CR2 vs CR3 RAW file: exported jpeg file does not have same EXIF data mapping for "Lens" tag

[Michael Schmidmeister]

Just recently I bought the Canon EOS 90D which uses Canon's CR3 RAW format and I noticed a different behaviour for this CR3 RAW format vs Canon's CR2 RAW format in Lightroom in the jpeg export functionality with EXIF data.

I took one picture with my other camera - a Canon EOS 77D (firmware 1.0.2, having CR2 RAW format) - with the Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX II 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. (IMG_0008.CR2, exported as Zurich20191202_IMG_0008-edit-4_01.jpg)
I took one picture with the Canon EOS 90D (firmware 1.1.1, having CR3 RAW format) - with the very same Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX II 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. (IMG_0292.CR3, exported as Budapest20200102_IMG_0292_01_bkgrd.jpg)

Lightroom's data mapping for the exported RAW files do not match comparing CR2 to CR3 regarding the Lens information.

The RAW files contain the following information (used exiftool-11.78 to read EXIF) (excerpt):

IMG_0008.CR2
------------
e:\Tools\exiftool-11.78>exiftool -*lens* IMG_0008.CR2
Lens Type : Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM or Tamron or Tokina Lens
Retract Lens On Power Off : Enable
Lens Info : 11-16mm f/0
Lens Model : 11-16mm
Lens Serial Number : 0000000000
Lens : 11.0 - 16.0 mm
Lens ID : Tokina AT-X 116 AF Pro DX 11-16mm f/2.8
Lens : 11.0 - 16.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 17.1 - 24.9 mm)

IMG_0292.CR3
------------
e:\Tools\exiftool-11.78>exiftool -*lens* IMG_0292.CR3
Lens Info : 11-16mm f/0
Lens Serial Number : 0000000000
Lens Type : Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM or Tamron or Tokina Lens
Lens Model :
Lens Drive No AF : Focus search on
Retract Lens On Power Off : Enable
Lens : 11.0 - 16.0 mm
Lens ID : Tokina AT-X 116 AF Pro DX 11-16mm f/2.8
Lens : 11.0 - 16.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 17.8 - 25.9 mm)

As you can see, in the RAW files the value for "Lens" tag is the same ("11.0 - 16.0 mm") and almost all others are identical too.

I jpeg-exported both RAW files with EXIF data in Lightroom. Now the exported jpeg files show the following data:

IMG_0008.CR2 -> Zurich20191202_IMG_0008-edit-4_01.jpg
-----------------------------------------------------
e:\Tools\exiftool-11.78>exiftool -*lens* Zurich20191202_IMG_0008-edit-4_01.jpg
Lens Info : 11-16mm f/2.8
Lens Model : Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8
Lens Serial Number : 0000000000
Lens : Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8
Lens Profile Enable : 0
Lens Manual Distortion Amount : 0
Lens Profile Setup : LensDefaults
Lens ID : Tokina AT-X 116 AF Pro DX 11-16mm f/2.8

IMG_0292.CR3 -> Budapest20200102_IMG_0292_01_bkgrd.jpg
------------------------------------------------------
e:\Tools\exiftool-11.78>exiftool -*lens* Budapest20200102_IMG_0292_01_bkgrd.jpg
Lens Info : 11-16mm f/?
Lens Model : 11.0-16.0 mm
Lens Serial Number : 0000000000
Lens : 11.0-16.0 mm
Lens Profile Enable : 1
Lens Manual Distortion Amount : 0
Lens Profile Setup : LensDefaults
Lens Profile Name : Adobe (Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8, Canon)
Lens Profile Filename : Canon (Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8) - RAW.lcp
Lens Profile Digest : C759C5D5AAF860A1D951DD0692CD66FE
Lens Profile Distortion Scale : 100
Lens Profile Chromatic Aberration Scale: 100
Lens Profile Vignetting Scale : 100
Lens ID : Tokina AT-X 116 AF Pro DX 11-16mm f/2.8

As you can see, for the CR2 file the exported jpeg file has for tag "Lens" the value "Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8".
While the jpeg export of the CR3 file has for tag "Lens" the value "11.0-16.0 mm".

(You may also see that a few other tags have different values (e.g. Lens Info, Lens Model).)

This bothers me as I use/read certain EXIF data (like Camera mdel, Lens model, Focal length, Aperture etc) from the jpegs and output it to HTML code to display the tag/value next to the picture on my photography website and I would like to keep continuity and consistency in the data there - after all, for both taken pictures I used (different cameras, 77D vs 90D but) the very same lens so I actually expect the same lens value there).

So far I only noticed this difference between CR2 and CR3 for that Tokina lens. Quickly checked my Canon EF-S 18-135mm lens and it outputs the same value for "Lens" tag in both RAW formats; CR2 and CR3.

It seems Lightroom's internal data mapping for outputting EXIF data to the jpeg exported file is different comparing CR2 vs CR3. Is this by design or an error in Lightroom? Anyone noticed something similar?

Well, I probably could apply a workaround in my code for outputting the tag/value in HTML by checking and replace a specific lens value with a hardcoded different value but I'd rather have the issue rectified at the source (if it then is an issue in Lightroom - tbd) than applying workarounds in my code.

Regards
Michael

[Todd Shaner]

I suggest also posting this in the Photoshop Family Community as a 'Problem.' Is the info lens info (focal length, lens) in the LR Library Metadata panel different for the CR2 and CR3 files?

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family

[johnrellis]

I agree with Todd, please post a bug report in the official feedback forum.  Adobe is much more likely to take a look if you include the two sample raws along with the JPEGs (upload them to Dropbox or similar and include the sharing link in your bug report).

I noticed two things:

1. The first JPEG has Lens Profile Enable: 0, while the second one has Lens Profile Enable: 1.  What if you uncheck Lens Corrections > Enable Profile Corrections in Develop and re-export the second image.  Do the discrepancies go away?

2. Re-run Exiftool with the additional options "-a -G1".  LR 9.1 is duplicating some EXIF lens fields in the XMP metadata section, and these Exiftool options will show both sets of fields, for example:

[ExifIFD]       Lens Info                       : 18-135mm f/?
[ExifIFD]       Lens Model                      : EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
[ExifIFD]       Lens Serial Number              : 00000da7ce
[XMP-aux]       Lens Info                       : 18-135mm f/?
[XMP-aux]       Lens                            : EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
[XMP-aux]       Lens ID                         : 36912
[XMP-aux]       Lens Serial Number              : 00000da7ce
[XMP-exifEX]    Lens Model                      : EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Do the fields with the same names have the same values in your sample photos?

(I don't know why LR is duplicating those fields -- I don't think it conforms with the Metadata Working Group standard. But if the fields contain the same values, it shouldn't cause a problem.)

[Michael Schmidmeister]

Thank you guys! I posted the topic in the community as suggested.

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-classic-cr2-vs-cr3-raw-file-exporte...

Lightroom already shows different Lens value in their meta data panel for CR2 and CR3.

Also provided additional info/evidences (LR screenshots, Exiftool with your mentioned options as well as the RAW and jpg files) in the topic posted to the community.