Digital Camera Photo Information

[jonathan_phang]

Hello All,

Just got a new camera and its the first one I've had with decent manual settings, so I've been reading up on when to use each, experimenting with ISO speeds and shutter times.

I've been taking shots of the same thing with lots of different settings, but when i download them onto the PC, to see them in more detail, then I cant remember which photo uses which ISO settings etc.

I know that in the advanced details that there are a lot of options, but I'm unsure of which related to ISO etc. What i would like to know is if there is a decent library type program, or just a utility that can analyse a photo and provide me with that type of info.

Any help would be great!

Cheers

JP

[Raz316]

In opera, if I right click an image/photo and go to properties it gives me...

Orientation of image: 1
File change date and time: 2007:03:12 19:45:56
Image input equipment manufacturer: Sony Ericsson
Image input equipment model: Z610i
Software used: R1ED001 prgCXC1250546_GENERIC_M 0.0
Exposure time: 0.001
F number: 2.8
ISO speed rating: 100
Exposure bias: 0
Metering mode: 2
Light source: 9
Flash: 16
Custom rendered: 0
Exposure mode: 0
White balance: 1
Digital zoom ratio: 0
Scene capture type: 0
Subject distance range: 0

[weegie.geek]

Yeah, most digital camera save this exif data.

http://home.pacbell.net/michal_k/Download/exiftip.zip will give tooltips showing the info you're after.

[jonathan_phang]

Thanks for that, may have to try it out. Although I was hoping to get more of an application/shell extension that might be used to manage a collection of photos. But any more ideas would be good!

Thanks

Jonny

[weegie.geek]

It's standard with windows XP (possibly SP2 only) but not win2k apparently. Not sure about win2k3.

There are plenty of apps that will deal with the files en masse.

Picasa is nice, and generally handy if you've got a stack of photos. And free.

Irfanview has an exif plugin too.

[Funkstar]

Picassa is a great piece of software. I used to use it exclusively, but have recently moved to Adobe Lightroom because i shoot in raw on my 350D.

File properties in XP shows all the EXIF data, just go to Summary and click on Advanced. And it remembers that view the next time you go in.

[jonathan_phang]

Just downloaded Picassa 2 and have just had a play. I like the way that its really simple to add all your photos to a central list, then make albums to only show the ones that you need to.

But back on thread, I've realised that it may just be that the camera that JPEGs created may not contain the ISO detail (embedded in the file). Initially, i looked at my photos in explorer - using the advanced file props, but i just thought that it was a limitation of explorer. However, even in Picassa, the data 'ISO' setting isnt there - but is on pics taken by some other cameras. So maybe its just not embedded into the picture by my camera?

Well, either way at least i got to discover another new app to use!

[Funkstar]

yeah sounds like it.

EXIF data is all optional. It might be that the camera will only add the ISO data for photos taken in a certain mode.

[jonathan_phang]

That would make sense but, it would make even more sense to add that info on shots where the ISO has been set manually. Having checked the EXIF data on shots where I know i have set it myself - still no dice - still i guess its not a big, deal. Getting a bit better at deciding which modes are better for which lighting conditions, but its nice to know all the details are recorded in the background really.

Shame, as even on my dads really old sony DSC, i checked some of the photos from back in the day (Talking 4 years ago) and they are all tagged with the ISO, even though you cant manually set it on that camera (its auto i guess)!!!

Just guess Sony like to add it and Canon doesnt for its compacts. Oh well.

[Funkstar]

Yeah it's strange and annoying.... but thats meta data for you