A7InfoLR – Beta 0.1.1
Lightroom Classic Plugin for Sony Alpha Cameras
© 2026 Wolfram Soens
=====================================================


WHAT DOES THIS PLUGIN DO?
--------------------------
A7InfoLR displays detailed shooting information from Sony ARW and
JPEG files directly inside Lightroom Classic:

  • AF focus point (crosshair) overlaid on the preview image
  • Tracking-AF and Eye-AF rectangles (blue / magenta)
  • Phase-AF points
  • Sony shooting data and MakerNotes in 7 categories
    (Camera, File, Picture, Exposure, Lens, AF, Misc + GPS)

The plugin reads Sony's proprietary MakerNotes directly from the
image files – no ExifTool or other external tools required.
Qt 6 is bundled inside the plugin package; no Qt installation is
needed on the target machine.

Based on the desktop application A7Info.


REQUIREMENTS
------------
  macOS:
  • macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
  • Lightroom Classic 12 or later

  Windows:
  • Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
  • Lightroom Classic 12 or later
  • Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2022 (x64) – already present
    on most Windows 10/11 systems; if not:
    https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe

No Qt, no ExifTool, no additional installations required.


SUPPORTED CAMERA MODELS
------------------------
  Alpha 1:    A1, A1 II
  Alpha 7:    A7 II, A7 III, A7 IV, A7 V
  Alpha 7R:   A7R II, A7R III/IIIA, A7R IV/IVA, A7R V, A7R VI
  Alpha 7S:   A7S II, A7S III
  Alpha 7C:   A7C, A7C II, A7CR
  Alpha 9:    A9, A9 II, A9 III
  APS-C:      A6100, A6300, A6400, A6500, A6600, A6700


INSTALLATION
------------
1. Unzip the archive – the folder "a7infolr.lrplugin" will appear.

2. IMPORTANT – macOS only – remove Gatekeeper block:
   Because the plugin is not notarized by Apple, macOS will block
   the bundled helper tool on first use.

   Option A (no Terminal):
     Add the plugin in LR (step 3), then run it once – macOS shows
     a warning. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security →
     click "Open Anyway" and confirm with your admin password.
     Run the plugin again to complete.

   Option B (Terminal, clears everything at once):
     xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/a7infolr.lrplugin

   Windows users: skip this step.

3. Launch Lightroom Classic.

4. Menu: File → Plug-in Manager → Add
   Select the folder "a7infolr.lrplugin".
   The plugin will appear in the list and be activated.


USAGE
-----
1. Select one or more photos in the Library module.
2. Menu: File → Plug-in Extras → A7InfoLR – Show Capture Info…
   (alternatively: Library → Plug-in Extras when in the Library module)
3. A dialog opens showing:
   - Preview image with AF overlays (left)
   - Key data: camera, exposure, AF mode (upper right)
   - Full MakerNotes in tabbed categories (lower right)
4. Use "Previous image" / "Next image" to navigate through multiple
   selected photos.
5. Checkboxes below the image toggle focus point, Phase-AF and
   Tracking-AF overlays individually.


KNOWN LIMITATIONS (BETA)
-------------------------
  • JPEG: AF overlay data is less frequently embedded than in ARW
  • Manual Develop rotation (beyond EXIF orientation) is not
    taken into account
  • No automatic updates


FEEDBACK
--------
Feedback is very welcome – especially regarding:
  • Camera models that are not recognized
  • Incorrectly placed AF markers
  • Crashes or error messages (screenshots appreciated)
  • Photos where MakerNotes fields appear empty or incorrect

Contact: wolfram@soens.de


THANK YOU
---------
Thank you for testing! This plugin is a hobby project –
your feedback helps make it better.


LICENSE NOTICE
--------------
This plugin uses Qt 6 (Core library, LGPL v3).
The Qt library is bundled in the package:
  macOS:   bin/QtCore.framework
  Windows: bin/Qt6Core.dll
Qt source code available on request: wolfram@soens.de
