[Naim Khan]

I apologise in advance for a potentially stupid question but would appreciate an answer anyway.
The question is: If you have 2 lenses whose zoom overlap, is there a way of telling which one was used by looking at the Exif data? The reason I ask is because I have an 18-50 and a 50-150 lens and if the focal length is 50mm then I can't tell which lens I used!
Thanks

[epqwerty]

Depending on the lens you should be able to tell which one was used. For example, the standard kit lens 18-55mm information will be recorded on the Exif data. However if you have an older lens that does not have Lens ID information it will list it as a K mount lens or M42 screwmount under the Lens ID information in the Exif Data. Many of the autofocus lens will have the ID associated with it. I know for my Sigma it also gives the correct lens ID for it.

[Naim Khan]

Depending on the lens you should be able to tell which one was used. For example, the standard kit lens 18-55mm information will be recorded on the Exif data. However if you have an older lens that does not have Lens ID information it will list it as a K mount lens or M42 screwmount under the Lens ID information in the Exif Data. Many of the autofocus lens will have the ID associated with it. I know for my Sigma it also gives the correct lens ID for it.

Thanks epqwerty but there is no way of getting that info without special software, or is there? I was just looking at the file info in Elements 7 and it didn't tell me, or at least I din't see it.
Cheers

[Ira]

Free PhotoMe should do that for you.

Don't have the link though.

------------------------------------------------------------
Wait--it might not. I just looked and all I see is the focal length.

[SpecialK]

In Pentax Photo Brower, you can do a "save data list" from the tools section. It will show the names of Pentax lenses, and 3 dashes for other brands.

Also, unless you are swapping lenses for every shot, there should be sections of the list that use the same lens, so you can usually figure out what is going on. You can then edit the lens name to match, and keep a nice list of exif data in a spreadsheet.

[Nachodog]

My Sigma 105mm is identified by LR2 properly, but for some reason, my Sigma 50-150mm is listed as a Sigma 70-200mm. A bit of an annoyance, but since I don't own a 70-200mm, I can figure it out pretty easily.

Aside from that to answer the OP, PhotoME is a great free software to read the EXIF, but a bit involved to turn to all the time.

I really like Light Room for that reason. You can browse your catalog according to many different criteria in the Metadata and the most pertinent info is easily accessible.

[Naim Khan]

Thanks you all for your input.
I could install the Pentax browser but I have just one Pentax lens and the 2 lenses that I most commonly use are Sigma.
Is Lightroom free or do you have to pay for it? I suspect the answer is latter, in which case I'll stick to other free applications - I have already paid for Elements.
Naim

[UnknownVT]

Thanks you all for your input.
I could install the Pentax browser but I have just one Pentax lens and the 2 lenses that I most commonly use are Sigma.

Use PhotoME (link) as suggested by Ira earlier
- it's freeware and excellent.

It can be set up to be integrated with Windows Explorer and browser -
so a simple right-click can open any photo in PhotoME.

PhotoME definitely shows the lens used in any original (unedited) Pentax dSLR photo -
(obviously as long as the camera recognized the lens,
and the info is still in the metaData
eg: on any original (unedited) photo from a Pentax dSLR the lens is definitely in the EXIF -
but once edited by PS Elements that info is gone)

[Rondec]

Photoshop elements should tell you which lens it is if you click on "file info" under the file tab. The other option is to use Photo ME as mentioned above. Elements should not strip the exif uless you use the save for web feature, otherwise any RAW conversion should keep the exif intact.

[UnknownVT]

Photoshop elements should tell you which lens it is if you click on "file info" under the file tab. T
Elements should not strip the exif uless you use the save for web feature, otherwise any RAW conversion should keep the exif intact.

Interesting I have PS Elements 7.0 and I literally tried it before posting earlier, and just now after reading your post.

For JPGs -

1) if I open any Pentax K-x JPG in PS Elements 7.0 > File Info > Camera Data 1 - there is a field for lens but it's BLANK.

1a) the exact original same file using PhotoME does show the lens.

2) if I save the JPG file from PS Elements 7.0 as regular JPG (and NOT for the web) with or without any editing - PhotoME shows EXIF metadata BUT no longer has the len information.


For RAW/DNG

1) if I open a RAW/DNG file PS Elements 7.0 >File info> Camera Data 1 - the lens info is shown

2) once saved as regular JPG from PS Elements 7.0 - using PhotoME on the resultant JPG file does show EXIF metadata but the lens info is gone.

[Naim Khan]

Interesting I have PS Elements 7.0 and I literally tried it before posting earlier, and just now after reading your post.

For JPGs -

1) if I open any Pentax K-x JPG in PS Elements 7.0 > File Info > Camera Data 1 - there is a field for lens but it's BLANK.

1a) the exact original same file using PhotoME does show the lens.

2) if I save the JPG file from PS Elements 7.0 as regular JPG (and NOT for the web) with or without any editing - PhotoME shows EXIF metadata BUT no longer has the len information.


For RAW/DNG

1) if I open a RAW/DNG file PS Elements 7.0 >File info> Camera Data 1 - the lens info is shown

2) once saved as regular JPG from PS Elements 7.0 - using PhotoME on the resultant JPG file does show EXIF metadata but the lens info is gone.

Thanks again chaps.
PhotoME works fine with .PEF files - I get the lens info but not with jpeg files.
As for PS Elements, I looked again and couldn't seen any lens info either for PEF or jpeg files, except the focal length. Maybe it only shows the data for DNG files.

[snostorm]

I apologise in advance for a potentially stupid question but would appreciate an answer anyway.
The question is: If you have 2 lenses whose zoom overlap, is there a way of telling which one was used by looking at the Exif data? The reason I ask is because I have an 18-50 and a 50-150 lens and if the focal length is 50mm then I can't tell which lens I used!
Thanks

Hi Naim,

It might not be the most hi tech solution, but every time I change lenses or locations, I shoot a "junk shot" of the ground or something that's obviously not a "real" shot to differentiate lenses (these don't even have to be in focus). With the two zooms you mentioned, you could, for example, shoot a junk shot of the ground at 18mm when changing from the 18-50 to the 50-150, and shoot a junk shot of a tree at 150 before changing to the wide zoom. It costs you nothing, and would allow you to separate the groups of shots into different folders for the different lenses.

Scott

[Naim Khan]

Hi Naim,

It might not be the most hi tech solution, but every time I change lenses or locations, I shoot a "junk shot" of the ground or something that's obviously not a "real" shot to differentiate lenses (these don't even have to be in focus). With the two zooms you mentioned, you could, for example, shoot a junk shot of the ground at 18mm when changing from the 18-50 to the 50-150, and shoot a junk shot of a tree at 150 before changing to the wide zoom. It costs you nothing, and would allow you to separate the groups of shots into different folders for the different lenses.

Scott

Excellent suggestion, Snostrom. It's very much like some advice I read about taking panos - the guy suggested you should take a picture of your finger before and after you have taken all the pictures for the pano, so as to tell the beginning and end of the sequence of the shots.

[UnknownVT]

PhotoME works fine with .PEF files - I get the lens info but not with jpeg files.

The part about JPGs sounds very wrong -
are you actually using PhotoME on the original and unedited JPGs from your Pentax dSLR (which model BTW?)
or on a JPG that you converted or edited using PS Elements (via ACR)?

As for PS Elements, I looked again and couldn't seen any lens info either for PEF or jpeg files, except the focal length. Maybe it only shows the data for DNG files.

Nope, I just tried with PEF files from a K100D and K-x and both do show the lens info using >File info >Camera Data 1.

So now the question is which Pentax dSLR are you using (or is it a secret)?

If it is one of the later models like the K-x or K7 you may be using a version of Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) which does not fully understand/support your dSLR.

The latest version of ACR for PS Elements 7.0 is ACR 5.6

Anyway PhotoME will show the lens info on any original UNedited photo file from any Pentax dSLR,

[RioRico]

Excellent suggestion, Snostrom. It's very much like some advice I read about taking panos - the guy suggested you should take a picture of your finger before and after you have taken all the pictures for the pano, so as to tell the beginning and end of the sequence of the shots.

I mark the EOPS (end-of-pano sequence) with a shot of something else in the other orientation, just to be sure. As for the lens thang, if it's a serious matter of keeping track of which lens shot what, I just shoot the next lens! That way I know just which manual 135 or 50 or 200 was the culprit, cause there's a picture of it in the image stream.