Thoughts on Content Transfer Professional

[p4pictures]

I've recently been experimenting with Canon's content transfer professional app. 

https://app.ssw.imaging-saas.canon/app/en/ctp.html 

The app runs on your mobile device and can be used to add metadata / captions to images and video. It works with many of the advanced R-series and pro DSLRs and video cameras. I have used it to transfer images to an FTP server on my website with a lot of success. One of the other things the app can do is setup the metadata in your camera so your images and video will have your contact info, usage rights, captions etc added as you take the photos. In the past I was only able to do that with EOS Utility, but content transfer professional lets me do it from my mobile so I found I used it more. The app has a monthly subscription cost, but it's not expensive. 

[easd]

Tried downloading this as a way to transfer videos from my R5C to my iPhone. Found out it is subscription based.

Feels like a shameless money grab. Could they not offer it as free app or one time purchase? After you've spent thousands on the camera?

[johnrmoyer]

For those who process images on a computer anyway, exiftool is free software and adheres to metadata standards. But this would not help if one needs immediate transfer from camera to server while making photos that will not be edited later.
https://exiftool.org/  

Libexiv2 is built into many free software programs, including rawtherapee and gimp, and also has a command line program. https://exiv2.org/ 

Some metadata may be viewed using a web browser extension (I have tried it with Firefox and Chrome) . The Chrome version is no cost at the chrome web store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/iptc-photo-metadata-inspe/ejadeefikdifbfnhokdodfphhkimbelb 

An example of the output when one visits this photo on my web site and right clicks to view metadata: https://getpmd.iptc.org/getpmd/?imgurl=https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2025Jul30_birds_and_cats/2025jul16_... 

Since the IPTC is responsible for a standard, their browser extension does not try to show all metadata, but only the standard tags that are used to identify press photos. https://iptc.org/standards/photo-metadata/browser-extensions/ 

"The Metadata Working Group (MWG) recommends techniques to allow certain overlapping EXIF, IPTC and XMP tags to be reconciled when reading, and synchronized when writing. The MWG Composite tags below are designed to aid in the implementation of these recommendations. As well, the MWG defines new XMP tags" https://exiftool.org/TagNames/MWG.html 

https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2025Jul30_birds_and_cats/2025jul16_deer_IMG_4185c.html 

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) drinking from birdbath in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on July 16, 2025 ; Canon EOS R5

Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R5
Lens Model	EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
Focal Length	560.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/320
ISO	400
F Number	8.0
Camera Temperature	29 C
Measured EV	12.38
Measured EV 2	22.5
Focus Distance Upper	12.49 m
Focus Distance Lower	10.53 m