EXIF Tags Missing on DNG Raw Images

[WackeDad]

Finally got a chance to fly and chose Raw + JPG for my photos. After downloading them (direct from the card to my PC) I discovered the EXIF data on the DNG images is missing. In addition, the pixel dimensions are totally out of whack. I've searched high and low and have not seen this reported, either here on this forum or on web searches. Any idea what's going on? Here are two screen clips from my FastStone image viewer. Trust me, the details under Windows/Properties/Details is equally out of whack.

Image #1 - JPG:


Image #1 - DNG:


Edit: All DJI software is up to date, and images from several months ago suffer the same malady.

 

[Meta4]

Here are two screen clips from my FastStone image viewer. Trust me, the details under Windows/Properties/Details is equally out of whack.

Image #1 - DNG:
View attachment 152348

Your dng image files have full exif information, but the tools you've used aren't looking at it.
The image size (960 x 720) shown above is a big clue.
Your dng images are much larger than that.
That's the size of the tiny preview thumbnail jpg that's inside the dng file.

Any proper metadata viewing software should show you the metadata for the dng file.

 

[brett8883]

Your dng image files have full exif information, but the tools you've used aren't looking at it.
The image size (960 x 720) shown above is a big clue.
Your dng images are much larger than that.
That's the size of the tiny preview thumbnail jpg that's inside the dng file.

Any proper metadata viewing software should show you the metadata for the dng file.

Yep

 

[WackeDad]

Yeah, I guess it comes down to Adobe and Microsoft not liking each other much. Seems odd however that the metadata gets so screwed up coming out of the DJI drone.

 

[Meta4]

Yeah, I guess it comes down to Adobe and Microsoft not liking each other much. Seems odd however that the metadata gets so screwed up coming out of the DJI drone.

The metadata doesn't get messed up coming out of the drone.
There is a standard for digital camera metadata and the data from the drone complies with it.

 

[WackeDad]

Oh, it gets hosed when viewing in Windows Explorer. But yes, the metadata is intact within the file itself. My issue is why DNG EXIF is clobbered when viewing in the Win Explorer.

If you’re reading this, consider this issue closed….UNCLE.

 

[mobilehomer]

Simple, Windows explorer is not a file viewer, it is a file finder. Then you use the proper program to open the file.

 

[WackeDad]

Simple, Windows explorer is not a file viewer, it is a file finder. Then you use the proper program to open the file.

Fine. Tell me please, why W.E. shows a reasonable summary of EXIF for the jpeg’s out of the drone, but screws the EXIF for the dng’s. That’s all I’m asking. Is it a DJI thing or a Win thing?

 

[Meta4]

Is it a DJI thing or a Win thing?

It's not a DJI thing .. their Exif info complies with the standard
If you want to view Exif info properly, use a proper Exif viewer.
There are plenty available.

 

[WackeDad]

It's not a DJI thing .. their Exif info complies with the standard
If you want to view Exif info properly, use a proper Exif viewer.
There are plenty available.

I appreciate your perspective. But nowhere have I stated I needed to view Exif info properly. When I view jpg exif properties in Windows Explorer, I can see the basics that infer the details I am interested in. On the other hand the dng’s are hosed. It’s really that simple.

 

[Meta4]

Fine. Tell me please, why W.E. shows a reasonable summary of EXIF for the jpeg’s out of the drone, but screws the EXIF for the dng’s. That’s all I’m asking. Is it a DJI thing or a Win thing?

You are asking why Windows Explorer doesn't work as an Exif Viewer.
The answer is WE is not an Exif viewer.

 

[mobilehomer]

Bottom line, you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. It is a non-issue.

 

[WackeDad]

You are asking why Windows Explorer doesn't work as an Exif Viewer.
The answer is WE is not an Exif viewer.

I agree, but perhaps you can explain why it provides reasonably well summarized Exif for jpg files? This is the core to my question. Is Windows screwing with the DNG Exif or is there something DJI is tossing in that is confusing Windows?

 

[WackeDad]

Bottom line, you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. It is a non-issue.

Non-issue to who. Perhaps it doesn't present an issue to you, but I'm still puzzled by the difference in Exif presented for DJI DNG files compared to DJI JPG file.

 

[Meta4]

I agree, but perhaps you can explain why it provides reasonably well summarized Exif for jpg files? This is the core to my question. Is Windows screwing with the DNG Exif or is there something DJI is tossing in that is confusing Windows?

I can, but it will take 10 mins to put it together

 

[Meta4]

Non-issue to who. Perhaps it doesn't present an issue to you, but I'm still puzzled by the difference in Exif presented for DJI DNG files compared to DJI JPG file.

Here's the metadata from one DJI dng file:

Windows Explorer only gives a very brief summary for any file.
It tries to be helpful and show basics for jpg files (because jpg files are the most commonly used image file format.
There are many image file formats that WIndows Explorer doesn't handle.
But there is a small jpg preview jpg inside each DJI dng file and being helpful but not very smart, that's what Windows Explorer shows you when you use that to tell you about a dng file.

 

[Meta4]

There's a similar amount of metadata for a jpg file too.
Windows Explorer just shows you the most basic summary.

 

[brett8883]

Non-issue to who. Perhaps it doesn't present an issue to you, but I'm still puzzled by the difference in Exif presented for DJI DNG files compared to DJI JPG file.

A DNG is more like a folder than a file. It can hold several layers of files in it. One of these files is the jpeg thumbnail.

Since DNGs hold raw data which have to be processed into a photo to make it in visible on a screen it can’t be viewed as a thumbnail image in a file explorer like a jpeg can. Therefore when queried by a file explorer it presents the jpeg thumbnail instead of the raw data so you can see what the photo is without opening it in a raw processor.

Windows explorer is presented with the jpeg thumbnail and tries to read the EXIF data from that file. However, that’s just the thumbnail which doesn’t hold the exif data from the raw data it represents. You can actually update the jpeg thumbnail in a DNG after you’ve made edits to the dng so it wouldn’t make sense to write the EXIF data to that file. If you use a program that can read the actual exif data from the raw file instead of treating the DNG like a jpeg then it will read the EXIF data from the raw data in the DNG and not just the exif in the thumbnail image.

 

[mobilehomer]

Non-issue to who. Perhaps it doesn't present an issue to you, but I'm still puzzled by the difference in Exif presented for DJI DNG files compared to DJI JPG file.

Non-issue to everyone. It has been explained several times to you.

 

[WackeDad]

A DNG is more like a folder than a file. It can hold several layers of files in it. One of these files is the jpeg thumbnail.

Since DNGs hold raw data which have to be processed into a photo to make it in visible on a screen it can’t be viewed as a thumbnail image in a file explorer like a jpeg can. Therefore when queried by a file explorer it presents the jpeg thumbnail instead of the raw data so you can see what the photo is without opening it in a raw processor.

Windows explorer is presented with the jpeg thumbnail and tries to read the EXIF data from that file. However, that’s just the thumbnail which doesn’t hold the exif data from the raw data it represents. You can actually update the jpeg thumbnail in a DNG after you’ve made edits to the dng so it wouldn’t make sense to write the EXIF data to that file. If you use a program that can read the actual exif data from the raw file instead of treating the DNG like a jpeg then it will read the EXIF data from the raw data in the DNG and not just the exif in the thumbnail image.

Thank you Brett. Your response was respectful to my original inquiry. I appreciate the background and it makes total sense to me now. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to explain the nuances of DNG file formats. I suspect now, that the pixel dimensions for the DNG as displayed in Windows properties, is actually for the imbedded thumbnail. I'm sure I'm wrong there as well, so I'll consider the matter moot.