Does the lens information still show up in Lightroom after your edited the file using one of the Adobe editors?
I really don't use Lightroom. However, I was considering it before I discovered PM. A bit of testing and this is what I discovered...
(1) I started with a RAW+JPG pair of images. I had to rename the files (e.g. file1.nef and file2.jpg) prior to importing them into LR. This was so I could easily access both files in LR. If I had not done that, LR would have indicated it was importing 1 image (instead of 2), and although it would have actually imported both files, I'd still only be able to access the NEF from within LR. Strange behaviour that makes LR unusable for RAW+JPG in my opinion.
(2) Prior to importing the images into LR, I opened them in CS2. Not only did the NEF file show no lens data, it showed no camera data at all. I suspect that the EXIF data (including the MakerNotes) is being stripped from the file when the RAW image is opened/rendered. The JPG, however, shows much of the camera data, but not the lens type.
(2) I imported the NEF and JPG images into LR and they both showed the lens info (i.e. "18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6").
(3) In LR, if I select "Edit in Adobe Photoshop CS2" for the NEF image, the image is opened in CS2 without needing to first be rendered (I assume this is due to the integration between LR and CS2). Now in CS2 the NEF not only shows all the camera data, but even shows the lens info, exactly like LR ("18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6"). This works for the JPG image as well. Apparently, LR is creating a PSD file which it passes to CS2 for editting. In the PSD file it writes EXIF/XMP data which includes some of the original EXIF data, the lens info, etc.
(4) After saving the editted files in CS2, they do continue to show the lens data in LR. However, the files are no longer in their original NEF or JPG format, but are now PSD copies of the originals.
(5) In LR, if I select "Edit in Capture NX" for the NEF image, it is first converted to a TIFF before being opened in Capture NX. Unfortunately, while the lens info is stored to the file as XMP data, it is no longer part of the EXIF/MakerNotes section where Capture NX expects it! In my opinion, editting the RAW file as a TIFF in Capture NX really defeats the whole point of using Capture NX. As for the lens info, it is still available in LR. This is not really surprising, as it is LR that adjusts the image data to fit it's own needs in the first place.
(6) In PM, the lens info will display for the original files imported into LR. However, as it is re-arranged by LR in the files for editting, the data is no longer available to PM in those files.
I guess the bottom is: LR does maintain the lens info. However, it comes at a fairly steep price...it will alter the EXIF and MakerNote data making it difficult to use along with Capture NX, Photo Mechanic, etc. Lightroom's approach towards RAW and RAW+JPG images just doesn't work for me.
-Ian
