If you're using an un-chipped lens, there won't be any metadata.
I'm curious what circumstances that would apply to?
Here is a D300 picture taken just now WITHOUT ANY LENS AT ALL (empty open lens mount).
The Exif is in the file (as output by Photoshop), and it looks pretty normal, except it reports the selected No CPU lens menu. That menu would be an old 55mm f/3.5 lens converted to AI, however, there was no lens currently on the camera.
The Exif below is reported by ExifTool.
Windows Explorer Properties also reports some of it too (its normal action, but no lens info).
---- ExifTool ----
ExifTool Version Number : 10.27
---- File ----
File Name : DSF_7184.jpg
Directory : .
File Size : 28 kB
File Modification Date/Time : 2016:09:29 12:50:49-05:00
File Access Date/Time : 2016:09:29 12:50:49-05:00
File Creation Date/Time : 2016:09:29 12:50:43-05:00
File Permissions : rw-rw-rw-
File Type : JPEG
File Type Extension : jpg
MIME Type : image/jpeg
Exif Byte Order : Little-endian (Intel, II)
Current IPTC Digest : 03095bb19bd7f94ee77e44b1b2c50914
Image Width : 400
Image Height : 266
Encoding Process : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample : 8
Color Components : 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling : YCbCr4:2:0 (2 2)
---- EXIF ----
Make : NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model Name : NIKON D300
Orientation : Horizontal (normal)
X Resolution : 300
Y Resolution : 300
Resolution Unit : inches
Software : Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
Modify Date : 2016:09:29 12:50:43
Artist : WAYNE FULTON
Copyright : 2015
Exposure Time : 1/2500
F Number : 3.5
Exposure Program : Aperture-priority AE
ISO : 200
Exif Version : 0221
Date/Time Original : 2016:09:29 12:45:53
Create Date : 2016:09:29 12:45:53
Shutter Speed Value : 1/2500
Aperture Value : 3.5
Exposure Compensation : 0
Max Aperture Value : 1.0
Metering Mode : Multi-segment
Light Source : Flash
Flash : No Flash
Focal Length : 55.0 mm
User Comment : C2012 WAYNE FULTON 1-972-517-9558
Sub Sec Time : 83
Sub Sec Time Original : 83
Sub Sec Time Digitized : 83
Color Space : sRGB
Exif Image Width : 400
Exif Image Height : 266
Sensing Method : One-chip color area
File Source : Digital Camera
Scene Type : Directly photographed
CFA Pattern : [Red,Green][Green,Blue]
Custom Rendered : Normal
Exposure Mode : Auto
White Balance : Manual
Digital Zoom Ratio : 1
Focal Length In 35mm Format : 82 mm
Scene Capture Type : Standard
Gain Control : None
Contrast : Normal
Saturation : Normal
Sharpness : Normal
Subject Distance Range : Unknown
Serial Number : 3018352
Lens Info : 0mm f/0
Lens Model : 0.0 mm f/0.0
Compression : JPEG (old-style)
X Resolution : 72
Y Resolution : 72
Resolution Unit : inches
Thumbnail Offset : 1058
Thumbnail Length : 4408
---- IPTC ----
Coded Character Set : UTF8
Application Record Version : 0
By-line : WAYNE FULTON
Date Created : 2016:09:29
Time Created : 12:45:53+00:00
Copyright Notice : 2015
---- Photoshop ----
IPTC Digest : 03095bb19bd7f94ee77e44b1b2c50914
X Resolution : 300
Displayed Units X : inches
Y Resolution : 300
Displayed Units Y : inches
Print Style : Centered
Print Position : 0 0
Print Scale : 1
Global Angle : 30
Global Altitude : 30
URL List :
Slices Group Name : DSF_7184
Num Slices : 1
Pixel Aspect Ratio : 1
Photoshop Thumbnail : (Binary data 4408 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Has Real Merged Data : Yes
Writer Name : Adobe Photoshop
Reader Name : Adobe Photoshop CS6
Photoshop Quality : 6
Photoshop Format : Standard
Progressive Scans : 3 Scans
---- XMP ----
XMP Toolkit : Adobe XMP Core 5.3-c011 66.145661, 2012/02/06-14:56:27
Format : image/jpeg
Creator Tool : Ver.1.10
Modify Date : 2016:09:29 12:50:43-05:00
Create Date : 2016:09:29 12:45:53
Rating : 0
Metadata Date : 2016:09:29 12:50:43-05:00
Serial Number : 3018352
Lens Info : 0mm f/0
Lens : 0.0 mm f/0.0
Image Number : 37310
Date Created : 2016:09:29 12:45:53.083
Color Mode : RGB
ICC Profile Name : sRGB IEC61966-2.1
Document ID : xmp.did:6527f444-b320-c84a-b572-ceb79191ed60
Original Document ID : 4332E8C5A85EDF104CA4643698700C0A
Instance ID : xmp.iid:CEEE733E6D86E611B9AB9052B3B95BB9
Raw File Name : DSF_7184.NEF
Version : 9.1.1
Process Version : 6.7
White Balance : As Shot
Auto White Version : 134348800
Color Temperature : 5900
Tint : -3
Saturation : +5
Sharpness : 35
Luminance Smoothing : 0
Color Noise Reduction : 25
Vignette Amount : 0
Shadow Tint : 0
Red Hue : 0
Red Saturation : 0
Green Hue : 0
Green Saturation : 0
Blue Hue : 0
Blue Saturation : 0
Vibrance : +5
Hue Adjustment Red : 0
Hue Adjustment Orange : 0
Hue Adjustment Yellow : 0
Hue Adjustment Green : 0
Hue Adjustment Aqua : 0
Hue Adjustment Blue : 0
Hue Adjustment Purple : 0
Hue Adjustment Magenta : 0
Saturation Adjustment Red : 0
Saturation Adjustment Orange : 0
Saturation Adjustment Yellow : 0
Saturation Adjustment Green : 0
Saturation Adjustment Aqua : 0
Saturation Adjustment Blue : 0
Saturation Adjustment Purple : 0
Saturation Adjustment Magenta : 0
Luminance Adjustment Red : 0
Luminance Adjustment Orange : 0
Luminance Adjustment Yellow : 0
Luminance Adjustment Green : 0
Luminance Adjustment Aqua : 0
Luminance Adjustment Blue : 0
Luminance Adjustment Purple : 0
Luminance Adjustment Magenta : 0
Split Toning Shadow Hue : 0
Split Toning Shadow Saturation : 0
Split Toning Highlight Hue : 0
Split Toning Highlight Saturation: 0
Split Toning Balance : 0
Parametric Shadows : 0
Parametric Darks : 0
Parametric Lights : 0
Parametric Highlights : 0
Parametric Shadow Split : 25
Parametric Midtone Split : 50
Parametric Highlight Split : 75
Sharpen Radius : +1.0
Sharpen Detail : 25
Sharpen Edge Masking : 0
Post Crop Vignette Amount : 0
Grain Amount : 0
Color Noise Reduction Detail : 50
Color Noise Reduction Smoothness: 50
Lens Profile Enable : 0
Lens Manual Distortion Amount : 0
Perspective Vertical : 0
Perspective Horizontal : 0
Perspective Rotate : 0.0
Perspective Scale : 100
Perspective Aspect : 0
Perspective Upright : 0
Auto Lateral CA : 0
Exposure 2012 : 0.00
Contrast 2012 : 0
Highlights 2012 : 0
Shadows 2012 : 0
Whites 2012 : 0
Blacks 2012 : 0
Clarity 2012 : +5
Defringe Purple Amount : 0
Defringe Purple Hue Lo : 30
Defringe Purple Hue Hi : 70
Defringe Green Amount : 0
Defringe Green Hue Lo : 40
Defringe Green Hue Hi : 60
Dehaze : 0
Tone Map Strength : 0
Convert To Grayscale : False
Tone Curve Name : Medium Contrast
Tone Curve Name 2012 : Medium Contrast
Camera Profile : Camera Standard
Camera Profile Digest : DAD9BD1955326A1E2A00A7F4E194F089
Lens Profile Setup : LensDefaults
Has Settings : True
Has Crop : False
Already Applied : True
Creator : WAYNE FULTON
Rights : 2015
History Action : saved*derived*saved*saved*converted*derived*saved
History Instance ID : xmp.iid:e65621ec-6cc2-cd41-bcf7-27c2d0b30b74*xmp.iid:6527f444-b320-c84a-b572-ceb79191ed60*xmp.iid:CDEE733E6D86E611B9AB9052B3B95BB9*xmp.iid:CEEE733E6D86E611B9AB9052B3B95BB9
History When : 2016:09:29 12:50:12-05:00*2016:09:29 12:50:17-05:00*2016:09:29 12:50:43-05:00*2016:09:29 12:50:43-05:00
History Software Agent : Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 9.1.1 (Windows)*Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 9.1.1 (Windows)*Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)*Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
History Changed : /metadata*/*/*/
History Parameters : converted from image/x-nikon-nef to image/tiff*from image/tiff to image/jpeg*converted from image/tiff to image/jpeg
Derived From Instance ID : xmp.iid:CDEE733E6D86E611B9AB9052B3B95BB9
Derived From Document ID : xmp.did:6527f444-b320-c84a-b572-ceb79191ed60
Derived From Original Document ID: 4332E8C5A85EDF104CA4643698700C0A
Tone Curve : 0, 0*32, 22*64, 56*128, 128*192, 196*255, 255
Tone Curve Red : 0, 0*255, 255
Tone Curve Green : 0, 0*255, 255
Tone Curve Blue : 0, 0*255, 255
Tone Curve PV2012 : 0, 0*32, 22*64, 56*128, 128*192, 196*255, 255
Tone Curve PV2012 Red : 0, 0*255, 255
Tone Curve PV2012 Green : 0, 0*255, 255
Tone Curve PV2012 Blue : 0, 0*255, 255
---- ICC_Profile ----
Profile CMM Type : Lino
Profile Version : 2.1.0
Profile Class : Display Device Profile
Color Space Data : RGB
Profile Connection Space : XYZ
Profile Date Time : 1998:02:09 06:49:00
Profile File Signature : acsp
Primary Platform : Microsoft Corporation
CMM Flags : Not Embedded, Independent
Device Manufacturer : IEC
Device Model : sRGB
Device Attributes : Reflective, Glossy, Positive, Color
Rendering Intent : Perceptual
Connection Space Illuminant : 0.9642 1 0.82491
Profile Creator : HP
Profile ID : 0
Profile Copyright : Copyright (c) 1998 Hewlett-Packard Company
Profile Description : sRGB IEC61966-2.1
Media White Point : 0.95045 1 1.08905
Media Black Point : 0 0 0
Red Matrix Column : 0.43607 0.22249 0.01392
Green Matrix Column : 0.38515 0.71687 0.09708
Blue Matrix Column : 0.14307 0.06061 0.7141
Device Mfg Desc : IEC
Welcome to the IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission
Device Model Desc : IEC 61966-2.1 Default RGB colour space - sRGB
Viewing Cond Desc : Reference Viewing Condition in IEC61966-2.1
Viewing Cond Illuminant : 19.6445 20.3718 16.8089
Viewing Cond Surround : 3.92889 4.07439 3.36179
Viewing Cond Illuminant Type : D50
Luminance : 76.03647 80 87.12462
Measurement Observer : CIE 1931
Measurement Backing : 0 0 0
Measurement Geometry : Unknown
Measurement Flare : 0.999%
Measurement Illuminant : D65
Technology : Cathode Ray Tube Display
Red Tone Reproduction Curve : (Binary data 2060 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Green Tone Reproduction Curve : (Binary data 2060 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Blue Tone Reproduction Curve : (Binary data 2060 bytes, use -b option to extract)
---- APP14 ----
DCT Encode Version : 100
APP14 Flags 0 : Encoded with Blend=1 downsampling
APP14 Flags 1 : (none)
Color Transform : YCbCr
---- Composite ----
Aperture : 3.5
Date/Time Created : 2016:09:29 12:45:53+00:00
Image Size : 400x266
Megapixels : 0.106
Scale Factor To 35 mm Equivalent: 1.5
Shutter Speed : 1/2500
Create Date : 2016:09:29 12:45:53.83
Date/Time Original : 2016:09:29 12:45:53.83
Modify Date : 2016:09:29 12:50:43.83
Thumbnail Image : (Binary data 4408 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Circle Of Confusion : 0.020 mm
Field Of View : 24.8 deg
Focal Length : 55.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 82.0 mm)
Hyperfocal Distance : 42.89 m
Light Value : 13.9