How to specify exif metadata to include in csv file

[ronseese]

New user here.
These commands work great, as they create a csv file from my collection:
exiftool -r -a -csv pictures > all.csv
and
exiftool -r -common -csv pictures > common.csv

I would like to customize the fields which are in the csv file, I have a list of exif tags that I would like to include, there are 37 of them. How would I compose the command line?
Thanks, Ron

[StarGeek]

You would specify the tags on the command line.
exiftool -r -TAG1 -TAG2 -TAG3 -csv pictures > common.csv

37 tags might get a bit unwieldy, so you could look into creating an arg file (see -@ (Argfile) option), which would look like this

Code Select Expand

-r
-csv
-TAG1
-TAG2
-TAG3
and then you would call the arg file from the command line
exiftool -@ Argfile.Args /Pictures/ >common.csv

You have to make sure you use the actual tag names (see -s (short) option and FAQ #2) not the description names.

[ronseese]

That worked perfectly, almost, I had to move the -r to the command line and not the argument file, complained about it being a TAG.
Thanks!
Now I just need to do some data analysis to find out my favorite focal length.
Nice tool, BTW.
Ron

[StarGeek]

complained about it being a TAG.

You probably had a leading or trailing whitespace.  This makes a difference in an arg file.  Arg files have to be exact and without quotes, unlike the command line.

[ronseese]

complained about it being a TAG.

You probably had a leading or trailing whitespace.  This makes a difference in an arg file.  Arg files have to be exact and without quotes, unlike the command line.

ok, thanks.