Using ExifTool - Names of Cameras, Creators, etc.

[JPSuisse]

Hi all,

So, I'm shooting analog with various cameras and digital with various cameras. I finally decided to start modifying certain EXIF data and am using ExifTool for Mac OS X. Above all, certain EXIF data really help to sort the pictures in Lightroom better.

For the scanned transparencies and b/w negatives, I used the camera brand names "Nikon" and "Leica." Then, when I started shooting with my new M8 I noticed that the Leica's EXIF data produces the brand name "Leica Camera AG." The M8 produces the camera type "M8 Digital Camera." The type tag for the M8 seems a little long. Why not simply "M8?" On the other hand, the Nikon produces the name "Nikon D100." That means brand name + camera type in the type tag. This seems overkill too, since there is already "Nikon" in the brand name tag.

It seems to me that one really only needs to be consistent. If I change these for consistency, will I break something? Also, is any of this information really mission critical other than maybe creator and copyright? How are other people using EXIF data nowadays?

Kind regards,

JP

 

[jmkelly]

I use PowerEXIF (Opanda Software) on the PC to put whatever I feel like into the EXIF files. Mostly I use it to tag negative scans with camera, lens, exposure, etc data rather than scanner data. The length of many of the tags is variable. What's to break?

 

[JPSuisse]

jmkelly, sorry I'm late with this post. But I had to do some testing.

In fact, when I added information to 1 tag of a file created by my M8 using Exiftool, I erased all the makertags with "one fell swoop." I was changing the name of "Leica Camera AG" to simply "Leica."

Since then I went through and checked as I added info to each tag, and that was the only tag giving me the problems. The issue came up, because I was tired of Lightroom's meta browser refereing to my scanned MP pictures as "Leica" and the M8 pictures as "Leica Camera AG". Finally, I changed the scanned images also to "Leica Camera AG" and all is well...

I think therefore, yes, you can break things by changing Exif data. The makertags are definitely used by different RAW developing programs differently. So, who knows what program would suddenly not read the file I modifided?

Cheers, JP

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

It seems to me that one really only needs to be consistent. If I change these for consistency, will I break something?

Yes, you will very much. Unless you change applications that read this field to be "consistent" with you.

Also, is any of this information really mission critical other than maybe creator and copyright? How are other people using EXIF data nowadays?

EXIF data and its organization isn't something that somebody unilaterally decided to do.

There's a push for a standard, and Adobe, specially, tries to abide by these standards.

Microsoft also feels that standards are inconvenient and unilaterally change things as they please, and it throws a monkey wrench on to things.

If it works for you, that's great. But if you start seeing programs not behaving the way you'd expect to when they're trying to recognize your equipment via EXIF data, don't start yelling out curses at those inconvenient standards!