QUESTION
The date and time is set incorrectly on my camera and the images created. How can I correct this within Capture One?
ANSWER
Capture One treats the original source files as read-only to prevent possible corruption of the original files. As such, it's not possible to change the EXIF capture time. It is necessary to use another piece of software that will edit the image files, such as exifTool.
Comments
17 comments
I think that this is a misunderstanding: We can very much keep the original raw file untouched and yet indicate the adjusted time stamp by having a time adjustment handle in the adjustment file. This is what happens in Lightroom, to name one example. When we import a catalog from Lightroom, the time adjustments are being lost.
I face frequently this dilemma with wrong timestamps while merging images from the same trip and 2 or 3 cameras. In order to restore the sequence of events after the import from Lightroom, I copy than the raw files away, use exiftool to adjust the time, set the file timestamp to the EXIF time, and than copy back the raw file to the C1 catalog directory. Lots of work in many cases, which was already once done in Lightroom.
I wish Capture One would have added this feature.
I agree with Capture One’s policy of not modifying the original capture file. However, when Capture One imports images all metadata is stored in it’s SQLite database. There is no reason why the data IN THE DATABASE cannot be modified. The same goes for GPS data. I’m using version 20 (build 13) of Capture One. They STILL have not implemented this feature. What are they waiting for? Probably to include it in a “paid for” upgrade!!!
I realized Capture One changes FileCreation exif data on import from DVD disk. For instance, I imported some photos, that originally have 2010 as the FileModifyDate and FileCreateDate.
After import FileModifyDate remained the same but FIleCreateDate was set to today. Therefore if I export this file with ImageYear output naming, it will have the wrong ImageCreate date. So I had to manually change all metadata in this folder with
`exiftool "-FileCreateDate<FileModifyDate" .`
command.
When I import from a folder on HDD, it works as expected.
I am using the following script "adjtim.bat" to do the task with Windows:
@rem
@rem Adj all times by +/-Nh, and create each time a new directory for
@rem the files with converted times.
@rem
@rem Set each file time stamp to the modified EXIF time.
@rem
@rem %1 is the time offset, give as +=time or -=time
@rem %2 is a name of the input directory.
@rem d2_%2 is the output directory
@rem
@rem @set TIM="+=9:54:00" (-=time or +=time)
@rem Point CMD to your location of the exiftool, direct *.exe, or the perl script
@set CMD=perl e:\util\ExifTool\exiftool
@set CMD=c:\exe\exiftool
@set TIM=%1
@set D1=%2
@rem Note: -allDates is a shortcut to:
@rem
@rem %CMD% -createdate%TIM% -modifydate%TIM% -datetimeoriginal%TIM% %D1%
%CMD% -r -o "d2_%%d/%%f.%%e" -allDates%TIM% %D1%
%CMD% -r "-DateTimeOriginal>FileModifyDate" d2_%D1%
For example: copy your raw files to a directory named 'adjustme'. Run the script, like this, to adjust by +1h, 10min and 15sec:
adjtim "+=1:10:15" adjustme
The script will create a directory d2_adjustme and place all resulting files into this directory. The timestamp of every raw file in d2_adjsutme will be set to the new EXIF time.
Now you can check the integrity of these raw files , to be on a safe side. Copy back the adjusted files to the directory of the Capture-1 catalog. I do not remember at the moment if a specific refresh step is needed in Capture One, or not.
Once done, and all is working, you can delete the adjustme and d2_adjustme directories.
Of course, many variations of this workflow can be preferred and implemented. I chose to check if exiftool generates correct raw files.
Lastly, I wish Capture One would support this important feature, just like Lightroom, via a handle. The original files are not modified.
Hi, I come from LightRoom too and I am enjoying CaptureOne however I am perplex to the lack of flexibility to edit the RAW files. Even free alternatives like digiKam are able to copy GPS data across multiple RAW files by itself implementing exiftool. I believe a proper tool to develop your pictures should implement this feature.
I'm glad I only rented this software. There's much to be desired regarding cataloguing.
If you have Lightroom (which most people do because it's the cheapest way to have Photoshop bundled under the photography subscription):
Open Lightroom
1. Import your RAW capture folder into Lightroom
2. Update your timeshift using Lightroom
3. Select all updated RAWs in Lightroom, and press "Command/CTRL S", to save the metadata
Capture One
4. Go back to Capture One, select all of your raws, righ- click and select "Load Metadata"
5. You're done
I mean seriously? I just discovered the lack of Metadata editing capabilities, I hope you will add it asap
Hello,
Thank you for your comment.
Please let us know more about what capabilities you think should be added.
Hello Maryna, it is helpful to manage timestamps. Sometimes one might have the wrong date/time set on a camera, or you can work on files coming from different cameras not perfectly aligned in time and you only realize after having imported all of them when you see the wrong sorting.
In Lightroom for instance, you can shift the time of selected pictures by a certain amount of time (handy for timezone adjustments or summer/winter time) or you can enter the time of the first one and all other selected pics will be adjusted accordingly.
It is ok to keep the source file read-only and update the time only in the catalog as long as exported pictures have the updated timestamp and no additional software is needed. Even Lightroom doesn't save the updated metadata in the original file unless you deliberately and manually ask to do so for each and every picture.
Hi Vincenzo,
Thanks for the clarification.
I'll forward your suggestion to our Product Management team as something to consider in a future release.
Hopefully, your feedback contributes towards a future version of Capture One.
Capture One already maintains a database that's not simply for in-file EXIFdata. There's no reason why there cannot be a field there for "Capture Time Adjustment" and another for "Annotated GPS Coordinates". If you can maintain IPTC data you can maintain this data. As long as the original EXIF are kept and are viewable then where's the problem?
Hi Adam,
Thank you for your comment.
I'll also forward your suggestion to our Product Management team as something to consider in a future release.
Hopefully, your feedback contributes towards a future version of Capture One.
Thanks again for the time you took to make Capture One better!
Can I urgently second Adam's comment. There is no need for Capture One to adjust the time stamp in the EXIF. After all Capture One is a Database and what else are databases for other than managing data of which managing the time of the recording of a file is no different than adding the location the file was recorded in or a gazillion other such records.
Capture One's refusal to consider Time an important dimension for photography management is almost Kafkaesque. It has been infuriating to say the least. It regularly takes me to the brinks of wanting to switch to Lightroom for something that is so basic. But because it is such a basic thing, it also is quite a good reason to switch! This is an entirely unnecessary debate on strange principles, without any out of the box thinking. When someone says they want to change the time, why does C1 staff automatically refuse o provide any sort of solution.
I see the last comment here was 3 months ago. It is such a glaring gap, that really it should be out as a bug correction. Because this is, ultimately one of the worst bugs out there. As photographers we constantly travel in different timezones and use different cameras that may have slight variations in settings! This should really just be in the next update.
I strongly support the request for capture time adjustment as well. I consider it a basic and essential functionality.
Hi, in general i prefer the approach not to touch the original images, but for my collection of 20.000 slide scans, there is only the scan date, but this is useless for my database. I need to get the "IPTC Date Created" info imported.
So far I have managed them in Phase One’s Media Pro, but if I import this catalog file, no date is shown. If i export the annotations (write the meta data into the files) the "IPTC Date Created" becomes "Capture Date" – same goes with Lightroom.
I would prefer if Capture One would have a proper "IPTC Date Created" field, so I don't have to fiddle around to get it done. Another IPTC feature request will come;-)
How has this STILL not been addressed? You're advertising this product to professionals who shoot weddings but you give them no way to fix this simple and very common problem.
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