Geotagging: Wrong position assigned

[feklee]

See below. Why does geotagging fail for one image when it works correctly for the other?

2023-08-16.arw (failure)

The image 2023-08-16.arw was taken at 12:11 local time on August 16 2023 (UTC+08):

exiftool -DateTimeOriginal 2023-08-16.arw

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Date/Time Original              : 2023:08:16 12:11:49

When loading that days' GPS track 2023-08-16.gpx into GPXSee, it shows that I was in Shenzhen at the time, which is correct:



I geotagged the image:

exiftool -geotag 2023-08-16.gpx -overwrite_original 2023-08-16.arw

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1 image files updated

However, the coordinates assigned are in Hong Kong:



2024-12-19.arw (success)

I then tried with 2024-12-19.arw, which I took at 17:15 on December 19 2024 in the same time zone as above (UTC+08):

exiftool -DateTimeOriginal 2024-12-19.arw

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Date/Time Original              : 2024:12:19 17:15:12

For 2024-12-19.gpx, GPXSee shows that I was at the train station in Yangshuo:



I geotagged the image:

exiftool -geotag 2024-12-19.gpx -overwrite_original 2024-12-19.arw

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1 image files updated

This time, the coordinates are assigned correctly:



Details

• Exiftool version: 13.11
• Time zone in GPXSee settings: System
• Time zone I currently am in: UTC+01

[StarGeek]

If those are the exact commands you are using, then neither file should have the correct location. You're not properly syncing the time zone.

By default, exiftool will assume the local time zone if one is not included in the command. This would lead to a seven-hour difference in the location between +01:00 and +08:00 time zones.

Try adding the -GeoTime option like this (changing the double quotes to single quotes if you're not using Windows CMD).
exiftool -geotag 2023-08-16.gpx "-Geotime<${DateTimeOriginal}+08:00" -overwrite_original 2023-08-16.arw

Run this command on the file
exiftool -time:all -G -a -s 2023-08-16.arw

If the results of that command show that the OffsetTime* tags are set in the file you could use this
exiftool -geotag 2023-08-16.gpx "-Geotime<SubSecDateTimeOriginal" -overwrite_original 2023-08-16.arw

[feklee]

If those are the exact commands you are using, then neither file should have the correct location. You're not properly syncing the time zone.

You're right, I was sloppy reading the second map. That is Yangshuo downtown, not the train station. (and with the usual quasi-random offset seen when using Google Maps in China)

exiftool -geotag 2023-08-16.gpx "-Geotime<SubSecDateTimeOriginal" -overwrite_original 2023-08-16.arw

Wow, thanks a lot, that's a great solution!

Background: I encountered this issue when I mass-tagged many thousands of older images the other day. The issue did not occur with more recent images, which I now routinely tag right after copying them off the camera. In that case I'm normally still in the same time zone.