the SSD (the rest resides on the "normal" internal HDD).

 

Now the iMac flies, and is something you can DIY fairly easily as long as you're comfortable around computer hardware.

[DIS Ottawa]

Yeah, I tend to agree that Lightroom, which is built on Adobe Camera Raw which has been around for many a year, needs its basic code brought up to date.  However, that would cost money and since it seems to have been optimised for Canon/Nikon files and works pretty well for those files, I don't see them doing it anytime soon. 

 

I'm starting a search for something to replace Lr.  OnOne will have a new raw processor in the fall and Corel has just released a new version of After Shot Pro which may be worth a trial download.  

 

The trouble is I'm used to Lr, I know it and it does certain things very well, like the print module and soft proofing, adjustment brushes, etc.  Photography is a hobby for me and I want things to be fun and easy. Learning a new program, well...it may not be so easy.