Nex 7 + LA-EA2 + Sigma 10-20 F4-5.6 provide wrong exif info about the lens

[Nex7withLA-EA2]

The Raw files output by the camera contain invalid Exif data about the attached lens (output from exiftool, other software tools provide the same information):

Lens Info: 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6

Lens Model: 28-80mm F3.5-5.6

Please check other lenses for compatibility.

Why can't I attach a ARW file in this forum?

I also can't attach it after ziping.

Please send me a private message with a mail addres I can send the ARW file to.

Meanwhile I will attach a jpg after conversion in Image Data Converter Version 4.0.01.09150

It should provide the same Exif information

Please correct this in a firmware update.

[Mick2011]

Hi

No forum will be able to display ARW files, as they require processing in order to be viewed in a non-camera-specific 'public' space. Your JPG displays properly, but the EXIF is as you describe.

There are some quirky issues with Sigma lenses on alpha bodies, and EXIF mis-reading is one I've come across before. It's a relatively minor problem that only happens with some 3rd-party lenses: other problems can affect focussing and the like. In general though, they do work, cost less and the results are good

The EXIF solution is to use image editing software which is aware of the incompatibility and corrects it. I know Adobe Lightroom does this, others possibly will too; they read the EXIF, identify a Sony body and correctly identify the lens based on a known readout.

Cheers

Mick

[Nex7withLA-EA2]

Hi,

Thank you for the answer, I know that I can manually edit the exif values, but this is simply a badly working feature. This data is used for automatic lens correction of images in software and I don't want to run any special utility to correct the data that should be written properly by the camera. Please mark this problem as a bug in the problem tracking software Sony is using in firmware developement.

I'm a software developer myself and it irritates me if the first line of support is marking bugs as neglliable and ignore them without reporting them to a product menager.

I have posted other suggestions on improving this product in:https://www.sony.co.uk/discussions/message/797096#797096

Please appreciate the time the users put into improving the quality of Sony products. No one pays us for that.

Regards

[Mick2011]

I'm not absolutely sure of this, but I believe the problem lies with third-party manufacturers 'guessing' the codes needed to ID their lenses. This may well be a result of Sony's famously secretive R&D department, who have always preferred not to share certain firmware-level information with other manufacturers. However I don't see them changing that stance in the near future

As such it's not a bug but a basic incompatibility. I do sympathise but can only suggest you use different image editing software which can detect and correctly identify the lens from its specific EXIF data.

As ever on the Sony forums, your feedback does get read and is very much appreciated

Cheers

Mick

[cmosse]

The camera detects the lens via a so called lens-ID, which is information given by the lens ROM. Each Minolta, Konica Minolta and Sony Alpha lens ID is unique for the type of lens (same lens but Minolta/Konica Minolta/Sony version has the same ID). When a third party lens is used it is possible that they “share” the same lens ID numbers and so in the Sony software, which relies on its own lens ID database the “wrong” (or even no lens) lens is shown.This is not a fault by the camera or the Sony software - it is just a consequence of how the lens identification works.

[FidoBoy68]

I agree, it's a annoying issue, it also happens on A77 using a Minolta 100-300 APO and Sigma 30mm 1.4 EX but as others are pointing here, this is not only an issue on the firmware itself (it also conflicts with the micro AF adjustments) but also a problem on the software used to process the RAW files (like Aperture or Lightroom; both of them as the problem) . This is a matter of comercial wars between manufacturers, because Sigma and Tamron do reverse engeneering to make their lenses compatible and as result the end user is damaged with this issues. Lets hope that this companies can left their problems on a side, and they benefit to the users.