Lightroom zoom point

[FlyingSquirrel]

Lightroom remembers the zoomed in point on every photo. This is really irritating me, because when I have multiple shots of the same thing, I want to be able to zoom in, then navigate to the previous/next photo and compare at the exact same location. Currently, if I'm zoomed in on a photo, then when move to the next photo it jumps to the remembered zoom location for that photo.

I thought I had found the solution when I decided to try Compare mode, but, unbelievably, the same issue occurs there.

Is there any solution to this annoying issue?

Thanks for any help

[Glenn NK]

"One man's meat is another man's poison", goes the old expression.

I find this "problem" incredibly useful: I often do focus stacks of any number of images (two to twenty or so); I need to compare the same point on each photo to see if I've covered every area thoroughly with enough images.

If it didn't zoom to the same spot, comparison would be extremely difficult and time consuming.

Even doing normal editing (not focus stacking), zooming to the same point is very useful in many instances.

I don't think it's a bug, but something that is more often useful than not.

The developers of Lightroom are heavily influenced by actual working photographers, and most of them know what they are doing.

Glenn

[FlyingSquirrel]

Glenn, I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I WANT it to do what you are saying (zoom to the SAME location in each photo) but it does not do that.

Example:

Imagine I have several photos that are similar (like stacking would have, as you mentioned). I zoom in on a photo in the lower left to examine something, then I zoom out. Then I go to another photo and zoom in on the upper right. Now if I navigate to the photo that I zoomed in on previously, when I get to it, it jumps to the location I had zoomed in on before, instead of showing me the same location that I was zoomed in on moments ago on the previous image. In this example, if I was zoomed in on the upper right as mentioned, then navigated with my keyboard to the image where I had zoomed in on the lower left, it jumps to the lower left. Instead, I want it to stay zoomed in the exact location on every photo as I navigate with my keyboard arrows so I can compare the exact same area on each photo in the series.

As a side note, if instead I zoom in on a photo and immediately navigate to the next photos, if I NEVER zoomed in on those other photos, it does what I want and keeps my zoom point aligned on all photos. However, once I do something like I described above, it ruins that alignment and I'm SOL.

Maybe I misunderstood you, but I think we both want the same thing but it's not working for me.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Matt,

What are you shooting with; Nikon, or something else?
I assume we are talking about RAW images?

Nikon's ViewNX does remember zoom points on individual photos held in memory and by a process of iteration, I can drag mis-aligned, extreme telephoto, hand held shots to view at 100%, then flick between 2 or 3 exactly aligned to critically assess focus or pose (of a distant bird). It is amazing how much easier it is to detect small differences when the viewer's eye doesn't need to change position.

However, if you shoot tripod mounted, perhaps a "same zoom with respect to image edges" is all you need, so what ViewNX does won't help.

Anyways, I chuck it in, it may help someone

Cheers,

[DanK]

Try this and see if it works. Without zooming, put the two images into two-image view (the XY button toward the bottom left, above the film strip). Then zoom in either image. This usually works fine for me, but I don't know if I have tried it when I have zoomed separately in each of the two images. I do this routinely when I have multiple shots and want to choose between them.

[Glenn NK]

Glenn, I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I WANT it to do what you are saying (zoom to the SAME location in each photo) but it does not do that.

Example:

Imagine I have several photos that are similar (like stacking would have, as you mentioned). I zoom in on a photo in the lower left to examine something, then I zoom out. Then I go to another photo and zoom in on the upper right. Now if I navigate to the photo that I zoomed in on previously, when I get to it, it jumps to the location I had zoomed in on before, instead of showing me the same location that I was zoomed in on moments ago on the previous image. In this example, if I was zoomed in on the upper right as mentioned, then navigated with my keyboard to the image where I had zoomed in on the lower left, it jumps to the lower left. Instead, I want it to stay zoomed in the exact location on every photo as I navigate with my keyboard arrows so I can compare the exact same area on each photo in the series.

As a side note, if instead I zoom in on a photo and immediately navigate to the next photos, if I NEVER zoomed in on those other photos, it does what I want and keeps my zoom point aligned on all photos. However, once I do something like I described above, it ruins that alignment and I'm SOL.

Maybe I misunderstood you, but I think we both want the same thing but it's not working for me.

Sorry - I misunderstood you.

I just played around with it for a few minutes. It seems to remember the zoom point for each photograph for which a zoom point has been selected - until the zoom point is changed. Then it remembers the latest zoom point.

And if a zoom point is selected for only one image, it uses that point for the other images (unless an individual point has been selected). A bit confusing overall.

Why not pose the question here:

http://www.lightroomforums.net/forum.php

Glenn

[FlyingSquirrel]

Thank you guys for your help. I'll play around some more with things, but I will also post on the LR forums as Glenn suggested. If I figure something out, I'll update this thread.

Happy Holidays!

[DanK]

Matt,

I just tried something. I took two nearly identical images. With one image in loupe view, I zoomed the first one to the lower left corner. I then selected the second one and zoomed to the upper right corner. LR retained the zooms of both images. When I switched between images, it remembered where I had previously zoomed on that particular image.

I then selected both images and clicked the XY button, so that the two would show side by side. LR zoomed BOTH of them to the point I had selected for the image on the left.

I then went back to single-image mode, and LR returned to using whatever zoom I had earlier selected for that particular image.

Hope this helps.

Dan

[HenkB]

It may not fit your setup, but this can be done on a two-monitor system. Set the second monitor to normal, select the images you wish to evaluate in the grid or filmstrip, select survey mode (n), and zoom in on the second monitor. Each image will then be displayed on the second monitor zoomed to the same screen coordinates as you cycle through them on the main monitor.

But on a single monitor they do seem to stay sticky. I had never run across this behavior since I favor the mouse for zooming.

Best, Hendrik

[FlyingSquirrel]

THANK YOU!!! Yes, this works and does what I want. Hendrik you are a lifesaver!

It may not fit your setup, but this can be done on a two-monitor system. Set the second monitor to normal, select the images you wish to evaluate in the grid or filmstrip, select survey mode (n), and zoom in on the second monitor. Each image will then be displayed on the second monitor zoomed to the same screen coordinates as you cycle through them on the main monitor.

But on a single monitor they do seem to stay sticky. I had never run across this behavior since I favor the mouse for zooming.

Best, Hendrik