Using 10-bit HEIF image files in Windows

[Kenneth Ekman]

I would appreciate an image management software that does not create it's own database, but just uses standard image / video metadata to store content, geography, time or other metadata.

I have no problem with proprietary databases as long as the software also stores the same information in the image files themselves (for example, in JPG EXIF metadata tags). That way the data can be used by other software, including searches using Windows Explorer, for example.

Data stored in a proprietary database can be accessed a lot faster than if the software has to scan through tens of thousands of individual image files each time you try to search for something. And if you switch to a new image management package, it can populate its own proprietary database from the metadata in the image files.

You are completely correct, and I do not disagree at all.

However, in my experience they seldom do populate the JPEG EXIF data (for example) by default.

Do you have any good examples of image management software that does this?

I tried the open source digiKam software earlier this year. It had a function to synchronize the database with the image metadata.

When I asked it to do that, it however did something really stupid and rewrote all the metadata in the image files, regardless of whether it differed or not. This had rather annoying consequences, and caused quite a bit of extra work.

 

[gscotten]

However, in my experience they seldom do populate the JPEG EXIF data (for example) by default.

One of my peeves about Lightroom is that it doesn't export all the metadata, even when "All Metadata" is selected. It specifically strips the Maker Notes, which is where most of the good stuff is located.

 

[CAcreeks]

I have no problem with proprietary databases as long as the software also stores the same information in the image files themselves (for example, in JPG EXIF metadata tags). That way the data can be used by other software, including searches using Windows Explorer, for example.

Data stored in a proprietary database can be accessed a lot faster than if the software has to scan through tens of thousands of individual image files each time you try to search for something. And if you switch to a new image management package, it can populate its own proprietary database from the metadata in the image files.

You are completely correct, and I do not disagree at all.

However, in my experience [photo editing applications] seldom do populate the JPEG EXIF data (for example) by default.

Some, such as GIMP, insert an extra tag saying it was edited with GIMP, but other than that, virtually all EXIF data is left intact, including vendor-specific tags (i.e. MakerFile).

Lightroom and Photoshop remove many EXIF tags, some important, and add others that are perhaps Adobe-only. This is one reason I didn't like Photoshop (other was performance).

Do you have any good examples of image management software that does this?

DxO PhotoLab seems good at preserving EXIF, and has a metadata editor to add new tags. I haven't done an exhaustive study, but it seems quite well designed:
https://userguides.dxo.com/photolab/en/managing-images/#the_metadata_palette

I tried the open source digiKam software earlier this year. It had a function to synchronize the database with the image metadata.

When I asked it to do that, it however did something really stupid and rewrote all the metadata in the image files, regardless of whether it differed or not. This had rather annoying consequences, and caused quite a bit of extra work.

Yikes! That's bad. (I have never tried digiKam but did use KDEnlive for video.)

 

[Sean Nelson]

I would appreciate an image management software that does not create it's own database, but just uses standard image / video metadata to store content, geography, time or other metadata.

I have no problem with proprietary databases as long as the software also stores the same information in the image files themselves...

You are completely correct, and I do not disagree at all.

However, in my experience they seldom do populate the JPEG EXIF data (for example) by default.

Do you have any good examples of image management software that does this?

I use Adobe Bridge from my old CS6 Master Collection installation for tagging my current files, and once a year I move it all over onto my archive drive where I use the even more ancient ThumbsPlus to catalog and search it. There are newer versions of ThumbsPlus, but mine is version 7 from 2007. If it ain't broke, don't fix it is my motto.

Both these products place tags into the EXIF fields on my JPG files. Windows File Explorer will do that too, by the way, as well as allow you to search by tags, date, camera, etc. using the index that it keeps of all files. I don't think people generally give Windows File Explorer enough credit for what it's capable of.

 

[Henry Richardson]

I rarely use the thumbnails view with Windows File Explorer and MacOS Finder though. For over 20 years on Windows I use Faststone for my photo browsing, culling, comparing photos side-by-side, etc. Unfortunately, the current version of Faststone does not support HEIF files, but I sent a request in a few months ago. Therefore on both Windows and MacOS I use XnView MP which does support HEIF. For me, it is a non-issue since I have always used a better photo browser than File Explorer and Finder.

I have earlier been using Photoshop Elements and digiKam for managing my images, but I keep getting disappointed with media management software as they usually keep their own databases for image-related metadata which makes it really hard to switch to something else if / when support for one falters.

I would appreciate an image management software that does not create it's own database, but just uses standard image / video metadata to store content, geography, time or other metadata.

I downloaded the free version of XnView, and it does not handle the 10-bit Canon images unfortunately, btw.

I suggest you report the XnView MP bug on their forum and/or email. I have reported bugs and they have been quickly fixed in the next update. One time I was asked to provide an A6700 HIF file and the problem was fixed a few days later. You may be asked for a Canon HIF file.

 

[Kenneth Ekman]

Actually, it was XnView Classic i tried, since i assumed the MP version was not free. Now that i see its free for personal use I’ll try it.

 

[MT0000]

Hi Kenneth

Did you ever solve this problem?

I am trying to do the same and have had no luck view Canon HIF files in Windows 10 unless I use DPP4.

Thanks

Mark