Additional Information In EXIF On Flickr

Nowhere Matt · 04-19-2010, 10:48 AM

Most likely I have been asleep until recently but there are some images when uploaded to flickr that more information is listed in the EXIF than others. Right away I notice that many times, when a Pentax AF lens is used in taking the image, information such as camera temperature and lens labeling is included. This does not always occur. I have images taken where I am sure I used only a DA lens with nothing between the camera and lens to interrupt communication (such as a teleconverter) and just the basic information is listed.
I can look back at many images when I used modern Sigma AF lenses and only the basic information appears in the list of properties included in flickr. Of course when I have used a manual lens less information is included. And I can look back on images taken with both my K10 and K-7 using DA and FA lenses where seemingly some list additional information and others list only the basic.
Can anyone explain this? What is your experience with such a greater amount of information in the EXIF included in the properties of images uploaded to flickr? Perhaps only Pentax AF lenses.

jct us101 · 04-19-2010, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by Nowhere Matt

Most likely I have been asleep until recently but there are some images when uploaded to flickr that more information is listed in the EXIF than others. Right away I notice that many times, when a Pentax AF lens is used in taking the image, information such as camera temperature and lens labeling is included. This does not always occur. I have images taken where I am sure I used only a DA lens with nothing between the camera and lens to interrupt communication (such as a teleconverter) and just the basic information is listed.
I can look back at many images when I used modern Sigma AF lenses and only the basic information appears in the list of properties included in flickr. Of course when I have used a manual lens less information is included. And I can look back on images taken with both my K10 and K-7 using DA and FA lenses where seemingly some list additional information and others list only the basic.
Can anyone explain this? What is your experience with such a greater amount of information in the EXIF included in the properties of images uploaded to flickr? Perhaps only Pentax AF lenses.

I have a Chrome plugin installed for Flickr that shows me the information on any lens, whether it's a manual lens or not. I know what you're talking about on the EXIF on Flickr though, and a lot of it actually depends on what you use to process the photos. If you use Lightroom like I do, only the basic information will be kept most of the time (but there's still irregularities, sometimes even with the same lens for me, I don't think the Flickr system is perfect though since it hasn't bee improved in years) but with CS3 when I used it, it would always give all the information about the lens on there.

Nass · 04-19-2010, 02:57 PM

The thing that slightly freaks me about Flickr is how it lists all the saves etc you make on your local machine. I mean look at the history on this - like why does flickr show that stuff and how can I prevent that

jct us101 · 04-19-2010, 03:21 PM

Originally posted by Nass

The thing that slightly freaks me about Flickr is how it lists all the saves etc you make on your local machine. I mean look at the history on this - like why does flickr show that stuff and how can I prevent that

You can have Flickr restrict EXIF data in your settings. Just go to your account and click off the little button next to "Show EXIF data". Of course that makes it to where nobody can see anything about your EXIF though. There might be a setting for extended EXIF data too, but I never checked because I don't really care who reads it personally.

Marc Sabatella · 04-19-2010, 07:25 PM

Originally posted by Nowhere Matt

Most likely I have been asleep until recently but there are some images when uploaded to flickr that more information is listed in the EXIF than others. Right away I notice that many times, when a Pentax AF lens is used in taking the image, information such as camera temperature and lens labeling is included. This does not always occur. I have images taken where I am sure I used only a DA lens with nothing between the camera and lens to interrupt communication (such as a teleconverter) and just the basic information is listed.

Could be something you used processing the image on your computer stripped out the maker notes.

Nowhere Matt · 04-20-2010, 06:32 AM

I always use the same Picasa and Faststone software when processing and uploading to flickr. I have noticed an image taken with an FA lens that was processed about as heavy as I will process and it gives a full list of properties and another image taken with that same lens with very little processing not report full details.
Someone suggested to me that the extra details and full reporting come easier to lenses that are in the cameras data base. You would think that most AF lenses with electronic chips would either be in that data base or help build one. I use a Sigma 24-60 fairly often and have yet to see full details in it's properties on flickr.

Nowhere Matt · 04-20-2010, 06:47 AM

I would lean towards the idea that software will deprive full details of being listed. It would seem that one time a lens will list full details while other times list only a short list of details.
Let's try this. Flickr users only. For a short time, let us build a data base to experiment with. Sort through some images you have on flickr and list the lenses that included full details, such as camera temperature in the properties and the software you used.
I always use Picasa and I have noticed my DA 18-55, DA 50-200, FA 28-90 and the Sigma 50-500 seem to occassionally list full details and perhaps other times something prevents complete details from being listed and a shorten list of properties is available.
Sometimes a manual lens will list the same amount of information as a modern AF lens. And I believe both images were processed minimally using the same Picasa software.

Last edited by Nowhere Matt; 04-20-2010 at 06:53 AM.

Nowhere Matt · 04-21-2010, 12:49 PM

Well I spent a little more time on this today and I have come to the conclusion that processing the original image in any way will reduce the amount of data in the EXIF.
If the original image is uploaded without being cropped or any other edits, on flickr there is a line that lists "software". If no edits have been made, it will list the camera's software on this line. Then there are no less than 140 other lines listing various properties such as "Hometown:", "Camera Temperature:", "Lens Type: ", "WB_ RGGBLevels Daylight:" and more than one hundred others deep, deep in the EXIF found in the image properties.
If the image has been altered in anyway, it will list the software used on the "Software:" line (in my case, Picasa) and only include about 30 lines of basic information which does not include any of the listings above.
If I have an image taken with my SMC A 50mm f2, it will list the lens type generically as "A Series Lens". All other auto focus Pentax lenses will list a more complete lens type such as "smc PENTAX-F 35-80mm F4-5.6", "smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL" for example. The four different Sigma lens I have used will list "Sigma or Tamron Lens", "Sigma" or something like "Sigma Lens (3 255)".
Call me strange.

04-19-2010, 10:48 AM	#1
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362	Additional Information In EXIF On Flickr Most likely I have been asleep until recently but there are some images when uploaded to flickr that more information is listed in the EXIF than others. Right away I notice that many times, when a Pentax AF lens is used in taking the image, information such as camera temperature and lens labeling is included. This does not always occur. I have images taken where I am sure I used only a DA lens with nothing between the camera and lens to interrupt communication (such as a teleconverter) and just the basic information is listed. I can look back at many images when I used modern Sigma AF lenses and only the basic information appears in the list of properties included in flickr. Of course when I have used a manual lens less information is included. And I can look back on images taken with both my K10 and K-7 using DA and FA lenses where seemingly some list additional information and others list only the basic. Can anyone explain this? What is your experience with such a greater amount of information in the EXIF included in the properties of images uploaded to flickr? Perhaps only Pentax AF lenses.

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04-19-2010, 02:52 PM	#2
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	Originally posted by Nowhere Matt Most likely I have been asleep until recently but there are some images when uploaded to flickr that more information is listed in the EXIF than others. Right away I notice that many times, when a Pentax AF lens is used in taking the image, information such as camera temperature and lens labeling is included. This does not always occur. I have images taken where I am sure I used only a DA lens with nothing between the camera and lens to interrupt communication (such as a teleconverter) and just the basic information is listed. I can look back at many images when I used modern Sigma AF lenses and only the basic information appears in the list of properties included in flickr. Of course when I have used a manual lens less information is included. And I can look back on images taken with both my K10 and K-7 using DA and FA lenses where seemingly some list additional information and others list only the basic. Can anyone explain this? What is your experience with such a greater amount of information in the EXIF included in the properties of images uploaded to flickr? Perhaps only Pentax AF lenses. I have a Chrome plugin installed for Flickr that shows me the information on any lens, whether it's a manual lens or not. I know what you're talking about on the EXIF on Flickr though, and a lot of it actually depends on what you use to process the photos. If you use Lightroom like I do, only the basic information will be kept most of the time (but there's still irregularities, sometimes even with the same lens for me, I don't think the Flickr system is perfect though since it hasn't bee improved in years) but with CS3 when I used it, it would always give all the information about the lens on there.

04-19-2010, 02:57 PM	#3
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	The thing that slightly freaks me about Flickr is how it lists all the saves etc you make on your local machine. I mean look at the history on this - like why does flickr show that stuff and how can I prevent that

04-19-2010, 03:21 PM	#4
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	Originally posted by Nass The thing that slightly freaks me about Flickr is how it lists all the saves etc you make on your local machine. I mean look at the history on this - like why does flickr show that stuff and how can I prevent that You can have Flickr restrict EXIF data in your settings. Just go to your account and click off the little button next to "Show EXIF data". Of course that makes it to where nobody can see anything about your EXIF though. There might be a setting for extended EXIF data too, but I never checked because I don't really care who reads it personally.

04-19-2010, 07:25 PM	#5
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Originally posted by Nowhere Matt Most likely I have been asleep until recently but there are some images when uploaded to flickr that more information is listed in the EXIF than others. Right away I notice that many times, when a Pentax AF lens is used in taking the image, information such as camera temperature and lens labeling is included. This does not always occur. I have images taken where I am sure I used only a DA lens with nothing between the camera and lens to interrupt communication (such as a teleconverter) and just the basic information is listed. Could be something you used processing the image on your computer stripped out the maker notes.

04-20-2010, 06:32 AM	#6
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362 Original Poster	I always use the same Picasa and Faststone software when processing and uploading to flickr. I have noticed an image taken with an FA lens that was processed about as heavy as I will process and it gives a full list of properties and another image taken with that same lens with very little processing not report full details. Someone suggested to me that the extra details and full reporting come easier to lenses that are in the cameras data base. You would think that most AF lenses with electronic chips would either be in that data base or help build one. I use a Sigma 24-60 fairly often and have yet to see full details in it's properties on flickr.

04-20-2010, 06:47 AM	#7
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362 Original Poster	I would lean towards the idea that software will deprive full details of being listed. It would seem that one time a lens will list full details while other times list only a short list of details. Let's try this. Flickr users only. For a short time, let us build a data base to experiment with. Sort through some images you have on flickr and list the lenses that included full details, such as camera temperature in the properties and the software you used. I always use Picasa and I have noticed my DA 18-55, DA 50-200, FA 28-90 and the Sigma 50-500 seem to occassionally list full details and perhaps other times something prevents complete details from being listed and a shorten list of properties is available. Sometimes a manual lens will list the same amount of information as a modern AF lens. And I believe both images were processed minimally using the same Picasa software. Last edited by Nowhere Matt; 04-20-2010 at 06:53 AM.

04-21-2010, 12:49 PM	#8
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362 Original Poster	Well I spent a little more time on this today and I have come to the conclusion that processing the original image in any way will reduce the amount of data in the EXIF. If the original image is uploaded without being cropped or any other edits, on flickr there is a line that lists "software". If no edits have been made, it will list the camera's software on this line. Then there are no less than 140 other lines listing various properties such as "Hometown:", "Camera Temperature:", "Lens Type: ", "WB_ RGGBLevels Daylight:" and more than one hundred others deep, deep in the EXIF found in the image properties. If the image has been altered in anyway, it will list the software used on the "Software:" line (in my case, Picasa) and only include about 30 lines of basic information which does not include any of the listings above. If I have an image taken with my SMC A 50mm f2, it will list the lens type generically as "A Series Lens". All other auto focus Pentax lenses will list a more complete lens type such as "smc PENTAX-F 35-80mm F4-5.6", "smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL" for example. The four different Sigma lens I have used will list "Sigma or Tamron Lens", "Sigma" or something like "Sigma Lens (3 255)". Call me strange.