Change date/time

[mklein]

Hi Kirk,

Yesterday I had to adjust the EXIF date/time as I forgot to modify the camera clock before shooting. I opened the dialog box in PM, set the new time and saved the changes. Then I opened the RAW (ORF) file in Notepad++ and checked the changes. The date/time exists three times in this file, but PM only altered two entries. I checked the dates with GeoSetter (which uses ExifTool in order to maintain EXIF/IPTC/XMP data) and relised that the digitized date was not adjusted.

After that I used BreezeBrowserPro to do the same date/time modification. BB changed all three date/time entries.

So I ask myself why PM does not change the digitized date.
Can you confirm this behaviour?

Regards,
Michael

[Kirk Baker]

Michael,

Yesterday I had to adjust the EXIF date/time as I forgot to modify the camera clock before shooting. I opened the dialog box in PM, set the new time and saved the changes. Then I opened the RAW (ORF) file in Notepad++ and checked the changes. The date/time exists three times in this file, but PM only altered two entries. I checked the dates with GeoSetter (which uses ExifTool in order to maintain EXIF/IPTC/XMP data) and relised that the digitized date was not adjusted.

After that I used BreezeBrowserPro to do the same date/time modification. BB changed all three date/time entries.

So I ask myself why PM does not change the digitized date.
Can you confirm this behaviour?

Possibly if I had a sample file that illustrates the problem.  Please click on my name to the left of this message, then click on the 'personal message' link.  I will respond with upload instructions.

-Kirk

[mklein]

I will upload a sample file later this evening.

Thanks in advance!

[mklein]

Hi Kirk,

Before I upload the sample file I'll post some screenshots which will clarify the problem:

The first shot (01_before_adjustments.jpg) shows the date/time settings from the original file before any adjustments. The second shot (02_adjustment_with_breezebrowser.jpg) shows the result after adjusting the time using BreezeBrowser. As you can see all fields have been altered. The 3rd shot (03_adjustment_with_photomechanic.jpg) shows the same adjustment using Photo Mechanic. As you can see only 2 of 3 fields have been adjusted.

The adjustment was: -6 hours

Settings in PM:
Update file creation date/time: was ticked
Update file modification date/time: was ticked

Regards
Michael


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[dennis]

So I ask myself why PM does not change the digitized date.

Michael,

This was a simple oversight.  I am quite aware of the various Exif date/time entries but most people don't care about when the file was "digitized" per se.  If it was a photo from a digital camera, this should just be the capture date/time anyway (if it isn't then something is wrong with your camera).  If it was something like a film scan, then I suppose the date/time you scanned and digitized it (not when it was captured on film) could be significant, assuming of course your scanner actually writes this field (and if so it probably also puts this as the capture time which would be wrong).  I'm not sure why this digitized date/time is so important.

In any case, PM doesn't deal with this "digitized date/time" value other than as a backup if the capture time is missing, but I suppose it can be added for completeness for the adjust capture times command.  On the other hand, perhaps this is not the correct behavior if this is a film scan, and so I would need to discern between the two instances.  However, I am NOT going to add a bunch of time-based variables for this field as we have for capture time.

--dennis

[mklein]

Hi Dennis,

Thank you for your reply.

I'm a digital photographer and do not deal with film scans. And I'm a bit anal - so for me all three EXIF dates should match.
What do you think about adding an option called "Update digitized date/time" in the dialog. If checked the mentioned date will be adjusted as well, if not checked PM behaves as of today?

Thanks again.

Regards
Michael

[dennis]

Michael,

We'll likely add this option to our list of feature updates as you have suggested (i.e. another option, similar to mucking with the modification time).  Can't promise a time frame at this point since in some ways this is a feature request and could potentially impact other parts of Photo Mechanic.  IOW we are trying not to make any unnecessary changes to 4.6.x.

In the meantime, relax, and you will at least have more information than you would if all three values are changed: i.e. you also know what the original incorrect "digitized" time was   And of course if you want these times to always be correct and synchronized, remember to change your cameras' times when they change time zones.

Regards,

--dennis

[Hayo Baan]

We'll likely add this option to our list of feature updates as you have suggested (i.e. another option, similar to mucking with the modification time).  Can't promise a time frame at this point since in some ways this is a feature request and could potentially impact other parts of Photo Mechanic.  IOW we are trying not to make any unnecessary changes to 4.6.x.

Appreciated 

In the meantime, relax, and you will at least have more information than you would if all three values are changed: i.e. you also know what the original incorrect "digitized" time was   And of course if you want these times to always be correct and synchronized, remember to change your cameras' times when they change time zones.

To Michael: If you want you can always use exiftool to synchronise the three fields.

(But yes, Dennis, I too would really like PM to handle this "properly" as it is just natural to sometimes forget to correct your timezone)

[mklein]

Hi folks,

Any updates regarding this issue? As I can see the fix is not included in 4.6.7 - will it be included in the next release possibly?

Regards
Michael

[Kirk Baker]

Any updates regarding this issue? As I can see the fix is not included in 4.6.7 - will it be included in the next release possibly?

More likely in the next major release of PM, as Dennis indicated.

-Kirk

[JAS Photo]

Was this feature ever added?

[Kirk Baker]

Joe,

Was this feature ever added?

I actually don't know.  Dennis is on his way to the Super Bowl and won't be back for a week.  Are you experiencing this issue for yourself at this time in PM5?

-Kirk

[JAS Photo]

Maybe I missed some of the thread - I just need to change the exif Date & time an batch of images .

[Kirk Baker]

Maybe I missed some of the thread - I just need to change the exif Date & time an batch of images .

Are you having problems using the Adjust Capture Dates & Times tool?

-Kirk

[JAS Photo]

I just didn't know it was there!