Feature Request R5, R3, R1, R7 Distance to the subject.

[Photoapeal]

I would like a feature that would measure the distance to my subject. When someone asks me how far away was I from the subject? I should be able to find it in the metadata along with the other data that's already there. Technology exists in golf that shows the distance to a tee, why not the distance to wildlife, portrait or object. I think this would be useful to a lot of photographers. I'm constantly being asked how far away was that duck or bird? I have to just kind of guess and I'm sure I'm probably way off. 

[p4pictures]

I'd have thought this might be possible, as the camera does actually add some metadata with the subject distance since that is used by the DPP lens corrections as a lens may require different corrections at different distances. 

[Waddizzle]

Welcome to the Forums.

There is a process for submitting a formal feature request.  But I do not see how this feature could be implemented within the limitations of current technology.

While distance data can be included within the current EXIFformat, thie data is only a calculated estimate of the DOF when the shutter was fired.  This is what was available with DSLR cameras.  The rise of MILC bodies could change this limitation.  

But, I do not foresee changes to the EXIF metadata happening anytime soon in the foreseeable future.  I think that it would require an entirely new generation of lens designs to provide an exact distance to the subject.

[Photoapeal]

What's the formal request process? is there a link I can go to? Thanks in advance. 

[kvbarkley]

Go to the Canon USA home page and at the bottom in little teeny type, there is a feedback button:

[johnrmoyer]

The focus distance is in the meta data of the CR3 file. One may view it using exiftool. It is also sometimes in the JPEG file depending upon how the JPEG file was created. Exiftool is available from https://exiftool.org/  .

exiftool -G0:2 -s -"focusdistance*" ../2023Nov03/2023nov02_crane_IMG_7681c.jpg
[MakerNotes:Image] FocusDistanceUpper           : 261.72 m
[MakerNotes:Image] FocusDistanceLower           : 81.91 m

[Waddizzle]

Is it available with any body and any lens?

[Peter]

Infinity only for some older lenses. Something with non-USM.

I remember I used every reported focus distance when I created a lens profile for my EF800. I think it is focus distance lower that is used in this profile.

 I counted to 25 including infinity. It took a while to take a picture at every aperture 25 times, but I am running lua script in my camera making things a little bit easier.

[johnrmoyer]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

Is it available with any body and any lens?

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Exiftool works with a large number of cameras. For a new camera that is not similar to an old camera, it might take a while for people to decode the meta data. If the lens has no electronics, then the camera will not record focus distance in the image meta data. But, the camera will record the focus distance if the lens reports settings to the camera.

More information is at https://exiftool.org/