Writing to RAW with standard settings?

[picolo]

Hi Mario,

Is IM5 supposed to write any data to the RAW (NEF) file, even if NEF is in the XMP exclution list?
It does look like IM is updating/writing data to my nef's...

I used the metadata defaults in the preferences forthe metadata 2 tab.

[Mario]

Show your Metadata 2 settings (screen shot).

The commands (and file names) IMatch is using for writing are displayed in the Output Panel (ExifTool tab) and also in the log file.

[picolo]

Mario, here is a screen shot of my settings

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[stonecherub]

My understanding is that there are two kinds of metadata; immediate and deferred (my names). Immediate data is written by the camera to the file along with the image data - lens, camera type, number of shutter clicks, ISO, etc. There's a place for everything and everything is put in its proper place. "Deferred" data is written later after the file has been downloaded to a computer - caption, title, photographer, GPS location, etc. This is "lumpy" metadata, your caption could be blank or two long paragraphs of indeterminate size. I have found that ExifTool will write GPS data to my NEF and DNG files (there must be a place in these file types for it) but will make sidecar files for captions, locations, etc. that are less well structured.

I convert my Nikon raw files (NEF) to Adobe DNG and keep them in a sub-folder under the main folder for the day that contains a JPG of each image. Because JPG is such a garbage can, I can load my jpg files up with keywords, captions, the Great American Novel, etc., like buddy files while the high quality original sits underneath. I do all the admin work with the jpg.

[picolo]

Stonecherub,

I don't disagree with you
But the question here is, if IM is allowed to write metadata to the RAW file (NEF), with the settings (preferences) that are applied right now.
My understanding is, that it is not, but I am not sure though...

I always had the understanding that it is best to never let write data into a RAW file. Instead use XMP-Sidecar files for this...

[Mario]

You have configured IMatch to write to all standard formats, which includes NEF.
To exclude NEF you must set the write mode to Mode 2 and then make sure NEF is in the extension list.

But this depends on your workflow. If you want to propagate changes from XMP to IPTC and EXIF, IMatch must write to the NEF file because IPTC and EXIF data can only be embedded in the NEF file. Only XMP data can be contained in sidecar files.

If you work with Nikon applications, XMP data must be embedded in the NEF file, or your Nikon apps won't see the changes you make in IMatch etc.

See the corresponding help topic and the sample configurations for different workflows, like "Never write to my RAW files". Unfortunately the camera vendors and other vendors have made this unnecessarily complicated by ignoring standards or by implementing them only half-way...

[picolo]

Mario,

I think that it is very confusing that the grayed out values seem be of no meaning...
Preferable would be that the setting that is being used should be displayed - does this makes sense?

[Mario]

Greyed out means disabled, and unused. The write mode determines which of these options are used, and the greyed out fields will become available depending on what you select there.