Need help to identify an incorrect create date issue in an image.

[Anuj]

Hi

Can someone help me identify problem with the attached image RoundTable.jpeg. The issue I am facing is, anywhere I upload this image the create date is shown as 1980.  I tried various online exif tools, all show date as 1980. However when I use your exiftool on Mac, thats the only place I see the correct data 2012.

Can someone guide me what is going on with this file and what's the best way for me to resolve it? I have many other files with similar issue.

Best Regards
Anuj

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Anuj,

I think you are looking at a file system date/time if you see something at 2012.  Here is what I get on my Mac:

Code Select Expand

> exiftool ~/Desktop/RoundTable.jpeg -time:all -a -G1 -s
[System]        FileModifyDate                  : 2023:01:13 21:21:06-05:00
[System]        FileAccessDate                  : 2023:01:13 21:22:46-05:00
[System]        FileInodeChangeDate             : 2023:01:13 21:21:06-05:00
[IFD0]          ModifyDate                      : 1980:01:01 00:00:02
[ExifIFD]       DateTimeOriginal                : 1980:01:01 00:00:02
[ExifIFD]       CreateDate                      : 1980:01:01 00:00:02
The "System" tags are part of the filesystem, and not stored in the file, so these aren't transferred when you upload/download a file.

If you want to preserve the system times when uploading, you need to copy them into the file, maybe something like this:

exiftool "-createdate<filemodifydate" "-datetimeoriginal<filemodifydate" -P FILE

- Phil

[Anuj]

Hi Phil,

I will try that out, thanks.

I am getting a different response when I try your exact command:

exiftool /Users/anuj/Pictures/iCloud/iCloudPhotosLibrary.photoslibrary/originals/A/A25B9AC9-02B1-4A31-94CF-E0985360C8C1.jpeg -time:all -a -G1 -s
[System]        FileModifyDate                  : 2012:06:22 16:29:12-05:00
[System]        FileAccessDate                  : 2023:01:13 19:19:22-06:00
[System]        FileInodeChangeDate             : 2023:01:13 17:39:22-06:00
[IFD0]          ModifyDate                      : 1980:01:01 00:00:02
[ExifIFD]       DateTimeOriginal                : 1980:01:01 00:00:02
[ExifIFD]       CreateDate                      : 1980:01:01 00:00:02

Are you suggesting that my computer has some information stored someplace about this file which is not in the file?

Thanks
Anuj

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Anuj,

Yes.  The "System" tags are stored in your filesystem, and not in the file itself.

- Phil

[Anuj]

Thank you for all the help.