Exiftool now decodes pitch angle and roll angle for some CR3 files

[johnrmoyer]

The latest version ( 12.87 ) of Exiftool can now decode the pitch angle and roll angle for some CR3 files. I works on my EOS R5 starting with firmware version 1.5 but does not work with firmware version 1.4 and earlier.

In this example, I was not holding the camera level:

[MakerNotes:Camera] RollAngle                   : 1
[MakerNotes:Camera] PitchAngle                  : -3.5

Exiftool is free software. I use it on macOS and Debian Linux, but many years ago I used it on Windows.

https://exiftool.org/

[p4pictures]

Interesting info, thank you. In my brain the next logical step is that a future capability of DPP (and maybe other software too) will use this and give the crop tool the option to auto correct the horizon and / or perspective for those cameras that have IBIS. 

[johnrmoyer]

---

@p4pictures wrote:

Interesting info, thank you. In my brain the next logical step is that a future capability of DPP (and maybe other software too) will use this and give the crop tool the option to auto correct the horizon and / or perspective for those cameras that have IBIS. 

---

Some Canon cameras have an auto level feature, but mine does not.

[johnrmoyer]

The pitch angle and roll angle are also in out of camera JPG files for my camera. In case the raw development software that one uses does not copy those values from CR3 file to exported JPG file, one may use exiftool to copy them.

For example the following command would copy the makernotes tags from the CR3 file to the JPG, HIF, and TIF files on a macOS command line:

exiftool -tagsfromfile /Volumes/EOS_DIGITAL/DCIM/100CANON/IMG_0405.CR3 -makernotes IMG_0405c*.[JTH]??

[johnrmoyer]

Some Canon cameras have an auto leveling feature and I speculate that the pitchangle and rollangle metadata could be used by software to level a horizon.

https://www.canon-europe.com/get-inspired/tips-and-techniques/better-composition/ 

Gridlines are also a useful way to check that the horizon is level. Many cameras can display an Electronic Level on the screen, which changes from red to green when the camera is straight. Some Canon cameras with In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), such as the EOS R7, also have an auto levelling feature. When enabled, this adjusts the position of the sensor automatically to account for any slight tilt, giving you level photographs.

[p4pictures]

Always a pleasure when you look at some text, and remember writing it for a client project 😎

[johnrmoyer]

Holding the camera in portrait mode, the roll and pitch are swapped. In portrait mode for a level camera roll angle will either be -90.o or +90.0 and pitch angle will be 0.0.

Holding the camera upside down in landscape mode, rollangle will be -180.0