Do GoPro Files Work in Lightroom?

Wondering whether GoPro photo and video files are compatible with Lightroom? You’re in luck. Not only do they work, but Lightroom works especially well with GoPro RAW image files.

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If you’re already using Adobe Lightroom Classic to organize and process your photos and videos from other cameras, you might be wondering whether you can use it with files from a GoPro.

Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, because it’s one of the very few apps that read and work directly with GoPro’s RAW files (with file extension .gpr), it’s one of the best options for working with still photos generated from a GoPro. (Here’s a workaround if you don’t use Lightroom.)

The functionality in working with GoPro videos in Lightroom is pretty limited, but that’s an issue related to any video files, not just those shot with a GoPro camera. Lightroom’s video support is mostly related to organizing the files and, to some extent, basic playback. It doesn’t have nearly the same kinds of editing controls that it has for still images.

But when working with photos from a GoPro, you have access to the full power of Lightroom, including its digital asset management features as well as its image editing. That’s especially true if you’re using the RAW photo format that some of the newer models have. You can edit and process photos from a GoPro just like you would photos from any other camera. That includes applying photo sharpening and enhancing the colors.

There are also some useful things you can do in Lightroom that are particularly relevant to GoPro photos. For instance, you can use lens profile corrections to correct for the fisheye lens distortion of the wide field of view as well as mimic the linear FOV with .gpr files.

Error When Importing GoPro Files into Lightroom

For the most part, working with GoPro photos and videos in Lightroom is the same as working with any other compatible media files. But there is one quirk you might run across.

When you import data from a card that has high-resolution video recorded on it, you might end up with an error message warning you that “Some import operations were not performed” and that “the files are not photos or videos.” Like this:

Screenshot of "Some import operations were not performed" error screen

This isn’t actually a problem, because those files aren’t necessary for what you want to do. So you can safely ignore it and click OK.

For each of these THM and LRV files, there is an original MP4 file. And it’s that MP4 that you want. The LRV and THM files are derivative files and aren’t necessary for what you want to do. They’re used mainly by the GoPro mobile app and the camera itself to display a lighter-weight video proxy that doesn’t use as much processing power or wireless bandwidth to display. I have a more detailed explanation of what LRV and THM files are here.

One area, though, where Lightroom isn’t all that good is in its support for video files. It can ingest and organize them, and it can play them back, but it doesn’t play high-resolution files back very smoothly or effectively. For that, a better alternative is actually the operating system’s own video preview functionality or a more specialized playback app like Fileloupe.

The Latest Model: GoPro HERO11 Black

Released in the fall of 2022, the HERO11 is GoPro's current model. Well, actually two models.

First, there's the flagship Black that has all the bells and whistles and sets the standard for action cameras.

GoPro HERO11 Black
  • Shoot 5.3K60 & 4K120 video at up to 120Mbps bitrate
  • Take 27MP photos
  • Waterproof to 33ft / 10m without a separate housing
  • Built-in mount point
  • HyperSmooth 5.0 In-camera Video Stabilization creates smooth video without a gimbal
  • Shoot up to 8x slow motion

A couple of months later, they released Black Mini. It's smaller and shares many of the flagship models capabilities, but it's also stripped-down in important ways. For instance, it doesn't have a touchscreen, its battery isn't removable, and it shoots video only (so no photo mode).

GoPro HERO11 Black Mini
  • Shoot 5.3K60 & 4K120 video at up to 120Mbps bitrate
  • Compact form factor
  • Waterproof to 33ft / 10m without a separate housing
  • 2x built-in mount point
  • HyperSmooth 5.0 in-camera video stabilization
  • Shoot up to 8x slow motion @ 2.7K
  • Built-in battery
David Coleman / Photographer

David Coleman

I'm a freelance travel photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. My images have appeared in numerous publications, and you can check out some of my travel photography here. I've been shooting with GoPros for years, starting with the HD HERO, and have owned and used every model since. More »

3 thoughts on “Do GoPro Files Work in Lightroom?”

  1. hola! estoy trabajando con la gopro fusion y cuando quiero formar una imagen hdr en lightroom, pero me sale un cartel que por falta de metadatos esto no es posible de hacer. existe algun plugin para solucionar esto??

    Reply
    • I’m not aware of one. But are you working with flat 2D images from the Fusion or trying to work with spherical images? If just flat images, I’m not sure why you’d be getting that error. But I’m not sure how you’d work with spherical images since Lightroom lacks the tools to render spherical as anything other than a flat file. So I suspect I’m not properly understanding your question.

      Reply

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