How to get Focal Length and Lens Info into Metadata import

[mrfearless47]

The brand of the lens. Along with the rest of the info already there.  E.g.  Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600, vs Nikon 500 mm, or Nikon 24-70, Sigma 24-70, vs Tamron 24-70.

[Kirk Baker]

I found and fixed a bug in PM6 that was preventing it from gathering up better metadata.  Attached is a sample of the lens info that PM6 can produce.  Unless we add some more variables for lenses then this is as good as it gets for PM6 for now.

-Kirk

[mrfearless47]

This is exactly what I need.  No need to go further.

[mrfearless47]

As I told you privately, there is still a problem identifying lenses used with Nikon Z cameras onthevNikon FTZ adapter.  Once again, the lens maker and any information preceding the focal length is not visible.  So, I will get 70-300 FX f4.5-5.6, but it deleted the Nikkor AF-P part which precedes the focal length.  Somecwith the newest Nikon 70-200 f2.8.  lest anyone thinks this isn't a problem, If I try to sort on lens type, Nikon has had three different 70-200 f2.8 lenses since I've owned Nikon cameras - and I have owned all three - there have been at least 5 versions of the 70-300, 3 versions of the 24-70, and so on.  While this doesn't seem to be an issue on D series cameras, it is on the Z series. And if you add in all the third party manufacturers of those lenses, it can be a nightmare trying to sift through incomplete metadata,especially when you are testing a lot of focally equivalent lenses.

[Hayo Baan]

The problem with identifying the lens is that the information to do so is not a simple string but a block of (mostly unstructured) bytes. It is possible for PM to decode the info (I’m quite sure they already do for some lenses), but it’s not straightforward. Besides, each camera brand does this differently (sometimes even between camera models), making this an almost impossible and certainly never ending task...

[mrfearless47]

It can't be that difficult.  I get accurate information from PS, LR,Luminar, ON1, Pictorial, DXO, Capture One on both Nikon and 3rd party FX lenses mounted on the FTZ adapter on Z bodies.

[mrfearless47]

Here is a chunk directly from exiftool on an image taken with a Z6, an FTZ adapter, and a Nikon AF-P 70-300 lens.

Date/Time Original              : 2019:01:22 13:45:37
TIFF-EP Standard ID             : 1 0 0 0
Aperture                        : 11.0
Auto Focus                      : On
Blue Balance                    : 1.265625
CFA Pattern                     : [Red,Green][Green,Blue]
GPS Altitude                    : 25 m Above Sea Level
GPS Date/Time                   : 2019:01:22 21:45:38Z
GPS Latitude                    : 32 deg 43' 44.54" N
GPS Longitude                   : 117 deg 15' 21.54" W
GPS Position                    : 32 deg 43' 44.54" N, 117 deg 15' 21.54" W
Image Size                      : 6064x4040
Jpg From Raw                    : (Binary data 1118838 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Lens ID                         : AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR
Lens Spec                       : 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 E VR [7]
Megapixels                      : 24.5
Other Image                     : (Binary data 543919 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Preview Image                   : (Binary data 57935 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Red Balance                     : 1.792969
Scale Factor To 35 mm Equivalent: 1.0
Shutter Speed                   : 1/2000
Create Date                     : 2019:01:22 13:45:37.91-08:00
Date/Time Original              : 2019:01:22 13:45:37.91-08:00
Modify Date                     : 2019:01:22 13:45:37.91-08:00
Thumbnail TIFF                  : (Binary data 57816 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Circle Of Confusion             : 0.030 mm
Depth Of Field                  : 16.84 m (40.35 - 57.19 m)
Field Of View                   : 6.8 deg (5.64 m)
Focal Length                    : 300.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 300.0 mm)
Hyperfocal Distance             : 272.31 m
Light Value                     : 15.4


The Lens ID variable clearly identifies the lens.  There's no mystery about it.

[Hayo Baan]

Sure, exiftool identifies the lens. But do you know how much work has been put into that by Phil? An awful lot, that’s for sure. Sure, this can be replicated by PM, but to be honest I’d rather have the guys from Camerabits work on other things first...

[mrfearless47]

Since I don't use PM for anything currently other than ingesting images, as long as all of the existing EXIF data are preserved so that LR, Bridge, or whatever can still extract them, I'm fine.  I was just hoping that PM's use of EXIF data would be more complete so that basic information could be culled from a simple ingest of raw or jpg (or both) photos.  If it isn't important to others, that's fine.  It IS important to me.  Since Kirk was able to fix a bug that prevented the full info from showing with Nikon D cameras with Nikon (and other) lenses, I assumed that the fix would translate to the Z series.  Since the FTZ converter is pin and electronically matched to the information on the Z bodies, other software doesn't seem to have an issue with it identifying the full, correct lens ID.  Therefore, it seems to me (as a software programmer myself) that this shouldn't be that complicated.  Maybe I'm wrong; I haven't seen or gotten any access to PM's source code to know how they extract the exif information from photos.  That's all my point is, and I assumed that was the purpose of this group is to make them aware of what information we, as individuals, need.  If this isn't a concern, then I can live with it.

[Kirk Baker]

Since I don't use PM for anything currently other than ingesting images, as long as all of the existing EXIF data are preserved so that LR, Bridge, or whatever can still extract them, I'm fine.  I was just hoping that PM's use of EXIF data would be more complete so that basic information could be culled from a simple ingest of raw or jpg (or both) photos.  If it isn't important to others, that's fine.  It IS important to me.  Since Kirk was able to fix a bug that prevented the full info from showing with Nikon D cameras with Nikon (and other) lenses, I assumed that the fix would translate to the Z series.  Since the FTZ converter is pin and electronically matched to the information on the Z bodies, other software doesn't seem to have an issue with it identifying the full, correct lens ID.  Therefore, it seems to me (as a software programmer myself) that this shouldn't be that complicated.  Maybe I'm wrong; I haven't seen or gotten any access to PM's source code to know how they extract the exif information from photos.  That's all my point is, and I assumed that was the purpose of this group is to make them aware of what information we, as individuals, need.  If this isn't a concern, then I can live with it.

I communicated with you privately that we'll look into the additional issue when we have time.  I do not know what the complexity of the problem is at this time but I promise that we'll give it attention.  I put in a 60 hour work week last week and for the weeks leading up to and following the release of PM6.  We're taking everything very seriously, but we have to prioritize our work on the issues that trouble the most users.

I hope you understand.

-Kirk

[mrfearless47]

I fully understand.  We all work hard and we all try to do our best.  Respect to you.