How to manually correct or remove incorrect lens EXIF information from my M10

[MikeMyers]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

There was a recommendation in this forum for me to consider the Voigtlander 50mm APO-LANTHAR 50mm f/2 Aspherical lens.  After many weeks of internal debate, I purchased one, and it arrived yesterday.  As I hoped, the one test image I took looked really excellent - viewing at 100% it makes most of my older lenses look like toys.

I am using DxO PhotoLab4 as my editor, and reads the EXIF data to understand what lens I used.  My EXIF data after mounting this lens still showed the information on my manually configured ancient 50mm Summicron.

Is there any way to tell my M10 either to somehow show the correct data (probably impossible), or as a second choice, leave those unknown fields blank (sounds reasonable).  

(I'm also tired of people viewing my EXIF data and thinking they knew the aperture, etc., which is impossible.)

I would upload the test image here, but it's too large - unless I reduce the size, the forum rejects my full-size images.

 

Is this possible?

[frame-it]

on a mac:

put a copy of this file in the folder where you exported the jpgs from DXO, and run it through mac terminal after changing its permissions to RWX-RWX-RWX in getinfo, then in the terminal, go to that folder, and type ./Exif_Voigh_50   and press enter

FYI the contents are as follows:

exiftool -overwrite_original -SerialNumber=0  -LensSerialNumber=0 -alldates= -gpsdatestamp= -gpstimestamp=  -DateTimeOriginal= -CreateDate= -DateCreated=  -Lens="Voigtlander 50mm APO-LANTHAR 50mm"   -ApertureValue=  -FNumber=  -FocalLength="50"  -FocalLengthIn35mmFormat="50"  -LensMake="Voigtlander"  -LensInfo="50, 50, 2, 16"  -LensModel="Voigtlander 50mm APO-LANTHAR 50mm" *.jpg

 

OR

download SetEXIFData, and do it the easy way

https://marc.vos.net/downloads/setexifdata/

 

p.s because i use a lot of old m39 and m42 lenses, ive made this kind of exif batch file for each and every lens

 

 

 

 

Exif_Voigh_50

Edited October 1, 2021 by frame-it

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[a.noctilux]

Hello Mike,

I 've always done this to leave EXIF not confusing as many of my lenses are not coded or 3rd parties :

as we know when in 'auto detect', M10 would use the last lens detected or set in manual (in your case 50 Summicron)

to avoid this, I just set the lens detect to off to have the EXIF lens type blank.

Edited October 1, 2021 by a.noctilux

[MikeMyers]

1 minute ago, a.noctilux said:

to avoid this, I just set the lens detect to off.

Briliant!!!!  I assume this is in one of the settings on the M10 menu.  I'll look for it later today.  All this is doing is causing confusion, as I don't think I own even one coded lens.  Thankyou!!

[a.noctilux]

In MENU, in my setting it's the first line, "Detection obj." after right arrow, set to first line "arret" in my case (in French of course).

[pippy]

14 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

Briliant!!!!  I assume this is in one of the settings on the M10 menu.  I'll look for it later today.  All this is doing is causing confusion, as I don't think I own even one coded lens.  Thankyou!!

Accepting that it's true that the incorrect EXIF data can, on occasion, be annoying please do bear in mind that using a lens profile for certain uncoded lenses can also be very useful to correct for their possible inherent optical aberrations.

As an example I will mention my 40mm f1.4 Voigtlander Nokton. I've been using this lens for around 8 years and hadn't noticed anything unexpected until I started using it with my M-D Typ-262. With the previous bodies (8.2; 9-P) I coded it as a 35mm Summilux - that being the closest match to the Nokton. With the M-D there is not the option to set a lens profile and, when used at f1.4 I discovered there is marked vignetting which, with the other bodies, had been automatically dialled-out.

The vignetting is actually rather attractive for most subject-matter but I thought I would mention the phenomenon.

Perhaps code the lens as someting close to the APO-Lanthar and try to remember?

Philip.

Edited October 1, 2021 by pippy

[Jeff S]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Seems better to code for any corrections (the main purpose) and export if desired, without EXIF, through your editing software.

Jeff

[evikne]

I use a LR plugin called LensTagger. I use it every time I forget to manually change one of my uncoded lenses in the camera menu, or if I want to correct the aperture or something else. 

[MikeMyers]

I own a M8.2 and an M10, along with several older Leica lenses, some of which I have manually coded, two older Voigtlander lenses, and the new Voigtlander 50mm F/2 APO LANTHAR Aspherical.  I've been doing all my editing in DxO PhotoLab 4.  I've been discussing these files with others in the DxO Forum, as people there have been helping me learn how to use the software.

At 100%, there have always been flaws in my uploaded images, even with the newest Voigtlander.  Then I read up above how the camera may be "changing" my captured images base on that data, and I know for a fact that DxO PhotoLab4 can automatically correct images based on the optical data for lenses they "know" in the database.

After a few responses above, I got frustrated with this whole scenario, even though it's all my fault.  I don't have any coded lenses, and can't afford them even if I wanted them, which I did. So I turned off LENS DETECTION in the camera menu, took a sample photo, uploaded it into my PhotoLab4 editor, and got to see the nicest image I have ever taken with any lens with my M10, and better than I can ever remember seeing from my Nikon files.   (I bought the lens from Amazon/Camera Quest  https://www.amazon.com/Voigtlander-APO-LANTHAR-Aspherical-VM-Mount-Leica/dp/B08V1D87VP/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Voigtlander+APO-LANTHAR+50mm+f%2F2.0+Aspherical+Lens+Voigtlander+APO-LANTHAR+50mm+f%2F2.0+Aspherical+Lens&qid=1633087579&sr=8-3 with the understanding I could easily return it if I wasn't satisfied - and two days later I had it!)

I wish someone had told me to TURN OFF LENS DETECTION until when/if I had lenses with the proper coding, and even then, to turn lens detection off when using a different lens.  My images were being messed with in inappropriate ways before I ever got to start editing them.

Oh well, my fault.  I should have asked more about this long ago.  Better now, than never.

(....and for someone who can't afford $10,000 (or even $5,000) lenses, I think I found an acceptable work-around, at least for me.). As I see it, my $7,000ish M10 will likely last me for at least the next ten years, and I'm hoping my existing lenses will keep me going that long as well, possibly including one more 35mm Voigtlander.)

[MikeMyers]

2 hours ago, pippy said:

Accepting that it's true that the incorrect EXIF data can, on occasion, be annoying please do bear in mind that using a lens profile for certain uncoded lenses can also be very useful to correct for their possible inherent optical aberrations.

I can't argue with that - if I put one of my manually coded lenses on my M10, I will turn on Lens Encoding, and turn it off when I remove the lens.

[Dennis]

I have a few albums and smart albums in Capture One for each lens I use. This way, it doesn't matter if the lens detection is on, off, or incorrect. For me, the priority it's to know which lens for each photo. The Exif is unimportant, and I can easily recognize the f/stop because I use only three settings.
.
I wondered if one uses only 35mm FL and the lens detection set to off (apart from the EXIF one loses), the only thing that comes to mind is the absence of vignette correction. I always thought the correct lens detection/code is much more helpful is WA or super WA lenses, am I right? If I set, for example, OFF for my 35/2.8 ZM, I honestly don't see any difference with ON. Interesting thread!

[BradS]

When computers intervene/interfere in the photography....{sigh}

[MikeMyers]

Now that I have lens detection turned off, neither my M10 nor the PhotoLab4 program do anything to my images.  It's all up to me.

Since the information my camera and the software was wrong before, both the camera and software were making a mess of things.

No more.

29 minutes ago, BradS said:

When computers intervene/interfere in the photography....{sigh}

Maybe that's part of why I enjoy my M3/M2 so much!  No batteries, no electronics, no software.

[MikeMyers]

23 hours ago, Jeff S said:

Seems better to code for any corrections (the main purpose) and export if desired, without EXIF, through your editing software.

Maybe someone here knows a way to accomplish this.

I have just bought the new Voigtlander 50 mm lens from CameraQuest, and am extremely pleased with the results.  Various editors, in my case DxO PhotoLab4, use the lens information to improve the edited image - "Optics Lens Corrections".

Are there any ways to get the lens information for my three Voigtlander lenses, in a form that I can input that data into DxO PhotoLab4, so it would make the appropriate adjustments for this, or other, Voigtlander lenses?  I'm assuming the answer is "no", but maybe there is software I'm not aware of yet that can do this?

[Jeff S]

5 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

Maybe someone here knows a way to accomplish this.

I have just bought the new Voigtlander 50 mm lens from CameraQuest, and am extremely pleased with the results.  Various editors, in my case DxO PhotoLab4, use the lens information to improve the edited image - "Optics Lens Corrections".

Are there any ways to get the lens information for my three Voigtlander lenses, in a form that I can input that data into DxO PhotoLab4, so it would make the appropriate adjustments for this, or other, Voigtlander lenses?  I'm assuming the answer is "no", but maybe there is software I'm not aware of yet that can do this?

I don’t use non-Leica lenses on my M bodies, but can’t you select a somewhat comparable Leica lens in the menu to provide corresponding corrections?  I believe this works well in conjunction with Adobe software; no idea about DxO.

Jeff

[MikeMyers]

Until now, my camera (and DxO PhotoLab4) thought I was using a Leica 50mm Summicron.  The corrections being made were not right.  Maybe I can tell my camera that I'm attaching Leica's newest model of that lens - I don't know enough about this

I do know no corrections is a better way to deal with it than incorrect corrections.

I sent an email to Stephen at CameraQuest.  Maybe he will know.

[Jeff S]

Good way to find out is to experiment with different selections.  Often the technically correct  choice is not the aesthetically preferred one, for every situation, as is the case with much of photography.

Jeff

[frame-it]

5 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

Maybe someone here knows a way to accomplish this.

I have just bought the new Voigtlander 50 mm lens from CameraQuest, and am extremely pleased with the results.  Various editors, in my case DxO PhotoLab4, use the lens information to improve the edited image - "Optics Lens Corrections".

Are there any ways to get the lens information for my three Voigtlander lenses, in a form that I can input that data into DxO PhotoLab4, so it would make the appropriate adjustments for this, or other, Voigtlander lenses?  I'm assuming the answer is "no", but maybe there is software I'm not aware of yet that can do this?

its mentioned here, but it doesn't say if it can be saved as a preset, of course the settings can probably be copied, once applied to the 1st image, onto all, the others

https://www.dxo.com/project/correcting-lenses-without-dxo-optics-module/

[MikeMyers]

What it says there at the beginning is:

"In case there is no Optics Module for your equipment, you can easily learn how to use DxO OpticsPro’s manual tools, notably to correct vignetting, chromatic aberration, and distortion, as well as to optimize the sharpness of your images."

If the goal is to use this tool to correct for deficiencies in the lens, it would be good to know what those deficiencies are.

I've read in this forum where the Leica camera uses that information to adjust the image in the camera.  I think that's impossible if we are dealing with raw images, such as DNG, but nobody has yet confirmed or disputed that.

Let's take this new Voigtlander APO 50mm lens that I just bought.  Nothing is "perfect", so presumably there are errors in the image caused by the lens (any lens).  We would need that specific information to use software to correct the captured image, even if it's in RAW (dng) form.  The editing software would need to know this.

DxO can't do anything to the image, unless it knows what to do.  I tried to find this information from the various Voigtlander web sites, with no luck.....

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, MikeMyers said:

I've read in this forum where the Leica camera uses that information to adjust the image in the camera.  I think that's impossible if we are dealing with raw images, such as DNG, but nobody has yet confirmed or disputed that.

 

Follow Sandy M's comments in this old discussion.  Leica does indeed correct for some things (not distortion) in RAW before delivery to DNG...

https://openphotographyforums.com/forums/threads/lens-corrections-in-leica-raw-dng-files.19907/

One reason I like Adobe is that they work with Leica (and other brands like Voigtlander) to offer supported lens profiles with corrections (that aren't already provided in-camera).

https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/supported-lenses.html

Jeff