# Canon 5D MkIII ratings - should transfer to LR ?



## PeteGB (Jul 9, 2014)

I've read several posts from people delighted to use the 5D MkIII rating button to cull pictures on the move. One has specifically described "importing into LR and filtering on star rating".

I can rate pics on the camera, when downloaded the star ratings show up in DPP but nothin gppears in LR.

I understand that the ratings are likely held in a non-standard part of the metadata/EXIF structure and therefore LR wouldn't be expected to import them. WHat's confusing me is numerous posting from folks apparently happily using something I can't make work.

Can anyone confirm whether it should work ?

Thanks


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## Victoria Bampton (Jul 13, 2014)

I don't have a 5D Mk3 to test (although if someone would like to give me one, I'll happily oblige... ) but thought I'd bump your thread for you.


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 13, 2014)

I'll have a play tomorrow or Tuesday, and will report back.

Just got to check the manual to understand how to do the ratings, lol!


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## Victoria Bampton (Jul 13, 2014)

What a star, thanks Jim


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## PeteGB (Jul 14, 2014)

Thanks both !


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 14, 2014)

Well, I had a play and initially I couldn't even get the ratings to appear in DPP. Then I had a bit of a brainwave and tried the SDHC card instead of the normal CF card and bingo, ratings appeared in both DPP and Lightroom.

So it would seem that, at least with the settings that I normally use (i.e. record the image to both cards), the ratings are only added to the second copy in the SDHC card, and not to the CF card. Using a different setting, such as recording to one card only in order to double the shooting capacity, may give different results.....but I'll let you test that. 

There may even be a menu setting, or Custom Function setting, that will fix this.


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## clee01l (Jul 14, 2014)

Jim Wilde said:


> ...So it would seem that, at least with the settings that I normally use (i.e. record the image to both cards), the ratings are only added to the second copy in the SDHC card, and not to the CF card...


 If you think about this, when you rate an image in the camera, you are reviewing only one of the dual images (i.e. the one on the SD card).  So the Canon only updates the EXIF header of the image being reviewed.


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 14, 2014)

Except that I have the CF card specified as the playback card.


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## clee01l (Jul 14, 2014)

Jim Wilde said:


> Except that I have the CF card specified as the playback card.


Well so much for that theory...


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 14, 2014)

It was a good theory, but I tend to think it's a camera bug. I may have a play some more if I can get enthused about it.....


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## PeteGB (Jul 15, 2014)

Spurred on by Jim's experiments I've done somw more testing of my own.

I took a series of pictures, some RAW and some JPG. 

One picture recorded to both cards in different formats (RAW -> CF and JPG -> SD)
A RAW to CF then a RAW to SD
A JPG to CF then a JPG to SD

I normally download by plugging camera into USB and using Canon's software. Having done so :-

The Canon software can see the ratings.
When downloaded Canon DPP see's the ratings and correctly applies them. 
If I browse to the folder where I store the files then Windows sees the ratings for JPG files.
Imported into LR, no ratings appear.

To some extent I can follow and live with that, LR is ignoring the metadata area where Canon stores the ratings, much the same as LR doesn't import focus point.

What's baffling me is why some folks, Jim included, in some circumstances seem to be able to get LR to recognise the ratings. I notice Jim's running LR 5.5 (I'm 5.3) but I'd be surprised if it's something that's just started working in the latest release.

It's clearly not a huge issue - but I do so hate not being able to figure something out.


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 15, 2014)

I don't know if it would make a difference, but if you have a card reader to hand try importing using the card reader directly into Lightroom. That's how I always import, so maybe that's the difference. I agree that using 5.3 versus 5.5 shouldn't matter.


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## PeteGB (Jul 15, 2014)

Good idea Jim, but no joy.

I tried RAW and JPG shots to both CF and SD card and inserted cards into card reader and imported directly into Lightroom.

Again Canon DPP and Windows both see the star ratings but nothin in LR.

Rats . . .


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 16, 2014)

Rats indeed....just to confirm though that you had the camera set to "Record to Multiple" in the "Record func+card/folder sel." option at the top of the Tools1 menu? That was the setting I was using when I got it to record to the SD card.

The really puzzling thing to me is that once I got them to show up in DPP, they also showed up in Lightroom. So on that basis they're not being hidden away in the Maker Notes section of the file header. I'll try have another look later today to see if I can find an explanation.....I also don't like being unable to figure things out.


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## PeteGB (Jul 16, 2014)

I was using Record Separately (to get a RAW on CF and JPG on SD) but I tried again using Record to Multiple - no joy.

Then I tried another tack. In Windows if I 'Right Click/Properties/Details' the window shows me the metadata fields including 'Rating', where I can see the stars given on the 5D. 

I changed the rating in Windows then went back to LR and for that image selected 'Read Metadata from file' and voila the rating shown in Windows now in LR. I then changed the Rating in LR and selected save 'Metadata to File' and the image data changed, as shown in Windows.

So I've established that LR is using the same EXIF data that Windows reads.

So then I went to some of the earlier images in LR and selected 'Read Metadata from file' and bingo - ratings there as one would expect.

So the issue has now changed to "Why doesn't LR import the metadata at initial import stage?"

Is there some setting or preference I've got set that causing this effect ?

Getting closer  . . . .


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 16, 2014)

Hmmm....are you applying any metadata presets on Import? If so, maybe you have Rating checked in that preset, which would reset any value on an incoming file to whatever value is in the preset (likely blank in this case).

BTW, apologies to Cletus, his theory was spot on in that the rating is only written to the image being used for playback in the camera.....I must have changed the playback setting in between initial test and subsequent checking. But yes, whichever image is used in the playback window is the only one that the rating is applied to.


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## PeteGB (Jul 16, 2014)

Lightbulb moment !

At import into LR I apply a metadata preset that adds my copyright and other IPTC items. The preset is taking precedence over the EXIF data from the camera. If I import without applying the preset then the Rating info shows up in LR as expected.

Still means the Ratings button not a lot of use to me as forcing LR to read the metatdata from file after import overrights all my Preset IPTC info.

Hey ho - at least I understand what's going on now.

Thanks for your help Jim, having someone to bounce a few things off helped the detective process.

Cheers


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 16, 2014)

We had the same lightbilb moment, see my post just above your last one.

You can edit your preset to simply uncheck the Rating field (in fact you should uncheck every field that you aren't trying to apply), then your preset won't reset any value on the incoming file.


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## PeteGB (Jul 16, 2014)

Jim - You're a star !!

Looking again at my Preset for some reason rating ticked even though I'm not using it. Presets are one of gthese things I set up way back in LR 2 and haven't much changed them since, apart from an update to the Year. I'd forgotten that you actuyally tick the fileds you want to apply. Rating just ticked in error.

So finally - I understand how it works, I know what I was doing wrong, and I've had loads of help (as always) from the Forum and I've kinda had fun working it out.

Pity it's too early in the day to crack open a beer in celebration !!

Thanks all.


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## ST-EOS (Jul 19, 2014)

One thing to be aware of with the 5D111, when you apply star ratings to images in the camera. You apply those ratings only to the images on the card (CF or SD) which you have set to be the playback card. 

For example if you set the CF card to record Raw and the SD to large jpg whichever of the two cards you have set to be the playback card in the "record function/playback" settings it is the images on the playback card that gets the rating applied. IHTH


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## Jim Wilde (Jul 19, 2014)

Thanks Peter, we finally figured that out (see my post #16).


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## Guy Nonplussed (Dec 16, 2014)

*Thank you for solving the missing ratings mystery.*



PeteGB said:


> Lightbulb moment !
> At import into LR I apply a metadata preset that adds my copyright and other IPTC items. The preset is taking precedence over the EXIF data from the camera. If I import without applying the preset then the Rating info shows up in LR as expected.



Woo-hoo!  Thank you everyone on this thread for solving the mystery of the missing ratings! I knew it was supposed to work because I've seen it done with my own camera in a workshop.  But at home I was in the exact same situation with a preset setting my copyright.  I really want to import the ratings, so I will kill the preset.

Guy Nonplussed


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## Jim Wilde (Dec 16, 2014)

Hi, welcome to the forum.

No need to kill the preset, instead simply edit it to uncheck the fields that you don't want to add/change. Specifically as far as ratings is concerned, you want to uncheck the Basic Info section.....but do the same for other sections as well that don't have any data that you're trying to add.


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