Splitting up "Model" and "Lens" in DNG EXIF

[Katsunami]

There is one thing that has freaked me out since I got the GXR. Say, I've but a Biogon 35/2 on the camera, and created a profile for it, and therefore set the lens name correctly.

The camera model is: GXR Mount A12
The lens model is: Carl Zeiss Biogon 35/2

Instead of filling this out correctly in the "Model" and "LensModel" tags, the GXR does this:

Model: GXR Mount A12_Carl Zeiss Biogon 35/2
LensModel: -

Therefore, if you have 5 lenses, you'll have 5 "camera models". You cannot search on the lens model in Lightroom (or other programs) that use the EXIF data. I don't really care too much about aperture or ISO or shutter speed settings, but I'd like to know with which camera/lens combination a picture is taken. I can see myself buying another camera that can take M-lenses in the future, and so I want to seperate model and lens name. I might want to see all images taken with the Biogon 35/2 on my GXR, or all image for which that lens was used regardless of camera, or all images by a camera regardless of lens.

Should you be interested, here's how.

- First, set up a correct lens profile containing a lens name, and use it when shooting that lens. Of course, you can ignore this, and just make a note somewhere:

1000-1050: VC15/4.5
1051-1100: CZ35/2

The program used it ExifToolGUI, which is a GUI front-end for the command-line program ExifTool. To make everything easy, I've set it up already.

Download ExifToolGUI + ExifTool finished setup.

Just extract the folder to somewhere, and run ExifToolGui.exe. See the attached screenshot. Now do the following:

- Select "Details: User defined", in the top part of the middle panel.
- As your Model, you'll see "GXR Mount A12_Carl Zeiss Biogon 35/2", or some such.
- Sort the list by clicking the "Model" column.
- Select all images that use the same lens.
- In the right hand side panel, click "Model", and on the very bottom of that panel, cut _LensThatWasUsed from the model name.
- Hit Enter. Don't forget this!
- Click "LensModel" in the right hand panel. On the bottom, remove the "-", and paste the just cut lens model name, or type it, if you made notes and don't use lens profiles.
- Hit Enter.
- Click Save.

When you now import your DNG's into Lightroom, or another organizer program, you can search by camera and lens separately. It's a small step in my workflow, but a giant leap for searchability.

I am going to re-import all my images into Lightroom because I've just started to take pictures seriously again and my catalog is still very small. I don't know if you can "re-import" images to update any EXIF that was changed outsie of Lightroom.

Oh. And all of this stuff is on your own risk. If your pictures are destroyed or your house burns down, it's not my fault.

 

[Ario]

There is no need to re-import into LR ( to do so you should first remove your pictures from the catalog loosing any correction already made), but you may easily update the metadata using the menù item Metadata/ Update DNG Preview and Metadata.
For Mac users in the APP Store there are a couple of application which can do more or less the same as the ExifTool GUI used here which seem to be for Windows OS only.
Ario

 

[Katsunami]

Thanks for your comment

I've found the metadata stuff; I've overlooked it due to not working enough with Lightroom lately. I should have written the metadata to the files, then change it is using EXIFTool, and then reread the data. It would have saved me to recreate the catalog. But it's already done, so no need to worry about it.

To my regret I don't know anything about Mac EXIF-utilities. I do not own a Mac computer.

 

[wok64]

Lucky you, at least you reached the stage where the lens info is shown at all. A major achievement I yet have to look for .

Since yesterday evening I´m the frustrated owner of a GXR + M12 module + VF2. I´ve been working with digital cameras since more than a decade and certainly had more than a dozen of them in my hands. Never in my life did it take longer than 30 minutes to understand the general menu structure and configure the interface to get going. Even the often critizied NEX menu seemed quite logical and intuitive to me. Now with Ricoh for the first time I found a camera I can´t handle without "RTFM". But even with it, I´m definitely struggling.

The view finder looks like a tank but feels like it´s even more fragile than the one of the NEX-5 - which broke in my hands after 1 month of use.

The fact that you can´t mount a tripod quick release without blocking the battery door just completes the picture. Maybe the GXR is not a camera to use on a tripod, however, I love using one of those sniper straps which will block the battery door, too when mounted to the GXR.

Fortunately, I found at least a few minutes to take some photographs today. The DNG´s out of camera - even with my cheapest lens (Voigtländer Skopar 21mm)mounted on it gave me the very same "wow"-effect as the M8 when I first saw a Leica DNG - beating the NEX-7 and NEX-5 raws hands down.

So, I won´t throw it into the next trash can. Instead I´ll patiently learn to work around it´s defects and after some time of getting used to it, all that will remain is the joy of wonderful image quality.

Best regards,
wok

 

[Katsunami]

Lucky you, at least you reached the stage where the lens info is shown at all. A major achievement I yet have to look for .

Now you know one way to do it

Since yesterday evening I´m the frustrated owner of a GXR + M12 module + VF2. I´ve been working with digital cameras since more than a decade and certainly had more than a dozen of them in my hands. Never in my life did it take longer than 30 minutes to understand the general menu structure and configure the interface to get going. Even the often critizied NEX menu seemed quite logical and intuitive to me. Now with Ricoh for the first time I found a camera I can´t handle without "RTFM". But even with it, I´m definitely struggling.

The GXR-M is a very complex camera to set up initially. If you want some hints on how I set up and use the camera, then read this thread over at DPReview:

Second reply from the top

Fortunately, I found at least a few minutes to take some photographs today. The DNG´s out of camera - even with my cheapest lens (Voigtländer Skopar 21mm)mounted on it gave me the very same "wow"-effect as the M8 when I first saw a Leica DNG - beating the NEX-7 and NEX-5 raws hands down.

It's probably because of the lack of an AA-filter. It makes pictures out of the camera much sharper than with any other, except the M8 and M9; it's probably not because the pictures are saved in DNG.

So, I won´t throw it into the next trash can. Instead I´ll patiently learn to work around it´s defects and after some time of getting used to it, all that will remain is the joy of wonderful image quality.

Read that thread on DPReview and I can guarantee it. The only thing you'll be doing (assuming you don't have more than 12 lenses) is loading 1-3 profiles into the MY-settings and switching between them when using the camera. If you're the guy that has 50 lenses and take 25 of them on a trip, then you're in trouble...

 

[wok64]

Thank you Katsunami.

I had figured that out in the meantime while watching the european soccer championship (must be good for something ...) and it's working fine. Of course you have to get used to switching the "My"-Setting when changing a lens but this seems to be a matter of building habits. I'm using a 21mm, 35mm, 75mm and 135mm lens at the moment. I registered the 21mm at My1, the 35mm at My2 and I'm switching the My3 between the other two.

In case I'll add another lens (maybe a 12 mm), most likely I decide for a second body, first.

wok

 

[Ario]

In addition to the three My Set slots you have other 6 slots available to register lens data in the camera Setting Box, and you can register additional lenses in the 6 slots available in each storage card.
In total you can have always at least 12 lens data sets permanently registered (camera + one SD card) which you can copy into your My Set slots.
This will not prevent you to buy a secon body
Ario