Tutorial:
How to rotate raw-files with Exiftool

Content:

1. Introduction
2. Read all metadata
3. Read orientation metadata batch file
4. Change orientation metadata batch file

4, Change orientation metadata batch file:

To change the orientation metadata you use the other batch file, rotate-cr2-landscape.bat.

When double click on this file it will change all the .cr2 files in the directory to landscape orientation.

The parameters for the Orientation flag is:

• 1 = Horizontal
• 2 = Mirror Horizontal
• 3 = Rotate 180
• 4 = Mirror vertical
• 5 = Mirror horizontal and rotate 270 CW
• 6 = Rotate 90 CW
• 7 = Mirror horizontal and rotate 90 CW
• 8 = Rotate 270 CW

For the Camera Orientation flag I couldn't find any information, I had to try different parameters, I got this:

• 0 = Horizontal
• 1 = Rotate 90 CW

It didn't accept parameter 3. Maybe there are others but no use for us here.

The second row in the batch file display the data after the change of the orientation flags. Now both the Orientation and Camera Orientation is in "Horizontal" orientation.

Now with this new tool I can recover a lot of old photos I have on the disk with wrong orientation, they are as old as from seven years back in time.

Note:
I cannot guarantee that it work at your raw files, but it look promising that it's just a small change of the parameters in the batch files that could make it works for other cameras. Once again, don't forget to backup your original files before doing any test !

I have uploaded the two batch files here if you want to try them, you do it on your own risk !

• Download zip/read-rotate-orientation-cr2.zip file:

I hope it work as well for you as it did for me. I have tested the batch file on Canon 5D (Mk I) and Canon 6D files, both .cr2 raw files.