Metadata embeded in file and metadata in XMP sidecar file living together ?

[jarraun]

Hi all,

Trying to set a proper workflow before indexing my images in the database I would need some advice.
My RAW files are NEF from Nikon D7000, I always embed this metadata with Nikon propietary program ViewNx:

{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\116\CopyrightNotice\0}
{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\90\City\0}
{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\80\By-line\0}
{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\101\Country-PrimaryLocationName\0}
{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\95\Province-State\0}
{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\85\By-lineTitle\0}
{File.MD.IPTC::ApplicationRecord\120\Caption-Abstract\0}

{File.MD.XMP::dc\creator\Creator\0}
{File.MD.XMP::dc\description\Description\0}
{File.MD.XMP::dc\rights\Rights\0}

{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CreatorContactInfoCiAdrCity\CreatorCity\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CreatorContactInfoCiAdrCtry\CreatorCountry\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CreatorContactInfoCiEmailWork\CreatorWorkEmail\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CreatorContactInfoCiTelWork\CreatorWorkTelephone\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CreatorContactInfoCiAdrPcode\CreatorPostalCode\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CreatorContactInfoCiAdrRegion\CreatorRegion\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\CountryCode\CountryCode\0}
{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\Location\Location\0}

{File.MD.XMP::iptcExt\Event\Event\0}

{File.MD.XMP::photoshop\AuthorsPosition\AuthorsPosition\0}
{File.MD.XMP::photoshop\City\City\0}
{File.MD.XMP::photoshop\State\State\0}
{File.MD.XMP::photoshop\Country\Country\0}

{File.MD.XMP::xmp\Rating\Rating\0}

{File.MD.XMP::xmpRights\UsageTerms\UsageTerms\0}

I do that way because is easy and I trust (fingers crossed) ViewNX won´t mess up with own NEF files.
But with keywords metadata things are different, ViewNX is not hahdy for this purpose and IM5 is going to do the task by creating a new sidecar XMP file for each RAW file with already embeded metadata. Good idea I thougt until I came across with this interesting and usefull guide (thank you Ferdinand):
https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=276.0
in wich he says:

" Sticking with XMP sidecars for RAW minimises the risk of inconsistency between embedded and sidecar XMP as a result of editing XMP in other software, again with Nikon as an exception.  Even just rating images in another application can result in an inconsistency. "

Now I´am asking myself if my approach is correct or will finish by mess up my images metadata.
Any advice will be very welcome.

Javier from Pyrenees

[Ferdinand]

My understanding is that IMatch 5 won't store both embedded XMP and XMP in a sidecar.  It's either one or the other.  For RAW files you generally will want sidecars because that's what most other software (esp Adobe) will expect and use.  But Nikon CaptureNX / ViewNX are exceptions, as I understand it, as they embed XMP.  So for this workflow I would configure IMatch to write embedded XMP for NEFs. 

The real problem for users of Nikon s/w IMHO is that it behaves differently to most other s/w.  So long as you stick with it I guess you won't have problems, but if you want to switch, then you have potential problems,  e.g. if you then want to process such images in other software that uses sidecars.  You run the risk of having XMP in both places, which you really want to avoid because then you run the risk of inconsistencies which will be hard to resolve, because it's not obvious which is correct.  So the problem comes if and when you move outside the Nikon s/w family.

[jarraun]

Thank you Ferdinand, really helpful.
So as I understand it, apart from adding keywords using IM5 and embeding them in my NEF´s, hopping that it won´t hurt the files and other software will be able to read them in the future. Could it be possible strip out XMP metadata from my files and copy this information to a sidecar XMP file ?. Doing this way I would start adding metadata to the NEF´s only from IM5 and use Capture NX2 just for postprocessing. I don´t know, maybe too compicated but this golden piece of software IM5 could do the trick.

Javier from Pyrenees

[Ferdinand]

Opinion will differ on whether you (and by implication Nikon s/w) are "hurting" your files.  There is a widespread view that you should never touch your RAW files, likening them to a digital negative.  That analogy has its uses and its limitations.  I don't share that view - I write IPTC to NEFs, but not to ARWs since embedded XMP is not as well supported as in NEFs. 

It would be possible to use ExifTool to shift your XMP to sidecars, but you would need to devise a way to automate that.  A script could be written to that, although there may also be other ways to do so in IMatch 5.