P: Save Metadata To File doesn't clear GPS EXIF fields for DNGs

I verified that the bug recipe now produces correct results.

Greetings all,

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Just another thought, how does Bridge / Camera Raw deal with a DNG image like the one the author of this thread is working with?

At John, I stated “My observation..............................Just my humble opinion”

It's just my understanding that LrC always retains the original imported image and you should always be able to export an original with all the data intact. If you wish to create a file with data altered you can do so by exporting it to a new file. My point is the DNG in discussion is created by the Camera and tangermount to a RAW file and any alterations made should be saved separately in the file header.

Again just my humble opinion.

One other thought when I was working with the DNG file that was shared there was no option to export the DNG to DNG. With Camera Raw files you can export the original and if you wish to share edits and added metadata you would need to share the XMP sidecar.

I cannot check that as I have not retain the DNG.

@DdeGannes, I'm sorry, I saw your reply just now (seems the forum platform has dropped lots of my notifications in the last few weeks).

"My observation however is the image under discussion is a DNG created by the Camera with the GPS coordinates included. That is what LrC is preserving and that should continue, user can do either turn of the option in their camera or export and create a new file type and remove the location data there. Just my humble opinion."

I understand your point, but the behavior occurs with Title and User Comment as well.  Your argument wouldn't apply to those fields.

In general, LR maintains the principle that any metadata field that can be changed in the application can be (optionally) saved back to the file. It seems inconsistent to me to have a special rule for GPS. 

If a user takes a JPEG with a camera that records GPS, should LR not write back changed GPS coordinates to that JPEG?  In this case, what would be the difference between a DNG and a JPEG created by the camera?

What about a DNG or JPEG in which the camera didn't record GPS coordinates.  If the user later adds the coordinates in LR, should LR not write them back to the files, like it does with all other metadata (keywords, caption, title, star rating, etc.).

At John, I believe the original capture metatadata should be preserved, metadata added after should be editable. My observation however is the image under discussion is a DNG created by the Camera with the GPS coordinates included. That is what LrC is preserving and that should continue, user can do either turn of the option in their camera or export and create a new file type and remove the location data there. Just my humble opinion.

"It seems from my testing that the Title field is also not cleared if saving an empty field to metadata."

The same misbehavior occurs for me with GPS, Title, and User Comment but not any other field (e.g. it doesn't occur with Caption, Keywords, or any IPTC fields other than Title).

Did a few further tests as follows,

Using the original imported DNG made some basic edits in the Develop Module and removed the GPS data in the Library Module > Metadata. Then from the menu Metadata > Save Metadata to the file, watited about 10 sec just to ensure that was completed, then from the menu Metatdata > Read Metadata from the file. Result the image shows the edits done in the Develop Module and the GPS coordinates are showing. Removed the GPS again, then exported to DNG the file shows the GPS coordinates. GPS coordinates in the original file are retained, which is as expected with Lightroom preserving the integrity of the Original.

Same happens with export as jpg and tiff not selecting Metadata > Remove Location Information not selected. GPS info retained.

With jpeg and tiff if Metadata > Remove Location Information selected the exported image does display the GPS coordinates. New file created without GPS info and Original integrity retained.

LrC functions as designed for me on my Win PC using LrC 12 and latest Win 11 update.

At Jim Wilde,  stated "4. The OP then wanted to export the DNG, but did not want the GPS data included in the exported file. To do this, they erased the GPS coordinates from the Metadata panel, then saved metadata back to the file, which should have cleared the existing GPS data from the file header, then exported."

Ok the original DNG file contains the GPS coordinates are included in that file and as far as I know Lightroom will not delete that info as the concept the Original file is not altered. Removing the Metadata from the Library module is probably removing it from being displayed and saving metatadata to the file may add info to the file header like other edits and does not alter the Original the GPS data remains intact.

PS. I also tested this, after removing the GPS data in the Library module for the DNG and exported a jpeg, added to the Catalog and the GPS is back and displayed in the Library Module. The GPS remains in the DNG even though it is not displayed.

If it was an Original Raw file the info would be in a xmp sidecar and the GPS in the original file would remain intact, why should DNG raw be treated differently. Lightroom needs to retain the integrity of the original file.