Nikon NEF files, IPTC, PM and Capture One LE

[grosset]

I import my Nikon NEF files using Photo Mechanic, and write basic IPTC info as they are being imported. The IPTC prefs are set to default. When I process these files in Capture One LE, all the IPTC info is missing in the resulting jpegs or tiffs. Is this a Capture One glitch, or a Photo Mechanic problem?

[Kirk Baker]

I import my Nikon NEF files using Photo Mechanic, and write basic IPTC info as they are being imported. The IPTC prefs are set to default. When I process these files in Capture One LE, all the IPTC info is missing in the resulting jpegs or tiffs. Is this a Capture One glitch, or a Photo Mechanic problem?

I don't think Capture One expects IPTC data in RAW files.  Nor does it work with XMP sidecar files.

But not having the product, I could be wrong.  Others feel free to correct me.

-Kirk

[grosset]

But it works OK with Canon RAW files, according to a colleague. It's just the Nikon NEF files that seem to be the problem with Capture One.

[Kirk Baker]

But it works OK with Canon RAW files, according to a colleague. It's just the Nikon NEF files that seem to be the problem with Capture One.

IPTC data embedded into NEF files is not uncommon since Nikon's software can do this already, but each RAW file format requires a different parser to be written by the software developer (in this case the Capture One engineers).  So I am not surprised that CR2 files work and NEF files or other formats may not work.

Have you tried contacting Capture One about this issue?

-Kirk

[grosset]

I'm composing the email now.....

I'll let you know their reply!

I see there's also problems with auto white balance on NEF files and Capture, after IPTC has been added in PM, so I'll see what they say about that too.

Thanks anyway.

[Kirk Baker]

I'm composing the email now.....

I'll let you know their reply!

I see there's also problems with auto white balance on NEF files and Capture, after IPTC has been added in PM, so I'll see what they say about that too.

I know the cause of the white balance issue.  Capture One is expecting certain data to be at specific offsets in the file.  When a NEF file is captioned with IPTC and/or XMP data Photo Mechanic relocates the TIFF table to the end of the file.  Capture One does not follow the link to the relocated TIFF table and as such has problems parsing the file.  The changes that Photo Mechanic makes to NEF files are completely undoable.  You can use the Revert TIFF-based RAW photos to original command on the Tools menu to undo the changes and optionally put your metadata into XMP sidecar files if you like.

Newer versions of Capture One may actually handle XMP sidecar files now so that may be a good way to work with PM and C1.

HTH,

-Kirk

[RobertE]

Hi,

Capture One LE doesn't support IPTC, you need the (much) more expensive Pro version. Photo Mechanic offers an easy way to copy the IPTC from the RAW files to the JPEG conversions using its 'Update IPTC/XMP' feature.

AFAIK the NEF white balance issue is a Phase One problem. It worked on an older Capture One beta then broke on final release. Go figure.

-- Robert.