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Know Your Lens Model and Other Metadata Tricks in Aperture

Inside Aperture Podcast 30

by Derrick Story
06/05/2008

Would you like to know the exact lens you used for every shot in your Aperture library? In this podcast with Joe Schorr, Derrick Story learns about the new "Lens Model" field and how to use it. Plus Joe explains how to update your previously uploaded images in Aperture to also display this information. Other helpful techniques include tapping the power of the Query HUD and changes in Aperture 2 to help you better look inside Stacks.

The Lens Model field is very useful. Say that you have two different models of a 70-200mm zoom -- f/4 and f/2.8 versions, and you want to know which lens you used for a particular shoot. The Lens Model field will distinguish between the two. By default, this field should appear in the "General" metadata view. If yours isn't displaying it, then click on the EXIF tab at the bottom of the view and check the box next to Lens Model. You can move the field to any position you want by clicking on its label and dragging. You can also create custom metadata fields that include just the information you're interested in.

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Derrick Story is the digital media evangelist for O'Reilly. His current book is The Digital Photography Companion. You can follow him on Twitter or visit www.thedigitalstory.com.

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Great tips
2008-06-15 19:45:39 johnfaherty [Reply | View]

Just wanted to thank you for all the great tips so far on using aperture to really make a difference in my photography! Thanks!

http://blog.johnfahertyphotography.com

Pentax lens models?
2008-06-05 18:06:08 Amazo [Reply | View]

The subject says it all. While I haven't applied the latest OS or Raw updates I doubt either of them has changed the fact that Pentax lens models do not show up in Aperture. They definitely do in Photoshop (& I assume Lightroom). Apple should be as sensitive as anyone to the minority brands.

Pentax lens models?
2008-07-22 21:51:20 cczona [Reply | View]

My Pentax lens (FA 50mm f/1.4) shows up there as it should. Are you perhaps using non-digital lenses? I assume that digital encoding on the lens is required for the camera to detect model info and store it with the photo.