Edit EXIF Data in NEF(s) on macOS?

[David H. Hartman]

I need advice on an EXIF editor for NEF files on macOS. The Apple app store has more than 20 offerings. I'd like to know what people here use as I trust you advice over dumb luck.

Earlier I install Phill Harvey's Exif Tool and successfully navigated to a folder and exported an NEF files' EXIF data to a TXT file. The process is unworkable. I can deal with a command line as I started with DOS 2.1. I would not dare try to edit the TXT file and apply it to the NEF file. The chance of error is too high.

Dave

Happy Friday the 13th

[Ian Watson]

What parts of the EXIF data do you wish to modify?

[David H. Hartman]

What parts of the EXIF data do you wish to modify?

I'm out of the habit of setting the non-CPU data so the EXIF will show 50mm f/1.2 where it should be 105mm f/2.5. The actual aperture used is not recorded. In some cases I might want to add GPS data.

Dave

[Hugh_3170]

Dave, slightly off topic, but your new Nikon Z8 can record voice clips. 

These voice clips may be handy for you if you do a voice  recording of what lens and aperture you are using so that you can go back and add the EXIF data later on.

Just a thought.   

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

It might be a bit overkill just to edit EXIF data, but why not have a look at NeoFinder? Although it’s primarily a digital asset manager, it’s also very handy for editing EXIF data. Geotagging works very well too. And, as said, it’s also a comprehensive catalogueing tool.

[Ian Watson]

I am not sure what can edit the non-CPU data. Sorry. For GPS data I use ApolloOne. It is a handy image browser.

Neofinder would not show me star ratings for raw files, only TIFFs and JPEGs. The developer never responded to my query about it.

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

Ian, don't know whether you are referring to star ratings made outside of NeoFinder in another app, but inside NeoFinder (V 9.2) star rating of RAW files is no problem.

[Ian Watson]

Jürgen, when I left Lightroom Classic I went to NeoFinder to manage my files. Everything for raw files was stored in .xmp sidecars. NeoFinder (version 8.something) would apply star ratings but not read the ones already assigned by Lightroom.

It was a good program otherwise and so I hope that the issue has been resolved.

[David H. Hartman]

Thank you for all the replies. I'll review them a second time.

It seems there is no easy way to correct the non-CPU data in the EXIF data of a NEF file. It should be easy. Hopefully I'll find a way.

Dave

[whatdoido]

I'm out of the habit of setting the non-CPU data so the EXIF will show 50mm f/1.2 where it should be 105mm f/2.5. The actual aperture used is not recorded. In some cases I might want to add GPS data.

Dave

I do the same with Exiftool and its been fine - the tool itself (with "-overwrite_original") will rename the original and create a new copy unless you explicitly tell it not keep it.  On the terminal:

Code: [Select]

exiftool \
  -Lens="Micro-Nikkor P Auto 55mm f/3.5" -MaxAperture=3.5 -FocalLength=55' -FNumber=4 \
foo.NEF bar.NEF

When I do this, i see (again via exiftool -v foo.NEF) that the values are as expected:  the lens info is stored in XMP.Lens.  Is this what you want?  If theres a non-CPU data in the Nikon (encrypted) MakerNotes then that is more difficult.  I do this when I've forgot to change on the camera body the non-CPU lens info.

Obviously experiment with the types of NEF files after your exif update in your raw editor etc  - I've got older Nikon DSLRs and exiftool 12.80 (quite old) works,  I can even update the preview image

Code: [Select]

exiftool "-JpgFromRaw<=foo.jpg" foo.NEF


[Birna Rørslett]

Exiftool is indeed the "Swiss knife" that solves problems you didn't even know about If you are using Exiftool for adding GPS data, do yourself a favour by setting your camera to UTC+0 time, ie. same time as recorded by all GPS loggers. Then, adding GPS data is just simply running the command

Code: [Select]

exiftool -geotag gpxfile DIR for your raw files, preferably using the file extension such as *:NEF or *.RAF or ...
If you insist on using local time, do remember to correct for DST and time offset to UTC (+ or - hour:minutes:secs),

Code: [Select]

exiftool -geotag gpxfile -"geotime<${datetimeoriginal}+offset"  DIR
Might be preferable for users outside Europe so the date itself doesn't change? (I'm at local time UTC+1/+2, but using UTC+0  (=GMT) is no big deal. Date is the same).

For the few F- (or Z-)mount lenses without CPU, I just use the function in Photo Ninja to name "unknown lens".