Report lens model names for compact cameras

[bronger]

In case of my compact camera Nikon Coolpix P60, no lens name is returned. The same was reported by a PowerShot G11 user today in Darktable's IRC channel.

I suggest that for fixed lenses, ExifTool returns the camera maker and model as the lens name, in case the makes doesn't provide a lens model name. This behaviour should be synchronized with Exiv2 and LensFun. As for LensFun, I would take care of that. This way, the ExifTool/Exiv2/LensFun using programs would not need to implement default fallbacks of their own. Instead, the synchronisation between LensFun lookup and Exiv2/ExifTool information would work out-of-the-box.

I filed http://dev.exiv2.org/issues/911 against Exiv2, and I will try to keep it synchronised if necessary.

[Phil Harvey]

Thanks for this feature request, but I don't think I want to implement this suggestion.

This is what I get:

Code Select Expand

> exiftool NikonCoolpixP60.jpg CanonPowerShotG11.jpg "-*lens*"
======== NikonCoolpixP60.jpg
Auxiliary Lens                  : Off
======== CanonPowerShotG11.jpg
Lens Type                       : Unknown (-1)
Lens                            : 6.1 - 30.5 mm
Lens                            : 6.1 - 30.5 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.5 - 142.3 mm)
Lens ID                         : Unknown 6-30mm

In the case of the Nikon, no lens type is stored in the metadata.  I don't think it is worthwhile generating one of of thin are with redundant information.

In the case of the Canon, the LensType for all compact cameras is -1.  I think it may be most useful to convert this to "Built-in", but I see no additional benefit in converting this to the Make/Model name.  However, the problem is that I have also seen the value of -1 in images from a number of EOS models.  So even "Built-in" would be incorrect for these.  For this reason, I have just left it as Unknown.  I don't want ExifTool to have to maintain a list of which cameras have interchangeable lenses.

- Phil