ExifTool Gui for Mac?

[Andy41]

Hi,
in the last FotoMagazin I found a description of ExifTool Gui and some of its capabilities. It seems to offer more possibilities, than in the regular ExifTool (e.g. a lens can be given a name, not so in the regular ExifTool).
When downloading ExifTool Gui 5.16 I discovered that the important files are .exe (which is Windows). Is there no Mac version?

[Phil Harvey]

No ExifTool GUI offers as many features as the command-line application.  I don't know what you mean by giving a lens a name.

There are various Mac apps based on ExifTool, but I don't know much about them.  SetEXIFData sounds potentially useful, but again, it won't be nearly as powerful as the command-line application.

- Phil

[Andy41]

Hi Phil,
I am using your exiftool for a long time now to add aperture or focal length information when using old manual lenses which have no electronic transmission of their data. However, the lens (name) remains always empty. I'd gladly insert the correct names (e.g. Takumar, Soligor, etc.) but I found no way of doing this in exiftool. A long time ago, asking you about this you told me, it's not possible.
In the report about exiftoolGUI it was mentioned that lenses could be named. Is there a progress meanwhile in this respect?

[Phil Harvey]

I may have misunderstood what you wanted, and/or don't understand what you are talking about now, but to add a lens name to an image you can do this:

exiftool -lensmodel="any name you want" FILE

- Phil

[StarGeek]

However, the lens (name) remains always empty.

What program are you using that shows that the lens name is empty?

[Andy41]

to Phil:
I was hoping your suggestion would solve this problem, but it didn't. I don't know what I am doing wrong, after all you should know your program best, but following your suggestion
exiftool -lensmodel="any name you want" FILE
the lens name remains empty. Sorry!

to StarGeek:
for NEFs I use Nikon ViewNXi. Under Camera Info there is a heading Lens. Nikon lenses are described here correctly, old lenses (w/o electrical contacts) are left empty.
for ORFs I use Olympus Viewer 3. Under Hardware information -> Lens information Olympus lenses are described correctly, old lenses (w/o electrical contacts) do not even bring up "Lens information".
I was hoping by entering the desired lens name into exiftool this name would appear under the proper heading. It does not up to now.

[Alan Clifford]

Looking at a nef in viewnxi, in the camera info panel it shows:

Lens: VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G

exiftool -G -a ahc_7826.nef | less -i
The nearest tags are:

Code Select Expand

[MakerNotes]    Lens                            : 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6
[MakerNotes]    Lens Type                       : G VR


Investigating further, using

exiftool -G -a -lens="Anything here" -lenstype= ahc_7826.nef
creates an xmp:lens but unexpectedly does not clear the lenstype

Code Select Expand


[XMP]           Lens                            : Anything here
[MakerNotes]    Lens                            : 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6
[MakerNotes]    Lens Type                       : AF

Specifying for the maker notes, I get an error

exiftool -G -a -nikon:lens="Anything here"  -nikon:lenstype= ahc_7826.nef

Code Select Expand

Warning: Not enough values specified (4 required) for Nikon:Lens
    1 image files updated

exiftool -G -a -nikon:lens="Anything at all here"  -nikon:lenstype= ahc_7826.nef

Code Select Expand

Warning: Not a floating point number for Nikon:Lens
    1 image files updated


So if I had looked up the specification for this tag on the exiftool website, I guess I would have found it was not expecting text.

[Phil Harvey]

Lens information is usually stored numerically in the maker notes, and OEM software may not recognize LensType's from other lenses.  XMP:Lens and EXIF:LensModel will accept any string.

The real problem is that Nikon and Olympus software may be very restricted in what they will display.  In particular, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't recognize lens codes from other manufacturers.

Nikon:Lens should accept any 5 numbers for the min/max focal and max/min aperture, but it won't take an arbitrary string.

- Phil