How do I mark a manual fisheye lens in EXIF metadata?
Asked 12/11/2011
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I’m using a manual 8mm fisheye lens on a Canon 60D, so the camera doesn’t record correct lens metadata. I can edit focal length with ExifTool, but I’d also like the files to identify the lens as a fisheye. Is there a standard EXIF tag for lens type, or is this stored in a manufacturer-specific field?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The EXIF field you're talking about is the LensType field and the value is defined by the manufacturer of the lens. There are a couple of problems with that:
The lens must be identifiable. Not all lenses can be, especially older ones, so you can't just put anything there. You could try to find the lens ID of a more modern equivalent, but it's not the same lens, so the EXIF won't be correct, just close.
Some manufacturers re-use the ID. A prime example would be this shot of mine on Flickr. Here the focal length is measured as 400mm, but the lens info claims a 70-200mm f2.8. This shot was with the Sigma 120-400mm at 400mm and it shares a lens ID with the other lens (and another, for a total of 3). I happen to have both, a bit of a pain... It also makes Sigma look like morons, but that's a side note.
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
14y ago
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There generally isn’t a universal EXIF tag that says “fisheye.” Lens identification is often stored in maker notes or manufacturer-specific lens fields rather than a standardized EXIF tag.
In practice:
- The relevant field is usually something like LensType or LensModel.
- On many cameras this data is manufacturer-defined, not standardized across brands.
- For fully manual lenses, there may be no true lens ID the camera can reliably use.
- You can add a descriptive lens name with a tool like ExifTool, but that won’t create an official, universally recognized “fisheye” flag.
So if your goal is accurate metadata, the best approach is usually to write the actual lens name into LensType/LensModel (if your software supports it) rather than trying to find a special EXIF tag for fisheye status.
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