Capture time in PM is correct, but wrong in .xmp file

[rcohn]

Hello,

There is something I'm not understanding and hope you can help me fix this. I noticed today that when I sort by date Photo Mechanic shows as expected but Capture One is different. I opened the .xmp file and see a "photoshop" and an "xmp:CreateDate" and "exif:DateTime" that are wrong and matches what Capture One shows. The Finder also shows the correct date. The image was shot on 1/23/26 at 8:04 am (which matches the camera time which was correct). The .xmp file shows 12/7/25 4:09 pm.

Where is this incorrect date coming from, and where is PM's correct date and time stored? Is Capture One looking at the wrong metadata or is Photo Mechanic placing the wrong metadata in these fields?

I have included screenshots from PM, Capture One, and Finder, and the .xmp file.

PM Version 6.0, build 7285 (fb3e520)
MacOS Tahoe 26.2

Thank you.
Ric

[ahoward]

The XMP file shows the right time but the wrong date

   photoshop:DateCreated="2025-12-07T08:04:09-06:00"
   xmpRights:Marked="True"
   xmpRights:WebStatement="www.riccohn.com"
   xmp:CreateDate="2025-12-07T08:04:09-06:00"

That would be 08:04:09 at a GMT offset of -6

Did you apply a Metadata Template that has the "Date" box checked and the dropdown set to "Date" with the date field set to December 7, 2025? Because that would update those fields in XMP without modifying the actual capture date of the image.

[rcohn]

Hello Howard,

I always set my metadata template to "Capture Time". I just looked at Date and it is the 12/7/25. I've never understood where the Date comes from. I've noticed it is never correct but not why it exists unless it is to manually set the date. Why would the .xmp file that Photo Mechanic writes use this hidden date and not the Capture Time? And I still don't understand where Photo Mechanic sets the correct time that is in the camera metadata that it and the Finder reads. Is there a way for me to change this so the .xmp file also shows the correct date?

When you say "date box checked" what happens if it is not checked? I always assumed checking the Date box and setting it to Capture Time is the correct workflow.

Thanks for your help.
Ric

[ahoward]

I just looked at Date and it is the 12/7/25. I've never understood where the Date comes from.

In the Metadata Template, the date defaults to whatever the date is when Photo Mechanic's Preferences were created. If the date is different than that, it is due to some action by the user. This could either be changing it by hand, or if you have the dropdown set to 'Date' on the Metadata Info window and hold the option/alt key to and use the "Copy to Template" button in the Info window by holding the option/alt key with the window open. The metadata Template will switch to the "Date" option and enable it if you load an XMP file that has an  "xmp:CreateDate". So perhaps you did this at some point.

Why would the .xmp file that Photo Mechanic writes use this hidden date and not the Capture Time?

I can't reproduce any situation where it write the date when it's "hidden". When my Metadata Template is set to Capture Time and the Apply box is checked, "photoshop:DateCreated" and "xmp:CreateDate" get set to my images' capture time, which is sourced from the Exif data written by the camera.

When you say "date box checked" what happens if it is not checked? I always assumed checking the Date box and setting it to Capture Time is the correct workflow.

If an XMP file doesn't yet exist, or it exists and "photoshop:DateCreated" and "xmp:CreateDate" don't exist in the the XMP, then it it updates them with the capture time. If they do exist, then it simply won't update them.

The best practice is to leave the checkbox for the date line unchecked in the Metadata Template unless you have a specific reason for the IPTC date to be different than the capture time.

Photo Mechanic sets the correct time that is in the camera metadata that it and the Finder reads.

Finder is showing the File System's creation date value, not the Capture Time. Typically these will be the same (especially when a digital camera created the file), but its possible for them to differ (an image may have been capture 50 years ago but the file may have been created today) . Via the "Adjust Capture Dates and Times" option in the Tools menu, you can update the Capture Time independently of the file system's creation date by unchecking "Also update file creation date/time".