Nikon and Sigma Lens Replacements

[mklass]

Here is a code replacement file for Nikon and Sigma lenses that I use. This will replace the lens description interpreted by PM from the Exif, with a more complete description closer to the manufacturers own.

I use the {lt} variable to place the lens description in a IPTC field that I would not normally use anyway. (such as Source, Special Instructions, or one of the Supplemental Category Fields)

7/14/08 - A slightly updated file has been uploaded with a few more lens descriptions

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[Brendan]

Hi, for what is this useful?

[mklass]

If you want to record more descriptive information about your lens in the IPTC data other than what is recorded in the EXIF info and interpreted by Photo Mechanic.

For instance: Photo Mechanic reports the lens as "AF Zoom 300-800mm f/5.6D". The code replacement will take that data and translate it into: "300-800mm f\5.6 DG HSM Sigma" based on the entry in this code replacement file. You can make the replacement text anything you want, but I use the manufacturer's lens description, plus the manufacturer's name.

For my purposes, I place the \{lt}\ replacement variable in the "Source" IPTC field, since I don't use that for anything else.

[marita]

Nikon and Sigma stabilized lenses compared in the field.  Their use in action and low-light photography is admittedly limited by their f/5.6 apertures and lack of fast, on-lens focusing motors.Nikon countered with the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR AF Zoom-Nikkor stabilized lens.  Not to be left behind, Sigma introduced its own stabilized 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 EX OS lens in 2002. Nikon and Sigma received excellent scores of over 94 percent stabilization success within the three-stop improvement claimed in product brochures. In both cases,the small number of images not fully stabilized could potentially be corrected to newspaper-quality images with blur correction filters.
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marita

Guaranteed ROI

[mklass]

Here is the TXT file with a few more lenses added.

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[mklass]

This is yet another update with more lenses in the list.


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[LowEyeEssOh]

Hi Mick.   Good to see you here (as well as on Nikonians).

I am a new PM user (just bought it for my work at the university as well as some home hobby stuff).

I just want to confirm a few things with you as I see you are very knowledgeable on PM  

I want to perform searches on contact sheets to select all images taken with a particular lens.   I would guess the upcoming cataloging feature of PM will do this fancifully.   Until then, would the following be correct?

• There is no find capability in PM that examines EXIF fields
• The find capability only looks at IPTC fields
• I can add a lens variable into an unused IPTC field to embed the lens name there
• Your file can improve the lens description - it is a substitution table
• Once the IPTC field has the lens in it one can search for images with a particular lens

From my reading the above is all correct.. I just want to confirm it.

I have had trouble saving an IPTC stationary pad with the variables in it (so I can apply it to a contact sheet full of images).   It seems the stationary pad doesn't retain the list of variables after I have put them in the Keywords field. I pasted them into the Keywords field and tried both a Save Settings and Save... (which saves to an XMP file), but the keywords didn't appear when I later loaded either of these back.   FYI pasted below is the set of variables I am trying to insert into the Stationary Pad.

Peter (PAStime on Nikonians)

Model: {modl}
Lens: {lenstype}
Metering mode: {meteringmode}
Exp. Comp.: {comp}
ISO: {iso}   Shutter: {shut}s
Lens (mm): {lens}   Aperture: f{f}
Flash:  {flash}
Flash Comp.: {fcmp}
Program: {prgm}
Picture Control: {pcnm}
Focus Mode: {fmod}
White Bal.: {baln}
ICC Profile: {icc}
Capture Quality: {qlty}
{filesize}   {aspect}  {pixels}   {width}x{height}
{comment}
{software}

[mklass]

Peter:

What you describe as the process is correct. I have a code replacement set up to use {lt} Or {lenstype} in the Source IPTC field. You can also sort a contact sheet by setting a custom sort in the Sort by: drop down using {lt} as the variable.

As for why your variables are can be saved as a stationery pad, I don't know. Are you using a MAC or PC? Are you trying to save all of those variables in one IPTC field? If so, which one? Can you apply them on a onetime basis to one image?

Kirk may be more help on this than I can be. Let's see.

Mick

[Kirk Baker]

Peter,

I have had trouble saving an IPTC stationary pad with the variables in it (so I can apply it to a contact sheet full of images).   It seems the stationary pad doesn't retain the list of variables after I have put them in the Keywords field. I pasted them into the Keywords field and tried both a Save Settings and Save... (which saves to an XMP file), but the keywords didn't appear when I later loaded either of these back.   FYI pasted below is the set of variables I am trying to insert into the Stationary Pad.

You have discovered a bug.  I'll look into fixing it for the final 4.6.7 update.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[LowEyeEssOh]

@Mick:  Thanks for the reply.  Glad to know I have it right.  Sort by lens type is a great idea.  I will try that.

@Kirk:  Oh wow, OK, that is a bug.  Platform is WindowsXP BTW.   I'll wait for a fix in a future release if it gives me more grief.

Thanks both!

Peter

[LowEyeEssOh]

Just as a follow-up:  sort by {lenstype} works like a charm!   I opened a contact sheet consisting of a folder and its sub folders.  It has 5946 images.   I sorted by lens type.   I can now browse that entire collection by lens.  I added a label1 to the contact sheet to confirm it was sorting correctly, and it was.  Thanks, Peter

[Kirk Baker]

Peter,

@Kirk:  Oh wow, OK, that is a bug.  Platform is WindowsXP BTW.   I'll wait for a fix in a future release if it gives me more grief.

I have a fix in the works.  The Keywords field is complicated by the fact that it is a 'repeating field' and is treated specially.  What you're pasting into the Keywords field is entirely legal, but because it has no repeating field separators (either ';' or ',' which depends on a Preferences setting), everything you've entered is likely going to be treated as one really large keyword, which will likely not work well in searching situations.  If you want to have a big blob of values all strung together, I'd suggest using one of the non-repeating fields that have some room in them like Caption, Headline, or Special Instructions.  Otherwise I suggest separating out your variables with field separators like so:

Model: {modl}, Lens: {lenstype}, Metering mode: {meteringmode}, Exp. Comp.: {comp}, ..., {comment}, {software}

Notice the use of ',' between keywords.  Note: I omitted some of your text to keep things brief.

At any rate, even the above suggestion won't work until my fix is released in the next update.  But once it does get released, you could do the above, and then Keyword searches on a database would match 'Model: D200' or 'Nikon Capture NX2', etc.  This will make it more useful than searching for one really large string that you don't know the entire contents of.  In the end it will really just matter what kind of search engine your database uses and if it allows substring matching then you could go ahead and keep your Keywords as one really large blob anyway.  If the search engine only allows exact matches then splitting up your Keywords will be imperative for good results.

HTH,

-Kirk

[mklass]

Since this is active at the moment, I've uploaded my most recent version of the Lens Code Replacement text file.

Mick

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[LowEyeEssOh]

Thanks Mick.   I got this to work.   And it has the Sigma 8-16 in it, just what I was playing with       I placed \{lt}\ in an IPTC field and sure enough it substituted in the more descriptive lens description from your file.   I noticed that if a substitution is not available, PM leaves the backslash characters in the field.   For example it now says on one of my test photos:   \AF Zoom 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D\    I guess that is to be expected.   (Of course I can add that lens to the table).    Fun!   Peter

[LowEyeEssOh]

OK Kirk, I will watch for the update.

I am not sure what you mean by repeating field.  I suppose it means a field in which there can be more than one entry.   And your point is that the fields need to be delimited by a character such as a the comma.   Sounds good.

Thanks for your help,
Peter