Some EXIF information now automatically displayed below forum images if available

[kilofoxtrott]

Please do continue to point out images where our software doesn't show the right info. We will use those examples to make improvements where possible.

Amin I believe it's not the forum sofrware - it's the user software.
At home I'm working with PS CS4 - result no lens data.
In office I work with PS CS6 - it shows up.

Klaus

 

[Bart]

In my case the culprit is Zenfolio.
The images I upload contain the lens info, as confirmed with adobe bridge, but when I post here, I link to smaller copies that Zenfolio creates just after an upload.
These copies do not contain the lens info, again confirmed with adobe bridge.
I have reported this to Zenfolio but their response was to enter a "featured request" (== don't hold your breath)

I just mention this here so you are aware that for those using Zenfolio and even if the lens info is present in the original files, it is not available in the smaller copies.

 

[Thornton]

There is more to the issue though than just meta-data being stripped from the image file, (either by web hosting, as with Bart's example, or with post processing as illustrated by Klaus).

Meta-data is, unfortunately, as far as camera makers and software developers are concerned, a 'non-standard' 'standard'...

The most common data we come across is in the [EXIF], [IPTC], [XMP], and [GPS] IFD's ... there are many others.

The [EXIF] IFD contains amongst many others, the tag names 'LensMake', 'LensModel', and 'LensSerialNumber'. There is no guarantee though a manufacturer will choose to populate those fields.

For example, on both a Nikon D300 and D800E they are not, Nikon having chosen instead to place the information into the [MakerNotes] section. MakerNotes is not standardised in any way, a maker is free to place whatever tag/data pair they choose.

Any software that attempts to read meta-data needs to be aware of the (often unique) format it is reading. Furthermore, as any software that subsequently modifies an image's existing meta-data must. That is not always the case, and meta-data, particularly the MakerNotes, can be rendered unreadable by 'badly behaved' third party software; either as a result of inadvertently overwriting, or more likely, changing the byte offset of the blob.

To fully look at the meta-data attached to an image you need to use a utility such as 'ExifTool', which is capable of correctly interpreting far more data than most, if not all, other utilities; as well as any 'unknown' tag/data pairs. Most of the GUI utilities will only display a sub-set of the more important tags.

The software that Amin is using to extract the meta-data is not currently able to display lens data from the Nikon MakerNotes, at least for the D300/800, as is shown by images I've uploaded, (which have not been post-processed).

The image here: Neglected bronze statue... for example, shows '---' for the lens information, however the meta-data as shown by ExifTool contains this:

[MakerNotes] Lens Type : G VR
[MakerNotes] Lens : 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6
[MakerNotes] Lens F Stops : 5.67
[MakerNotes] Lens Data Version : 0204
[MakerNotes] Lens ID Number : 183
[MakerNotes] Lens F Stops : 5.67
[Composite] Lens ID : AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
[Composite] Lens : 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G VR

Note the [Composite] section is one that doesn't exist in the actual meta-data, it is created by ExifTool itself from data in other sections.

And no, I'm not associated with ExifTool in any way other than a very satisfied user.

 

[kilofoxtrott]

In my case the culprit is Zenfolio.
The images I upload contain the lens info, as confirmed with adobe bridge, but when I post here, I link to smaller copies that Zenfolio creates just after an upload.
These copies do not contain the lens info, again confirmed with adobe bridge.
I have reported this to Zenfolio but their response was to enter a "featured request" (== don't hold your breath)

I just mention this here so you are aware that for those using Zenfolio and even if the lens info is present in the original files, it is not available in the smaller copies.

Same with Flickr.
Only the original size shows the exif data.

Regards
Klaus

 

[Bart]

As a test, I'll link an original file I uploaded to Zenfolio here to check if the lens info - present in the file - gets read by the add-on.
(I have to add the image since this add-on is not active in the preview)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Here, I see the lens info gets read and shown by the add-on.

By the way, feel free to remove the image from the thread of course.
Just a check

 

[Thornton]

Interesting....

Hope you don't mind, I've just looked at any tags that contain 'lens'

exiftool -a -u -G Bart-Test-p3013136835.jpg | grep -i 'lens'

[EXIF] Lens Info : 24-70mm f/2.8
[EXIF] Lens Model : 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8
[XMP] Lens Info : 24-70mm f/2.8
[XMP] Lens : 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8
[XMP] Lens ID : 147
[XMP] Lens Profile Enable : 0
[XMP] Lens Manual Distortion Amount : 0
[XMP] Lens Profile Setup : LensDefaults
[Composite] Lens ID : AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

This I think is further evidence of how 'non-standard' the meta-data is...

@Bart, has that image been post-processed by anything?
@Amin Sabet , what software are you using to extract the meta-data, and what tags do you look for?

 

[Bart]

...
@Bart, has that image been post-processed by anything?
...

Of course: NEF -> DxO -> DNG -> LR -> smart object in PS -> filter DxO Filmpack -> LR -> jpg

PS: I certainly don't mind. Otherwise I would strip the exif info.

 

[Palouse]

Bryan, here is one, processed only in DXO-PL and inserted here directly from my MacBook:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

What can you read for this?

 

[Bart]

I can already show what bridge has to say:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Palouse]

Right, but lens model doesn't show on the Café site. I can read that on all my software (DXO, Bridge, Nikon VX, Affinity, Fast Raw Viewer)

 

[Amin Sabet]

Amin I believe it's not the forum sofrware - it's the user software.
At home I'm working with PS CS4 - result no lens data.
In office I work with PS CS6 - it shows up.

Both the user software and the forum software are contributory. If the user software doesn't put in the data, we can't extract it. But in some cases, the user software is putting in the data in a place where our forum software doesn't pull from. That's where we can continue to refine on our end.

Right now, our software shows about as much as Windows File Explorer does. Not as good as a lot of photo software but more than we had before.

 

[Palouse]

Just a test, so delete it if needed. Processed only in Nikon Capture NX-D.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Palouse]

Just a test, so delete it if needed. Processed only in Affinity Photo.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Bart]

I opened Nicks first file and mine in exiftool and compared the tags containing "Lens".
Nicks on the left - mine on the right
It seems the add-on in reading from the exif-tag "Lens Model".
Seeing this tag is present in my file where the info is shown and absent in Nicks file where it is not shown.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

And indeed, if I open Nicks file processed in Affinity photo, I see the exif tag "Lens Model" as well.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Now to reverse the reasoning, would it then be a more general solution to let the add-on read the tag "Lens"?

 

[Amin Sabet]

Now to reverse the reasoning, would it then be a more general solution to let the add-on read the tag "Lens"?

Sorry, I missed this. I am working with the developer to improve the addon and will forward him some of the examples from this thread.

 

[Butlerkid]

As a side note, is focal length being displayed as "35mm equivalent" for DX bodies or should viewers just manually note that a sensor other than full frame (35mm) was used??

 

[Amin Sabet]

The latter. It’s showing actual (physical) focal length.

 

[nuclearjock]

There is now an option under account preferences to disable this display EXIF information for those who would like to do so.

For the life of me Amin, I can't find it in "preferences".

 

[Amin Sabet]

It’s not there any longer.