Image::ExifTool::Pentax(3)

NAME
Image::ExifTool::Pentax - Pentax/Asahi maker notes tags

SYNOPSIS
This module is loaded automatically by Image::ExifTool when required.

DESCRIPTION
This module contains definitions required by Image::ExifTool to interpret Pentax and Asahi maker notes in EXIF information.

NOTES
I couldn't find a good source for Pentax maker notes information, but I've managed to discover a fair bit of information by analyzing sample pictures from the Optio 330, Optio 550, Optio S, *istD, *istDs, and through tests with my own Optio WP, and with help provided by other ExifTool users (see ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS).

The Pentax maker notes are stored in standard EXIF format, but the offsets used for some of their cameras are wacky. The Optio 330 gives the offset relative to the offset of the tag in the directory, the Optio WP uses a base offset in the middle of nowhere, and the Optio 550 uses different (and totally illogical) bases for different menu entries. Very weird. (It wouldn't surprise me if Pentax can't read their own maker notes!) Luckily, there are only a few entries in the maker notes which are large enough to require offsets, so this doesn't affect much useful information. ExifTool attempts to make sense of this fiasco by making an assumption about where the information should be stored to deduce the correct offsets.

REFERENCES

Image::MakerNotes::Pentax
<http://johnst.org/sw/exiftags/> (Asahi models)
<http://kobe1995.jp/~kaz/astro/istD.html>
<http://www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/>
(...plus lots of testing with my Optio WP!)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Wayne Smith, John Francis and Douglas O'Brien for help figuring out some Pentax tags, and to Denis Bourez, Kazumichi Kawabata, David Buret and Barney Garrett for adding to the LensType list.

AUTHOR
Copyright 2003-2006, Phil Harvey (phil at owl.phy.queensu.ca)

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO
"Pentax Tags" in Image::ExifTool::TagNames, Image::ExifTool(3pm), Image::Info(3pm)