Print Page - Why is Mac Photos displaying a different capture time from the file's metadata?

Title: Why is Mac Photos displaying a different capture time from the file's metadata?
Post by: moondog on July 15, 2021, 01:20:46 PM

For some reason, the Mac Photos app (formerly iPhotos) is displaying a different capture time. The issue is not with all the photos but with some (about half), and it is usually off by a second. I need it to be exact since this info is being used on a larger script.

Here are some sample files. I'm using the following command to display all available time-related fields:

Code Select

exiftool -time:all -G1 -a -s -api QuicktimeUTC [file]

SAMPLE 1 (off by 1 second)
[System] FileModifyDate : 2021:07:13 10:51:14-04:00
[System] FileAccessDate : 2021:07:15 11:52:59-04:00
[System] FileInodeChangeDate : 2021:07:13 10:51:14-04:00
[IFD0] ModifyDate : 2021:07:13 09:24:30
[ExifIFD] DateTimeOriginal : 2021:07:13 09:24:30
[ExifIFD] CreateDate : 2021:07:13 09:24:30
[ExifIFD] OffsetTime : -04:00
[ExifIFD] OffsetTimeOriginal : -04:00
[ExifIFD] OffsetTimeDigitized : -04:00
[ExifIFD] SubSecTimeOriginal : 706
[ExifIFD] SubSecTimeDigitized : 706
[GPS] GPSDateStamp : 2021:07:13
[ICC-header] ProfileDateTime : 2017:07:07 13:22:32
[Composite] SubSecCreateDate : 2021:07:13 09:24:30.706-04:00
[Composite] SubSecDateTimeOriginal : 2021:07:13 09:24:30.706-04:00
[Composite] SubSecModifyDate : 2021:07:13 09:24:30-04:00
Mac PHOTOS info of the same file: July 13, 2021 9:24:29 AM

SAMPLE 2 (off by 1 second)
[System] FileModifyDate : 2021:07:13 13:02:37-04:00
[System] FileAccessDate : 2021:07:15 12:55:29-04:00
[System] FileInodeChangeDate : 2021:07:13 13:02:38-04:00
[IFD0] ModifyDate : 2021:07:13 13:02:14
[ExifIFD] DateTimeOriginal : 2021:07:13 13:02:14
[ExifIFD] CreateDate : 2021:07:13 13:02:14
[ExifIFD] OffsetTime : -04:00
[ExifIFD] OffsetTimeOriginal : -04:00
[ExifIFD] OffsetTimeDigitized : -04:00
[ExifIFD] SubSecTimeOriginal : 101
[ExifIFD] SubSecTimeDigitized : 101
[GPS] GPSDateStamp : 2021:07:13
[ICC-header] ProfileDateTime : 2017:07:07 13:22:32
[Composite] SubSecCreateDate : 2021:07:13 13:02:14.101-04:00
[Composite] SubSecDateTimeOriginal : 2021:07:13 13:02:14.101-04:00
[Composite] SubSecModifyDate : 2021:07:13 13:02:14-04:00
Mac PHOTOS info of the same file: July 13, 2021 1:02:13 PM

SAMPLE 3 (correct)
[System] FileModifyDate : 2021:07:13 10:51:38-04:00
[System] FileAccessDate : 2021:07:15 13:02:58-04:00
[System] FileInodeChangeDate : 2021:07:13 10:51:38-04:00
[IFD0] ModifyDate : 2021:07:13 09:20:49
[ExifIFD] DateTimeOriginal : 2021:07:13 09:20:49
[ExifIFD] CreateDate : 2021:07:13 09:20:49
[ExifIFD] OffsetTime : -04:00
[ExifIFD] OffsetTimeOriginal : -04:00
[ExifIFD] OffsetTimeDigitized : -04:00
[ExifIFD] SubSecTimeOriginal : 828
[ExifIFD] SubSecTimeDigitized : 828
[GPS] GPSDateStamp : 2021:07:13
[ICC-header] ProfileDateTime : 2017:07:07 13:22:32
[Composite] SubSecCreateDate : 2021:07:13 09:20:49.828-04:00
[Composite] SubSecDateTimeOriginal : 2021:07:13 09:20:49.828-04:00
[Composite] SubSecModifyDate : 2021:07:13 09:20:49-04:00
Mac PHOTOS info of the same file: July 13, 2021 9:20:49 AM

I'm using Photos version 4.0 on Mojave 10.14.6
exiftool: stable 12.26 (bottled)

I realize this could be an issue specific to the Photos app but I'm also not an expert on metadata / ExifTool; so I could be missing something...

Title: Re: Why is Mac Photos displaying a different capture time from the file's metadata?
Post by: StarGeek on July 15, 2021, 02:22:37 PM

You're not missing anything. That would be the command to display all the timestamps in the file, although -api QuicktimeUTC isn't needed for anything that's not a video file. But it won't alter the info for non-video files.

It's most likely a problem with the Apple app. Problems with Apple's photo related apps have popped up often here and I don't have a high opinion of the software, though I must admit I am biased.

You might try adding the -api RequestAll option (https://exiftool.org/ExifTool.html#RequestAll) and look through all the Mac related tags to see if there might be something there. It's unlikely but it's the only other option I can offer.
exiftool -G1 -a -s -api RequestAll=2 -XAttr* -MDItem* -Apple* /path/to/files/

Title: Re: Why is Mac Photos displaying a different capture time from the file's metadata?
Post by: moondog on July 15, 2021, 04:49:53 PM

I was foolishly hopeful :( Why would they randomly subtract a second from the capture date? I thought maybe there was a millisecond tag hidden somewhere and some rounding going on.

Below are the Mac-related tags from the first sample file.

[MacOS] XAttrCplDelete : Y
[MacOS] XAttrCplOriginal : Y
[MacOS] XAttrQuarantine : Flags=0082 set at 2021:07:13 14:51:09 by cloudphotosd
[MacOS] MDItemAcquisitionMake : Apple
[MacOS] MDItemAcquisitionModel : iPhone 8 Plus
[MacOS] MDItemAltitude : ################
[MacOS] MDItemAperture : 1.69599381283836
[MacOS] MDItemBitsPerSample : 32
[MacOS] MDItemColorSpace : RGB
[MacOS] MDItemContentCreationDate : 2021:07:13 09:24:30-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemContentCreationDate_Ranking: 2021:07:12 20:00:00-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemContentModificationDate : 2021:07:13 09:24:30-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemContentType : public.heic
[MacOS] MDItemContentTypeTree : public.heic, public.item, public.image, public.heif-standard, public.data, public.content
[MacOS] MDItemCreator : 14.6
[MacOS] MDItemDateAdded : 2021:07:13 10:51:14-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemDateAdded_Ranking : 2021:07:12 20:00:00-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemDisplayName : 2021-07-13 [AM] 09.24.30.HEIC
[MacOS] MDItemEXIFVersion : 2.3.2
[MacOS] MDItemExposureMode : 0
[MacOS] MDItemExposureProgram : 2
[MacOS] MDItemExposureTimeSeconds : 0.25
[MacOS] MDItemFlashOnOff : 0
[MacOS] MDItemFNumber : 1.8
[MacOS] MDItemFocalLength : 3.99
[MacOS] MDItemFocalLength35mm : 56
[MacOS] MDItemFSContentChangeDate : 2021:07:13 10:51:14-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemFSCreationDate : 2021:07:13 10:51:14-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemFSCreatorCode :
[MacOS] MDItemFSFinderFlags : 0
[MacOS] MDItemFSHasCustomIcon :
[MacOS] MDItemFSInvisible : 0
[MacOS] MDItemFSIsExtensionHidden : 0
[MacOS] MDItemFSIsStationery :
[MacOS] MDItemFSLabel : 0 (none)
[MacOS] MDItemFSName : 2021-07-13 [AM] 09.24.30.HEIC
[MacOS] MDItemFSNodeCount :
[MacOS] MDItemFSOwnerGroupID : 99
[MacOS] MDItemFSOwnerUserID : 99
[MacOS] MDItemFSSize : 616208
[MacOS] MDItemFSTypeCode :
[MacOS] MDItemGPSDestBearing : ############
[MacOS] MDItemHasAlphaChannel : 0
[MacOS] MDItemImageDirection : #############
[MacOS] MDItemInterestingDate_Ranking : 2021:07:12 20:00:00-04:00
[MacOS] MDItemISOSpeed : 100
[MacOS] MDItemKind : Preview Document
[MacOS] MDItemLatitude : ###############
[MacOS] MDItemLogicalSize : 616208
[MacOS] MDItemLongitude : ###########
[MacOS] MDItemMeteringMode : 3
[MacOS] MDItemOrientation : 1
[MacOS] MDItemPhysicalSize : 622592
[MacOS] MDItemPixelCount : 12192768
[MacOS] MDItemPixelHeight : 4032
[MacOS] MDItemPixelWidth : 3024
[MacOS] MDItemProfileName : Display P3
[MacOS] MDItemRedEyeOnOff : 0
[MacOS] MDItemResolutionHeightDPI : 72
[MacOS] MDItemResolutionWidthDPI : 72
[MacOS] MDItemSpeed : 0.7300000190743958
[MacOS] MDItemWhiteBalance : 0

Title: Re: Why is Mac Photos displaying a different capture time from the file's metadata?
Post by: StarGeek on July 15, 2021, 05:05:25 PM

Quote from: moondog on July 15, 2021, 04:49:53 PM
Why would they randomly subtract a second from the capture date? I thought maybe there was a millisecond tag hidden somewhere and some rounding going on.

Yeah, that was my thought. A long shot at best.

I was also thinking something might be going on with the subseconds, SubSecTimeOriginal and SubSecTimeDigitized, because Apple is picky about field lengths and some cameras have 2 digits for subseconds instead of 3, but all three of your examples were 3 digits.

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General => Metadata => Topic started by: moondog on July 15, 2021, 01:20:46 PM