This post was last modified: 2012-12-05, 02:19 by leandroprz.

Hi Gunther,

I know you are away, hope you'll read this when you get back from your trip and that everything went well.

I know there's a tool for what I'm asking called LensTagger. It's a Lightroom plugin, but I've had real issues with it. Everytime after I use it, Lightroom hangs and I can't even terminate the app from the task manager. Even worst, one time I couldn't even access the folder where the files were because the whole system hanged after using the plugin, and so I had to copy the files from Linux, and I wasn't able to copy them all. It's really weird because the plugin only modify the XMP files, not the RAWs.

Anyway, that's why I'm asking if you can add a feature similar to that plugin to LRTimelapse, it is crucial when doing the holy grail method you explained so many times on your tutorials because Lightroom's match tonal exposure feature won't work if the RAW files doesn't have the profile information (this happens when you do the lens twist method or if you shoot with manual lenses).
Also, but having this feature inside LRTimelapse, the workflow will be much faster than having to modify in batch of 30-40 files when using LensTagger.

I don't how hard is to implement, but considering you will be only adding information to the XMP, I guess it's not that complicated. But you are the coder, so you know better.

Thank you.

As someone who uses Lens Tagger without the crashing, I would welcome this functionality being embedded in LRT.

As leandroprz says, the lens twist trick is a key timelapse technique and if LRT can fix the two missing pieces of LR info, ie aperture and focal length it will mean LRT becomes even more impressive.

Cheers

Garry

As someone who uses Lens Tagger without the crashing, I would welcome this functionality being embedded in LRT.

Would you please explain your workflow with LensTagger? I want to know if I'm doing something wrong.

Would you please explain your workflow with LensTagger? I want to know if I'm doing something wrong.

Dear 'leandroprz'

First, I am using Windows 7 on a 64-bit platform. I am also using the latest LR.

To use Lens Tagger I loaded the latest version and ensured Lens Tagger was pointing to ExifTool, ie under the Plugin Manager.

I believe Lens Tagger is still limited to changing up to 100 images, ie no more.

To use Lens Tagger I select 100 images, open up Lens Tagger under Plug-in-Extras.

I add the data I wish to change, ie Lens Name, Focal length and F-Stop.

Uncheck Edit box at the bottom.

Press Update Command.

Press Run Command.

I select the next batch of images in my timelapse series, ie another 100, press update and run commands for this batch; and repeat this until all the sequence has been updated.

Close Lens Tagger.

In LR select all the sequence and Read Metadata from file.

That's it.

Cheers

Garry

This post was last modified: 2012-12-06, 00:03 by leandroprz.

Dear 'leandroprz'

First, I am using Windows 7 on a 64-bit platform. I am also using the latest LR.
(...)

That's pretty much what I do. Anyway, will give it a try again to see what happens.

Thanks.

I'm going to look into it. It might be possible to implement this into LRTimelapse.

May I ask how exactly your workflow looks like? So you change the ISO or Exposure whilst shooting with a twisted lens and then set the lens parameters for the whole sequence the same and this tricks LR to allow you for "MTE"?

I ask because I try to understand why Lightroom does not apply "MTE" if the lens data is not set - but does so if they are present. The Exif-Values for Shutter/ISO/Aperture should be there regardless of the lens twist trick - and I would think they should be enough anyway...

Do you get values into the new Shutter/ISO/Aperture columns in LRT 2.2 when opening a sequence shot with a twisted lens?

Personally I don't use lens twisting so I kind of lack a bit of experience with this.

I'm going to look into it. It might be possible to implement this into LRTimelapse.

May I ask how exactly your workflow looks like? So you change the ISO or Exposure whilst shooting with a twisted lens and then set the lens parameters for the whole sequence the same and this tricks LR to allow you for "MTE"?

I shoot with the lens twist method and only change the ISO. Then in Lightroom I use the LensTagger plugin to set an aperture for all my pictures in the sequence.

If you don't have the lens EXIF information on your picture, Lightroom will display an error and won't let you to use Match Total Exposure feature: http://www.flickr.com/photos/miahz/5127730717/

I ask because I try to understand why Lightroom does not apply "MTE" if the lens data is not set - but does so if they are present. The Exif-Values for Shutter/ISO/Aperture should be there regardless of the lens twist trick - and I would think they should be enough anyway...

Every data is there except for the aperture. Interestingly, on my two Canon bodies, focal length always shows as 50mm if I twist the lens. But there's no aperture information at all.

Do you get values into the new Shutter/ISO/Aperture columns in LRT 2.2 when opening a sequence shot with a twisted lens?

Personally I don't use lens twisting so I kind of lack a bit of experience with this.

I see shutter speed, ISO and aperture, which shows as "1.#INF".

I have used LensTagger.And believe me its very effective.

Good news: the next version of LRTimelapse (2.3) will bring native lens tagging, so you will be able to use "Match Total Exposures" in Lightroom even when shooting with a twisted or manual lens!

That's great. Thank you!