Metadata problems due to old Nikon software

[bbuttolph]

Hello,

I have many photos taken years ago with a Nikon D200. I edited the files then with various Nikon software programs that I no longer use. I'm now having problems with editing these images in DxO PhotoLab, Nik, IMatch, etc. because of problems that were made to the metadata by these old programs.

I'm a photo hobbyist and need only core fundamental metadata. What are the commands I should use in the ExifTool Command Processor to delete legacy IPTC metadata and anything else that isn't needed in my case?

Attached is the Metadata Analyst report. Also an image of the tag that keeps reappearing...

If you experience issues like vanishing keywords or reappearing keywords after writing back a file, the typical reason is out-of-sync keywords in the file, especially in combination with legacy IPTC metadata.

I'm using IMatch 2021.16.4.

Thanks,
Brian

[Mario]

Various Nikon software did very obscure things with metadata and maker notes.
Show us the Metadata Analysis results for one of your files. Use the GREEN button at the top to copy warnings and errors into the clipboard and then paste into your post.
I don't have the time to manually analyze hundreds of KB data in the JSON file, sorry.

Most likely, the Nikon software has stored legacy IPTC data in your files, and IMatch is unable to automatically map between flat and hierarchical keywords. This can happen if your thesaurus does not match your keyword hierarchy and thus IMatch cannot properly map flat to hierarchical keywords during import.

In most cases it helps to delete the legacy IPTC keywords via the ExifTool Command Processor or even delete the old IPTC data entirely and use only EXIF and XMP for these files.

Make a copy of one of the files which cause you problems. Just do a quick Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V in an IMatch File Window.
Open the copy in the ExifTool Command Processor (ECP) via <F9>,<E>

Select the "List Metadata" preset and press <F9> to run it.
Search for IPTC to find legacy IPTC data (different from XMP::iptc)

If the file has legacy IPTC data, select the preset "Delete Legacy IPTC (IIM) Data" and run it with <F9>.
Close the ECP. Add a keyword in the Keywords Panel and write-back.
The metadata should now write cleanly and the pen should stay off.

See Keyword Problems for a good primer on what the typical problems with old or badly written metadata are.

[bbuttolph]

Mario, I accidentally deleted this and other Presets in the ExifTool Command Processor dialog. Is there a way to reset the options to the default set?

[Mario]

Mario, I accidentally deleted this and other Presets in the ExifTool Command Processor dialog. Is there a way to reset the options to the default set?

Which presets do you have accidentally deleted? Do you have your own presets?
If you don't have your own presets, delete all presets in the ECP and then close it.
It should come up with the standard set of presets afterwards.

[bbuttolph]

Thanks, I restored the default list and added a few of my own. I ran the 'Delete legacy IPTC (IIM) metadata' option and my own 'Delete nikoncapture metadata from all selected files' with the results below. I then added a new keyword and did a write-back. The pen still reappears.

# im-warn
-overwrite_original_in_place
-nikoncapture:all=
{Files}

Metadata Analyst Results. Version 2021.16.4. 8/17/2022 2:17:09 PM
File analyzed: C:\Beast E drive backup\Images\Workspace\Lake Como\_PAS7715.NEF
Errors: 1
Warnings: 17

Warning: [System] File has unwritten metadata (pending write-back).<br/>The metadata loaded from the image and the data in the database may not match.
Warning: [Metadata] Warnings: 'IPTCDigest is not current. XMP may be out of sync'
Warning: [GPS] Date missing.
Warning: [GPS] Time missing.
Warning: [GPS] Latitude missing.
Warning: [GPS] Latitude Ref missing.
Warning: [GPS] Longitude missing.
Warning: [GPS] Longitude Ref missing.
Warning: [GPS] Altitude missing.
Warning: [Legacy IPTC] Character Set Encoding: unspecified.
Warning: [XMP] Embedded XMP record (photools.com IMatch 19.8.0.4 (Windows)) and XMP sidecar file (photools.com IMatch 21.16.0.4 (Windows)) found.
Warning: [XMP] Embedded XMP rating is 5.
Warning: [XMP] [IFD0]:Artist not mapped to [XMP-tiff]:Artist (embedded).
Warning: [XMP] [IPTC]:By-line not mapped to [XMP-tiff]:Artist (embedded).
Warning: [XMP] [IFD0]:Orientation not mapped to [XMP-tiff]:Orientation (embedded).
Warning: [XMP] [ExifIFD]:UserComment not mapped to [XMP-dc]:Description (embedded).
Warning: [XMP] [ExifIFD]:UserComment not mapped to [XMP-dc]:Description (sidecar).
Error: [Keywords] Different XMP keywords in embedded XMP record and sidecar file.

[Mario]

Error: [Keywords] Different XMP keywords in embedded XMP record and sidecar file.

This seems to indicate that your RAW file has an embedded XMP record.
RAW files should use XMP sidecar files. At least this is what IMatch and most other tools expect, 'cause of the XMP standard and common industry practice.

IMatch will read/merge embedded XMP in RAW files.
Several camera vendors now seem to always want to embed a hard-coded "rating=none" in a rudimentary XMP record. Sigh...

But IMatch will only write XMP data to the sidecar file by default (and for very good reasons).
This means in your case, you end up with two competing XMP records, two sources of truth for the same file.
Won't work, of course.

I recommend you delete the XMP data embedded in the XMP (Some older Capture versions did that, I believe. And maybe also some of the versions after Nikon OEM'd SilkyPix).
The ECP has a preset for that, and the Metadata Problems and Pitfalls covers that as well.

[bbuttolph]

The solution for this particular problem is to delete the extra XMP record in the RAW file with the ExifTool Command Processor included in IMatch.

That did the trick, it worked! Very happy now

FYI, I had to click the pen twice for it to disappear, in case that helps for other cases.

Thanks for your help, Mario. I really appreciate it.

Brian

[Mario]

FYI, I had to click the pen twice for it to disappear, in case that helps for other cases.

That's mentioned in the Pitfall help topic.
Two write-backs may be needed if the hierarchical and flat keywords differ, due to the state of the data in the file or your thesaurus.
IMatch then might need two write-backs to synchronize the flat and hierarchical keywords.