EXIF data not carried over from NEF to JPEG/TIFF

[Juerg]

Hi Kirk,

Shooting Nikon NEF files (D200/D300/D700), I have set PM to show following info (taken from a NEF file):

Model: NIKON D700
Serial #: 2461015
Frame #: 5580
Actuations #: 5491
Lens Type: AF VR Zoom 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Lens mm (35-mm): 300 (300)
ISO: 400
Aperture: 8
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: -0.7
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority
Focus Mode: AF-C
White Bal.: AUTO

If that file is convertet to a TIFF or JPEG (via NX2, CS5 or PM with "save as"), some of the above information is not there anymore and the info (for the same file as above) shows now that:

Model: NIKON D700
Serial #:
Frame #: 5580
Actuations #:
Lens Type:
Lens mm (35-mm): 300 (300)
ISO: 400
Aperture: 8
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: -0.7
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority
Focus Mode:
White Bal.:

Why is certain information not carried over from NEF to other formats? Any idea?

[Kirk Baker]

Hi Kirk,

Shooting Nikon NEF files (D200/D300/D700), I have set PM to show following info (taken from a NEF file):

Model: NIKON D700
Serial #: 2461015
Frame #: 5580
Actuations #: 5491
Lens Type: AF VR Zoom 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Lens mm (35-mm): 300 (300)
ISO: 400
Aperture: 8
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: -0.7
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority
Focus Mode: AF-C
White Bal.: AUTO

If that file is convertet to a TIFF or JPEG (via NX2, CS5 or PM with "save as"), some of the above information is not there anymore and the info (for the same file as above) shows now that:

Model: NIKON D700
Serial #:
Frame #: 5580
Actuations #:
Lens Type:
Lens mm (35-mm): 300 (300)
ISO: 400
Aperture: 8
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: -0.7
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority
Focus Mode:
White Bal.:

Why is certain information not carried over from NEF to other formats? Any idea?

Because much of that date comes from the Nikon Maker Note and isn't in EXIF.  TIFF files do not contain Maker Notes.  PM does not manufacture EXIF data from Maker Notes.

-Kirk

[TerraPhoto]

Kirk,

I am a little confused by this whole issue with MakerNotes. You just said that TIFF files do not contain MakerNotes, yet, I just created a TIFF file from Nikon Capture NX 2.3.4 and it does indeed include the MakerNotes - specifically, the Lens information I am most concerned with (because I want to use the new CS6 Adaptive Wide Angle tool, which works best with knowing the lens). I verified the MakerNotes are in the TIFF with Nikon ViewNX, Adobe Bridge CS6 (which was interesting since Photoshop ignores this information in TIFFs, but not NEFs), and ACDSee Pro.

If Capture NX can create MakerNotes in TIFF files, and at least these applications can read the MakerNotes in the TIFFs (can Photo Mechanic?), why is it so difficult for Photo Mechanic or Photoshop to preserve this information?

It would seem to me that this whole issue could be cleaned up with a revision to the EXIF standards.

Please advise.

Thanks,
Chris

[Kirk Baker]

Chris,

I am a little confused by this whole issue with MakerNotes. You just said that TIFF files do not contain MakerNotes, yet, I just created a TIFF file from Nikon Capture NX 2.3.4 and it does indeed include the MakerNotes - specifically, the Lens information I am most concerned with (because I want to use the new CS6 Adaptive Wide Angle tool, which works best with knowing the lens). I verified the MakerNotes are in the TIFF with Nikon ViewNX, Adobe Bridge CS6 (which was interesting since Photoshop ignores this information in TIFFs, but not NEFs), and ACDSee Pro.

If Capture NX can create MakerNotes in TIFF files, and at least these applications can read the MakerNotes in the TIFFs (can Photo Mechanic?), why is it so difficult for Photo Mechanic or Photoshop to preserve this information?

It would seem to me that this whole issue could be cleaned up with a revision to the EXIF standards.

Capture NX is Nikon's software and as such certainly knows all about Nikon MakerNotes.  MakerNote data is not publicly documented and is not something we can just copy from a NEF and put it into a JPEG or a TIFF file without causing problems for other software that knows how to interpret all of Nikon's MakerNote data.  Because of this issue Photo Mechanic does not attempt to copy/convert it from your NEF files to a JPEG or a TIFF file.

-Kirk