exifread.process_file() throws "KeyError: 'hdlr'" and "NoParser: hdlr Output is truncated." for a HEIC image even though exifread can deal with HEIC

Question

Taking the guide from ExifRead 3.0.0 which says that it can deal with HEIC images, and with the examples of How to work with HEIC image file types in Python, I tried to read metadata of a HEIC file:

p = Path(r'C:\Users\Admin\Pictures\Apple media files\gallery\202204')

l=list(p.glob('**/*.HEIC'))
print(l[0])
# Open image file for reading (must be in binary mode)
f = open(l[0], 'rb')
# Return Exif tags
# tags = exifread.process_file(f)
# tags

exifread.process_file(f)

C:\Users\Admin\Pictures\Apple media files\gallery\202204\IMG_1234.HEIC
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KeyError                                  Traceback (most recent call last)
c:\Users\Admin\anaconda3\envs\scrape\lib\site-packages\exifread\heic.py in get_parser(self, box)
    170         try:
--> 171             return defs[box.name]
    172         except (IndexError, KeyError) as err:

KeyError: 'hdlr'

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

NoParser                                  Traceback (most recent call last)
 in
      9 # tags
     10
---> 11 exifread.process_file(f)

c:\Users\Admin\anaconda3\envs\scrape\lib\site-packages\exifread\__init__.py in process_file(fh, stop_tag, details, strict, debug, truncate_tags, auto_seek)
    135
    136     try:
--> 137         offset, endian, fake_exif = _determine_type(fh)
    138     except ExifNotFound as err:
    139         logger.warning(err)

c:\Users\Admin\anaconda3\envs\scrape\lib\site-packages\exifread\__init__.py in _determine_type(fh)
...
--> 173             raise NoParser(box.name) from err
    174
    175     def parse_box(self, box: Box) -> Box:

NoParser: hdlr
Output is truncated. View as a scrollable element or open in a text editor. Adjust cell output settings...

How can I reach the metadata of HEIC files with the "exifread" Python module?

Answer 1

This is just to share what I found on the net to fix this. Check HEIC processing error: hdlr on Apple Silicon #4.

Thus, you should downgrade to a version below 3.0.0:

(scrape) C:\Users\Admin>conda install -c conda-forge "exifread<3"
Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json): done
Solving environment: failed with initial frozen solve. Retrying with flexible solve.
Solving environment: failed with repodata from current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source.
Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): done
Solving environment: done

## Package Plan ##

  environment location: C:\Users\Admin\anaconda3\envs\scrape

  added / updated specs:
    - exifread[version='<3']


The following packages will be downloaded:

    package                    |            build
    ---------------------------|-----------------
    exifread-2.3.2             |     pyhd8ed1ab_0          35 KB  conda-forge
    ------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Total:          35 KB

The following packages will be DOWNGRADED:

  exifread                               3.0.0-pyhd8ed1ab_0 --> 2.3.2-pyhd8ed1ab_0


Proceed ([y]/n)? y


Downloading and Extracting Packages
exifread-2.3.2       | 35 KB     | ################################################################################################################# | 100%
Preparing transaction: done
Verifying transaction: done
Executing transaction: done

Restart the Kernel/file/VSCode to reload exifread in version 2.3.2, and it works:

C:\Users\Admin\Pictures\Apple media files\gallery\202204\IMG_1234.HEIC
{'Image Make': (0x010F) ASCII=Apple @ 146,  
...,  
...}