Customizable encoding of Exif-String-Metadata-fields (e.g image description: "ISO 8859-1" / "UTF-8")

[tobblx]

The Encoding of the Exif-Image-Description-Field ist always interpreted aus "UTF-8" in XnView MP
Using the old XNView 1.9.6, "ISO 8859-1" (or some similar Coding) was used to read the Exif Description field.
Unfortunately I have lots of images having Exif-Decriptions including german umlauts, which now cannot be displayed correctly.
e.g.: "Test with german Umlauts ä,ö, ü, Ä, Ö. Ü and ß"
I could not find any clear specification of the encoding which has to be used in Exif-Image-Descriptions or other Exif-Fields.
So it would be great to have an additional configuration-combobox, where you can define the encoding of the Exif-Field-String-Values.
Then I could view my old images including the image description without converting all exif data somehow to UTF-8.

As deluxe-solution, the exif image description could by tried do decode as "UTF-8". If there are byte-sequences, which cannot be correctly decoded as "UTF-8" and are then displayed as <?>, "ISO 8859-1" should be used to decode the field. So it would be more independent and robust when interpreting the image-description.

[xnview]

See issue for current status and some details.

[xnview]

This problem is supposed to be fixed in XnView MP 1.9.9. Please check and confirm the bug fix here.

[tobblx]

Hello Pierre,

thank you very much for handling this bug.
Unfortunately it seems, this ist not solved yet.
I tried it using the new Version 1.9.9

XnviewMP-Version.jpg (5.37 KiB) Viewed 40 times

The Coding setings were changed from "UTF-8" to "ISO 8859-1"

Encoding_Choosen.jpg (13.33 KiB) Viewed 40 times

It can be reproduced using the "Test-Image.jpg" from the attachment at the beginnig of this issue.
Right click the image and save the image locally.
In the Setting, use this for QuickInfo / Tooltip
<b>{Filename With Ext}</b>
{Width}x{Height}
{EXIF:Image Description} - {EXIF:Date Taken [d. B Y H:M]}
{Size}

Tooltip-Value.jpg (29.67 KiB) Viewed 40 times

The result still shows the wrong decoded Exif description in the tooltip.

Decode_Descriptiopn_1.9.9.jpg (8.11 KiB) Viewed 40 times

[xnview]

reopened