Makernote tags

[Jrsforums]

How are makernote tags determined?  When a new camera comes out with a new makernote tag comes out, does the manufacturer define the name.  For example, the Panasonic G9ii now includes a tag defined as 'DR Boost'...was this name from the manufacturer?

[StarGeek]

How are makernote tags determined?  When a new camera comes out with a new makernote tag comes out, does the manufacturer define the name.  For example, the Panasonic G9ii now includes a tag defined as 'DR Boost'...was this name from the manufacturer?

In nearly all cases, camera companies do not give any details on what is in the MakerNotes. It is entirely up to the community to figure how they are composed. This includes people here testing things, as well as other developers in project such as exiv2 and dcraw.

So most of the time, the MakerNotes names will be based upon the settings that change that tag. You can look through this subforum (the Metadata subforum) and you will find many threads where someone figures out an unknown tag, and as part of the discussion on it, Phil will usually suggest a name to use and the person who discovered it will give back input on it. Here's an example post. Another thread about the details of Fujifilm tag.

[Jrsforums]

How are makernote tags determined?  When a new camera comes out with a new makernote tag comes out, does the manufacturer define the name.  For example, the Panasonic G9ii now includes a tag defined as 'DR Boost'...was this name from the manufacturer?

In nearly all cases, camera companies do not give any details on what is in the MakerNotes. It is entirely up to the community to figure how they are composed. This includes people here testing things, as well as other developers in project such as exiv2 and dcraw.

So most of the time, the MakerNotes names will be based upon the settings that change that tag. You can look through this subforum (the Metadata subforum) and you will find many threads where someone figures out an unknown tag, and as part of the discussion on it, Phil will usually suggest a name to use and the person who discovered it will give back input on it. Here's an example post. Another thread about the details of Fujifilm tag.

Thank you for your reply.  Is there anyway to determine how the G9ii MakerNote 'Dynamic Range Boost' was determined?  It is label, but the resulting 'yes/no' does not reflect the actual status of this function.

Edit:  I did a quick check and only found reference to GH6.  I should note, that on the G9ii, the tag call DynamicRangeBoost does not correctly indicate if DRBoost is on or off

[StarGeek]

Some knowledge of how to use Git would probably help, but I have very little of it.

I cloned the exiftool github repository, searched for commands that would search the file history, and came up with that tag being added with version 12.48. Most likely it falls under the "Decode a couple of new Panasonic tags, and improved decoding of others" listed at that link.

Searching the forums brings up this thread, which is probably the one you are referencing.

Can you provide some examples with the exact settings used? It looks like there are interactions between this tag and others.

[Jrsforums]

I have check G9ii still images where DR boost should be on, and the tag shows 'off'.  I have check burst mode (SH) where Panasonic say it is not use, tag shows 'off'.

I check some old GH6 still images at ISOs 100, 400, 1600.  DRBoost should be off below 800 and on above....all tags were 'off'.

I did not check any video setting.  The referenced thread seemed to be discussing video, so maybe it worked/works in video on GH6. (Or maybe it is something else).

At this point, without more data, I suspect the tag maybe named incorrectly and will cause user confusion

I checked the tags using latest version of RawDigger.  Not sure which version of tool he is using, but it should be relatively current.

[Phil Harvey]

Could you provide samples with the various settings for DR boost?  (And all other settings unchanged)

- Phil

[Jrsforums]

Could you provide samples with the various settings for DR boost?  (And all other settings unchanged)

- Phil

Phil, sorry it took so long.  Below is a link to a Dropbox folder with 5 images.  Two are GH6.  The 320 ISO should have DR Boost OFF (GH6 below 800=OFF; 800 and up=ON); the 1600 ISO should be ON.  I, also, have 3 G9ii images.  The MS & ES should be ON; the SH (burst mode ON, Burst speed 20) should be OFF.  As you will see, the EXIF data show all these images have 'Dynamic Range Boost = OFF'.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/vd5qfay48gx2ftdo5xpns/AFp0mf3ybyEDcRzBQIhQ7bQ?rlkey=oxg80fhy5gbizoclwfd2ibunu&dl=0

The GH6 images I had to select from old images as I no longer have the camera.  The G9ii I just shot.  I can reshoot these if you need and changes.

[Phil Harvey]

Thanks.  I'll post back here after I've had a chance to analyze these.

- Phil

[Phil Harvey]

For the GH6:

The value of Panasonic_0x00e9 corresponds with what you are telling me for the DynamicRangeBoost, but this is only 2 samples, which isn't very convincing.  A much more detailed analysis was done here, with many samples and a perfect correlation for the DR Boost setting with Panasonic_0x00ee.

Perhaps this is a difference between the DR Boost menu setting and its actual implmentation in the image processing?

I'm thinking the same thing could be true for your G9 samples.  What was the actual DR Boost menu setting for these images?

- Phil

[Jrsforums]

First, as I think I mentioned in an earlier post, I think the original analysis on the GH6 was for video. (" Every Exif data text file has a corresponding text file with the relevant settings info for the video file")  Obviously, I submitted still images.  They might be different.

How many additional samples do you need?  I have lots of old shots.

Second, G9ii (not G9) does not have a switch to turn DRB on/off.  Per Panasonic, it is always on except under certain conditions.  For still, it is for high burst (SH mode) images and images shot below 1/15, which varies by ISO.  The images I submitted, were one single shot and one SH burst image.  Both showed DRB=OFF

[Phil Harvey]

It is possible the tag is different for videos, but this would be very uncommon.

Since other settings are necessarily changing, it will take more samples to figure out which one is DR boost.  All I am doing is comparing the exiftool -U output for the sample images.  It would help me a lot if you could do that yourself and look for a correlation between any known or unknown tag with the boost settings.

- Phil

[Jrsforums]

It is possible the tag is different for videos, but this would be very uncommon.

Since other settings are necessarily changing, it will take more samples to figure out which one is DR boost.  All I am doing is comparing the exiftool -U output for the sample images.  It would help me a lot if you could do that yourself and look for a correlation between any known or unknown tag with the boost settings.

- Phil

It appears RawDigger only shows 'known', not 'unknown' tags.  I have never worked directly with EXIFTOOL, so will need to learn...which will take sometime.

At this point, I think it is pretty clear that the tag labeled 'Dynamic Range Boost' is not correct...at least not in all cases.  I'd suggest renaming or unnaming until more evidence is gathered.  It will just confuse people.

PS....does the tool have a way to compare tags from two different images to see what is different?

[Phil Harvey]

There is no compare feature.  I use exiftool -a -G1 -U -s -w txt to output .txt files, then use "grep" on the .txt files to output the values of the tag I am interested in.  Or use "diff" to compare two of the .txt files.

- Phil

[Jrsforums]

There is no compare feature.  I use exiftool -a -G1 -U -s -w txt to output .txt files, then use "grep" on the .txt files to output the values of the tag I am interested in.  Or use "diff" to compare two of the .txt files.

- Phil

😀 unfortunately, you are speaking Latin to an 80 year old Windows PC guy 😢. I'll try it when I gets done doing the project I am currently on, but I would not wait for my successful completion!