BUG: IPTC-Caption not updated in all fields

[Sven]

Hi Kirk!

I was told by a photographer that a client reads out "older" IPTC-Fields into his database. The images had originally a wrong caption applied and have been changed before sending. The Client still sees the old and wrong caption. After some investigation I found out the following:

Having JPEG files with IPTC-Data applied.
Using EXIF-Tool to read out the meta-data gives the following (only the relevant fields posted)
Original file:

Code: [Select]

Description                     : 13.01.2013, Chiemgau Arena, Ruhpolding, GER, E.ON IBU Weltcup, Massenstart, Herren, im Bild der Sieger Martin Fourcade (FRA) // Winner Martin Fourcade of France during Mens Mass Start of E.ON IBU Biathlon World Cup at the Chiemgau Arena in Ruhpolding, Germany on 2013/01/13. EXPA Pictures © 2013, PhotoCredit: EXPA/ Sven Kiesewetter

Image Description               : 13.01.2013, Chiemgau Arena, Ruhpolding, GER, E.ON IBU Weltcup, Massenstart, Herren, im Bild der Sieger Martin Fourcade (FRA) // Winner Martin Fourcade of France during Mens Mass Start of E.ON IBU Biathlon World Cup at the Chiemgau Arena in Ruhpolding, Germany on 2013/01/13. EXPA Pictures © 2013, PhotoCredit: EXPA/ Sven Kiesewetter

After changing the caption both fields show different text:

Code: [Select]

Description                     : Test1234567890

Image Description               : 13.01.2013, Chiemgau Arena, Ruhpolding, GER, E.ON IBU Weltcup, Massenstart, Herren, im Bild der Sieger Martin Fourcade (FRA) // Winner Martin Fourcade of France during Mens Mass Start of E.ON IBU Biathlon World Cup at the Chiemgau Arena in Ruhpolding,

This was tested using PM 4.6.x (other photographer) or PM 5 (myself).

Why are not all fields updated to the new caption?

BR
Sven

[Kirk Baker]

Sven,

Because only one of those fields is actually IPTC data.  The other is the EXIF description tag.  Photo Mechanic does not update the EXIF description tag.

-Kirk

[Sven]

But it is written via PM, isn't it?

[Kirk Baker]

But it is written via PM, isn't it?

No, not unless you do a Save as to a new file.  We can't update it in-place.  No modern software should be using that information anymore.  It does not define a character set so it can be difficult at best to interpret what encoding should be used to read it.  It was only meant to contain 7-bit ASCII, but all kinds of software takes liberties with it and it is unreliable at best to depend on that tag.

-Kirk

[Sven]

OK, thanks.

What about leaving the EXIF-Description completely out of scope?

Sven

[Kirk Baker]

Sven,

What about leaving the EXIF-Description completely out of scope?

You can use the Delete Metadata tool to strip the EXIF data, but all of it will be stripped, not just the description tag.

ExifTool can probably remove just the description tag if you want to use an additional tool.

-Kirk

[Sven]

Hi Kirk!

Sven,

ExifTool can probably remove just the description tag if you want to use an additional tool.

You are right. ExifTool is capable of that.

Code: [Select]

exiftool -overwrite_original -Exif:ImageDescription='' *.jpg
BR
Sven