P: Lens metadata field missing on import

[jonasflanken]

Since updating Photoshop and Lightroom, I've noticed that the aux:lens metadata field is being deleted from my images on import, such that there is no lens listed after import. I've determined that it's Camera Raw 9.5 that seems to be the culprit, as lens metadata is retained if I use an older version of the DNG Converter v8.8 to import the same images.

For example, I had an image shot on a Sony RX100 III at 8.8mm. If I import this image with the old version of DNG Converter, and then open the converted DNG in Photoshop, the lens is reported with the full-frame equivalent focal lengths, i.e., 24-70mm F1.8-2.8, and the raw metadata has the correct aux:Lens field (24-70mm F1.8-2.8).

Conversely, if I import the same image directly into Photoshop or Lightroom, the metadata will display the correct focal length, but will not display the lens information; Lightroom reports this only as "unknown lens," and in Photoshop the aux:Lens field is missing completely.

For now, I will use the old version of DNG Converter as a workaround, but this is inconvenient, and really should be fixed.

[lhiapgpeonk]

Thank you, I will give that a try 🙂

[lhiapgpeonk]

Thank you, I will give that a try 🙂

[john beardsworth]

"John - that sounds as though it could be useful but you mention saving metadata back to the file whereas I and others would want to retain the develop settings when re-importing. Please could you clarify. Thanks"

The thing is,  if you first save metadata back to the file, you are saving develop settings too. So when you "re-import" (actually, Read Metadata) you will then be importing up-to-date develop settings too.

[JTA12]

As a Nikon and Canon user, I've found a lot of images from the Nikons with "unknown lens". Is there a way to fix this, without actually re-importing the images? I do use the lens meta data a lot and it's very cumbersome to not being able to filter on a specific lens.

[johnrellis]

In the original topic, Jaak received the workaround from Victoria Bampton.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

One month now... and it's not fixed.
That's dissapointing and ridiculous.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hi.  Just noticed the same behaviour,  but only after the middle of March this year.  Info is in the lens panel in 'Develop', module, and in Bridge, but not in Library 'metadata' filter or  in 'view' options.  Tried to save and read metadata, but no change.  Frustrating?  You bet!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

i had the same issue with os x 10.11.3 and Lightroom CC 2015.5 and a Nikon d750.

After downgrading to 2015.4 the lens information is back. 
>>http://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-do-i-roll-back-to-lightroom-2015-1-1-or-lightroom-6-1-1/
=> Just go straight to the 2015.4 update after the initial installation


Firstly just for the new imported files, the ones since February (when i updated to 2015.5) haven't.

But you can easily get them back with a right click and ">>Metadata>>Read Metadata from File".

If this doesn't work you may need to write the metadata first to a xmp file
(Catalog Settings >> Metadata >> check: Automatically write changes to xmp)
Be sure to wait first that LR wrote all xmp files bevor restoring, otherwise you could loose the adjustments...

for me this worked fine...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

2015.4 does not support the Nikon D5 and D500.
This is not an option for me.

[F. McLion]

A patch should be due soon - please be patient.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Patience is running out, we've been waiting for a month now!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

My patience is running out, we've been waiting for a month now!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

But they collected their subscription fee without any delay what so ever!!!

[jacquesdMTL]

I agree with you. The last 2 updates were a mess.

[sm40605965]

I have the same problem ONLY with Nikon. All previously imported NEF files show the lens model, but newly imported don't.

Re-importing a NEF file (e.g. copy-paste in Windows Explorer) makes me lose the info only for the copy.

Sony, Apple, and Canon files I was able to test do not show this behavior.

I am really wondering why we PAY for a program where every update means there's a new thing that doesn't work properly.

Get a grip, Adobe.

[J453]

This should be fixed in the Lightroom CC 2015.5.1/6.5.1 update that was released today: http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2016/04/lightroom-cc-2015-5-1-now-available.html

See this document for parsing the lens metadata: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/lens-metadata-hidden-on-some-cameras-in-lightroom-6-5.html

[JTA12]

Just installed and verified it, it works! 🙂 But I'd really like a script that takes care of the 10000+ images that have the "unkown lens" attribute. Manually saving and re-reading this amount is not ok.

[itguy08]

Highlight them all and follow the second document posted by Jeffrey.  I only had about a hundred images but it worked just fine for them.

[JTA12]

Sorry, missed the link there. Seems to be fine-ish now.

[JaapV1943]

Thank you! I read about it in Nikon Club Nederland's forum.
Funny thing: all my missing lens data have meanwhile reappeared, without any intervention on my part.
Even more outlandish: my Lr CC version is still the same 2015.5 (without the added ".1") and my last update was 42 days ago. Perhaps my camera type (Nikon D800) has something to do with this?
Or have you been working some Adobe Magic?
(Needless to say, I am NOT going install this ".1" update for now, if I can help it.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Thanks for finally fixing this Adobe.

I have to say though, your fix is sloppy at best. I actually have to find the affected files and run a manual process on all of them to read the missing lens EXIF data?

I've uploaded 15,000 or more photos to Lightroom since this was broken. I fail to see why the fix couldn't have gone back and cleaned up after itself automatically. It can't be hard to automatically parse photos that have lens EXIF data and read the missing bits into the library automatically.

Your dev team can do better.

[simonsaith]

The auto cleanup script would involve heuristics to determine which set of photos needs to be updated. The heuristics cannot cover all possible user cases and therefore could do undesirable things in certain cases. 

[itguy08]

How so?  Simple - if it detects "unknown lens" try to reimport. If the data isn't available return unknown just as before.  If it is there import with the correct data.

I'm not really a programmer but it seems simple to do.

[gonzalu]

Any way to do it across the catalog easily and non-destructively? I don't have time to go through each file and do this, even doing multiple files is dangerous because I have different decisions to make on Metadata and Develop Settings to each image in a catalog 😞 

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

You can filter for the affected files - scroll down a bit here for step by step: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/whats-new-in-lightroom-cc-2015-5-1-and-lightroom-6-5-1/