Things I have Learned

Sony a9 EXIF Camera Serial Numbers

A Sony Serial Number workaround for Photographers Credit using Photo Mechanic’s Code Replacement.

A camera’s serial number as recorded in a pictures EXIF data is used by many photographers to auto populate the IPTC fields like “Photographers Credit” and other areas. In some cameras, the serial number data is not placed in the “standard area” so that it can be seen and read by popular applications like Photoshop and Photo Mechanic. The Sony a9 is one of those cameras this occurs in and here is a solution for this.

This fix requires you have PhotoMechanic software and that you have a good working knowledge of the applications IPTC Template, the Ingest Dialog and ability to work with Code Replacements.

Step 1
Set your cameras File name to be three unique characters i.e.: ND1 which is my initials and camera #1.
Remember a fourth character is usually a leading underscore for Adobe RGB or a trailing underscore for sRGB.
But the Sony a9 has a partially different method than the standard using a “0” instead of a “_” so this is what code replacement results in:

_ND1 “Nick Didlick” –  (Nick Didlick Camera 1 Adobe RGB)
ND10 “Nick Didlick” –  (Nick Didlick Camera 1 sRGB)
_ND2 “Nick Didlick” –  (Nick Didlick Camera 2 Adobe RGB)
ND20 “Nick Didlick” –  (Nick Didlick Camera 1 sRGB)

This way I am covered for either camera and either color profile set in a Sony a9 camera.

Step 2
Next, Create a Code Replacement file (Standard in Photo Mechanic if you have never used this feature look at the CameraBits Wiki here: (http://wiki.camerabits.com/en/index.php/Speeding_Up_Captioning#Code_Replacement)

In your plain text editor create a code replacement file like the example below.

_ND1 Nick Didlick
ND10 Nick Didlick
_ND2 Nick Didlick
ND20 Nick Didlick

The translation for this code is “use the Filename’s first four characters” and replace them with Nick Didlick in the IPTC template.

Step 3
In your ingest window for you IPTC Template place ={fbas:0,4}= where you want the Photographers credit to be written. This code assumes you changed the default call to code replacement “\”  to “=“ in the Code Replacement dialog box.

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