Lightroom Catalogues

Glen · 01-24-2010, 01:20 PM

Up until now, I have used the default catalogue in Lightroom 2.6. I have noticed a real slowdown in the program. There could be other reasons for the slower functioning but I'm now wondering if it is because the catalogue was getting too large. There were about 1500 photo's in the default catalogue. I created a new catalogue and loaded some photos but the program doesn't seem much faster, if at all.

My question is, for Lightroom users, do you keep most or all photos in one catalogue? If yes, have you noticed a tendency for the program to slow down? Have you found a method to speed it up? Has changing to new catalogues helped any or should I just stick with the same catalogue?

Alfisti · 01-24-2010, 01:51 PM

1500 is nothing, that's not your issue. I have seen no degredation in performanc.

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-24-2010, 03:38 PM

My main catalog has about 7,000 images in it, and does not degrade compared to a restricted catalog with about 700 images in it. The speed is not greatly different between the two catalogs.

Low RAM can cause any Windows application to slow. I am running Lightroom on a Lenovo T60 with 1.83Ghz duo core and 3 Mb RAM. The image files are on a USB 2.0 LaCie 500 Gb drive. I have turned off the Windows paging file. Most 32 bit applications can only use 3 Gb of RAM anyway, so no great loss there.

If the drive your catalog is referencing is nearly full, speed degradation will occur.

Glen · 01-24-2010, 03:54 PM

What is a restricted catalogue?

I have 3mb of ram and an AMD 2.21GHz processor so you would think it could handle it well.

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-24-2010, 04:06 PM

Originally posted by Glen

What is a restricted catalogue?

I have 3mb of ram and an AMD 2.21GHz processor so you would think it could handle it well.

I exported part of the catalogue, deleting the images from the main catalogue, so as to remove images that were not taken by me. I meant restricted in the sense of a sub set of the whole. I have several catalogues that are included in both the main catalogue smaller catalogues I use for specific purposes.

coelhom · 01-25-2010, 10:14 PM

Are you backing up the catalogue everytime you start/close the program?
If so, that might be the case.

RollsUp · 01-26-2010, 12:57 PM

Here's a couple links to tips on speeding up/optimizing LR.

Optimizing Lightroom for Best Performance: Top Ten Lightroom Speed Tips

Hurry up Lightroom! The best speed tips!

mtroute · 01-26-2010, 01:35 PM

3mb of RAM!!! I haven't used 3mb of ram since my mac classic in 1989!

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-26-2010, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by mtroute

3mb of RAM!!! I haven't used 3mb of ram since my mac classic in 1989!

Er, um, could that be 3 Gigabytes?

Glen · 01-26-2010, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

Er, um, could that be 3 Gigabytes?

Oh yes, 3 gigs of ram

. If it were 3 megs that might explain the problem. Thanks for the links. I'll check them out and see what I'm doing wrong.

01-24-2010, 01:20 PM	#1
Glen Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 329	Lightroom Catalogues Up until now, I have used the default catalogue in Lightroom 2.6. I have noticed a real slowdown in the program. There could be other reasons for the slower functioning but I'm now wondering if it is because the catalogue was getting too large. There were about 1500 photo's in the default catalogue. I created a new catalogue and loaded some photos but the program doesn't seem much faster, if at all. My question is, for Lightroom users, do you keep most or all photos in one catalogue? If yes, have you noticed a tendency for the program to slow down? Have you found a method to speed it up? Has changing to new catalogues helped any or should I just stick with the same catalogue?

01-26-2010, 05:12 PM	#10
Glen Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	Gigs and Megs. Originally posted by Canada_Rockies Er, um, could that be 3 Gigabytes? Oh yes, 3 gigs of ram. If it were 3 megs that might explain the problem. Thanks for the links. I'll check them out and see what I'm doing wrong.

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01-24-2010, 01:51 PM	#2
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	1500 is nothing, that's not your issue. I have seen no degredation in performanc.

01-24-2010, 03:38 PM	#3
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	My main catalog has about 7,000 images in it, and does not degrade compared to a restricted catalog with about 700 images in it. The speed is not greatly different between the two catalogs. Low RAM can cause any Windows application to slow. I am running Lightroom on a Lenovo T60 with 1.83Ghz duo core and 3 Mb RAM. The image files are on a USB 2.0 LaCie 500 Gb drive. I have turned off the Windows paging file. Most 32 bit applications can only use 3 Gb of RAM anyway, so no great loss there. If the drive your catalog is referencing is nearly full, speed degradation will occur.

01-24-2010, 03:54 PM	#4
Glen Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	What is a restricted catalogue? I have 3mb of ram and an AMD 2.21GHz processor so you would think it could handle it well.

01-24-2010, 04:06 PM	#5
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by Glen What is a restricted catalogue? I have 3mb of ram and an AMD 2.21GHz processor so you would think it could handle it well. I exported part of the catalogue, deleting the images from the main catalogue, so as to remove images that were not taken by me. I meant restricted in the sense of a sub set of the whole. I have several catalogues that are included in both the main catalogue smaller catalogues I use for specific purposes.

01-25-2010, 10:14 PM	#6
coelhom Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Montreal Posts: 35	Are you backing up the catalogue everytime you start/close the program? If so, that might be the case.

01-26-2010, 12:57 PM	#7
RollsUp Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: AK USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,766	Here's a couple links to tips on speeding up/optimizing LR. Optimizing Lightroom for Best Performance: Top Ten Lightroom Speed Tips Hurry up Lightroom! The best speed tips!

01-26-2010, 01:35 PM	#8
mtroute Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Portland OR Posts: 533	3mb of RAM!!! I haven't used 3mb of ram since my mac classic in 1989!

01-26-2010, 04:25 PM	#9
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by mtroute 3mb of RAM!!! I haven't used 3mb of ram since my mac classic in 1989! Er, um, could that be 3 Gigabytes?