P: Still inconsistent capture date/time for photos and videos

[John R Ellis]

Update 5/17/2018: Though LR 7.1 made improvements, LR 7.3.1 still has two closely related problems with a single underlying cause:

- With photos and videos missing metadata capture date/times (e.g. scans), there is still an inconsistency between the times shown under the thumbnails in grid view and in the Metadata panel and the hidden, internal times used for sorting in grid view.

- Changing IPTC Date Created in the Metadata panel, either by editing the field or using Metadata > Copy/Paste Metadata, similarly causes inconsistent values to be shown and sorting and searching to work inconsistently.  It also causes date metadata to be written back to the files that doesn't conform with the Metadata Working Group's standard.

The underlying cause is architectural: LR doesn't have a single internal catalog field representing "capture time".  Rather, it maintains capture time in several different fields, and the various parts of LR update those fields inconsistently.

See here for precise recipes to replicate these bugs:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-still-inconsistent-capture-date-tim...

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-still-inconsistent-capture-date-tim...

See here for a workaround: 

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-still-inconsistent-capture-date-tim....  

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LR 5.7 still shows inconsistent capture date/times for videos. For a test .avi on Windows 8.1, the date in grid view appears to be the file system's last-modified time, while Capture Date/Time is set to the time of import.This problem was declared fixed in LR 5.5, and it appears to have been fixed for images, but not videos:http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/inconsistent_dates_for_files_missing_date_time...I'm opening a new topic, since the previous one has been marked "Solved". Untitled2_inline-402b28f5-7fce-4485-bbc7-1eba2e9ee1ed-622028544.png Untitled_inline-a0d82271-2553-4a54-8824-20de68939af3-906850541.png

[alanterra]

Hi Laura. I understand your frustration, but if you are looking for a work-around while you are waiting for a fix, i suggest you look at A Better Finder Rename. You can create droplets that use metadata to rename files, which you would apply before importing the video into Lightroom. (If you are on Windows, I suspect that there are umpteen utilities that offer the same options.) I use A Better Finder Rename all the time.

[LauraL982001]

Thanks, Alan!

Actually, I received a helpful reply on another forum last night which had an easier (IMO) and effective workaround: 

Workaround:
1) Import iphone .MOV videos as you normally would.  (I use "YYYY-MM-DD Hour.Minute.Second_iphone" and use it to check against the metadata). 

2)  Select all previously imported files and, under the metadata tab, Click "Edit Capture Time".  Select Type of Adjustment: Adjust to a specified date and time.  Don't change anything.  It will appear nothing needs changing as the original time already matches the corrected time.  Select Change All.  You'll notice there is now a 3rd metadata date/time entry: Date Time Original.  This matches the metadata list of .CR2 and .jpg file and is CRITICAL in order for ALL .MOV files to be renamed correctly*.   

4) NOW select all files and rename your using a date/time preset.  I used the same one that I use upon import and it works.  The filename matches the date and time the video was TAKEN/Created (not imported).  This works for a single file or multiple files.

**Note: I tried skipping step 3 to see if it was necessary, and it IS.  Without editing the capture time the files were renamed using the IMPORTED date/time. In fact, when I tried renaming an .MOV file from my 5d Mark iv, which had the correct date/time in the filename upon import, it was renamed using the IMPORTED date/time also.  This must be ANOTHER BUG on top of the bug that randomly adds 5-6 hours (for CST) to the Date Time Digitized.  The renaming feature must use the "Date Time" metadata (which is the IMPORTED date/time) if there is no "Date Time Original" metadata entry.  So stupid.  Therefore, step 3 is necessary in order to create the "Date Time Original" metadata entry, which eliminates the mis-naming in all video files.  

Hope that helps!  But also hope it gets fixed!!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Testing.

[ItWasNotMe]

LR 7.3 on MacOS 10.13.4
Setting correct Capture Time universally across all fields on a paste of Metadata - Still not fixed
Using the 'Edit' workaround to correct the above - Not yet broken

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The issue is not fixed in 7.1 - or at least if it was  it is back in 7.3....

[stevenseelig]

Not sure whether this is relevant, but a similar problem occurs with scanned tiff images interspersed with camera taken pictures. In other words, scan some pictures as tiff and import Imp light room, then import pictures .ARW files, and then scan some more pictures as tiff. The new tiff images cluster with the older tiff files, and will come before the ARW files. In this situation there is no THM file.

[John R Ellis]

Unfortunately, there is still a bug with the capture times of imported files missing EXIF:DateTimeOriginal (e.g. scans) -- the sort order in grid view doesn't always match that implied by the capture time shown under the thumbnails and in the Metadata panel.   LR sets the capture time of each scan to the file's modified time, but the internal catalog field used for sorting gets set n hours earlier, where n is the UTC offset of the computer's time zone. 

To reproduce:

1. Create a new catalog.

2. Download and unzip this folder: 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gkytf55c88vrm8k/capturetimebug.2018.05.17.zip?dl=0

3. Run these ExifTool commands to set the file modification dates of "before.jpg" and "after.jpg":

exiftool -filemodifydate="2001:05:01 h:01:00" before.jpg
exiftool -filemodifydate="2001:05:01 h:03:00" after.jpg

where h = 15 - the UTC offset of your computer's time zone. My computer is in PDT (UTC - 7), so I set h to 8:

exiftool -filemodifydate="2001:05:01 08:01:00" before.jpg
exiftool -filemodifydate="2001:05:01 08:03:00" after.jpg

4. Import "before.jpg", "test.jpg", and "after.jpg" using Add (not Move or Copy).

5. In Library, select All Photographs and View > Sort > Capture Time.

6. Observe that the sort order of the photos is inconsistent with the capture times shown under the thumbnails and in the Metadata panel:



LR sets the visible capture time of each scan to the file's date-modified time expressed in the local time zone, but it sets the hidden internal field used for sorting to the date-modified time expressed in UTC.

The usual workaround fixes this: Select all the photos, do Metadata > Edit Capture Time, and click Change All.

[John R Ellis]

The original merged topic contains details about Steven's symptoms (thanks!).  See the next post in this topic for a diagnosis.

[John R Ellis]

Steven, you can delete the Dropbox folder -- the recipe in the next post quickly reproduces the symptoms you observed.

[Smit K]

Hi John,

When I downloaded the zip and checked the filemodifydate for before and after.jpg, I am getting the following 
before.jpg - 2018:05:17 22:15:08+05:30
after.jpg - 2018:05:17 22:15:08+05:30

Also for the test.jpg file is as follows:
2018:05:17 22:15:08+05:30
and I have value for DateTimeOriginal as follows
2001:05:01 15:02:00

DateTimeOriginal value is only present in test.jpg

Here is the screenshot from the Lightroom Classic:


PS - I was testing on Win10

Thanks,
Smit

[John R Ellis]

To observe the bug, you need to run the ExifTool commands in step 3 before importing the files.

[John R Ellis]

Also, if you are located in a time zone whose offset is not a whole number of hours, it might be easiest to temporarily change your computer’s time zone to, say, UTC - 7:00.

[Smit K]

My Apologies. I misread your step.

Based on your suggestion, when I changed the TimeZone to UTC -7, I was able to reproduce the issue. I will update this to our bug.

Also, if I just use the date-time values you have shared, I am still able to reproduce this when reset my Laptop to IST - UTC +5:30

Thanks again for following up on this for such a long time!

Thanks,
Smit
Lightroom Classic CC Team

[Smit K]

Steven,

I was able to reproduce your issue. We are looking into this.

Thanks,
Smit Keniya
Lightroom Classic CC Team

[leandrongo]

This error starting appearing for me for a few months. Shot stuff on 17 June 2018 and some got sorted into the not-yet-happened 18 June folder. Checked the camera and made sure my settings were right too.

[John R Ellis]

Are you importing using a USB cable or by using a card reader?

[leandrongo]

I use a card reader to import my files.

[John R Ellis]

OK, there's a separate bug with putting photos into the wrong folder that's triggered by importing with a cable.

[gadgetgeek2000]

Using Lightroom 8 and the issue is not fixed. Videos taken on the 10/19 imported as they were taken 7 hours later, and imported as if taken the following day. Lightroom also locks up when importing the videos.

[John R Ellis]

"Lightroom also locks up when importing the videos."

You might post this as separate topic with more details -- Adobe won't see it buried in this thread.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I am running Lightroom Classic 8.0 on MacOS and noticed today that video files are still being wrongly renamed based on file Date/Time and not Creation Date/Time metadata, any idea how to fix it?

What is the exactly "field" that Lightroom uses as reference for renaming files?

[Bermannyc]

Hi


I’m having a similar problem here. After updating to the new version of LR classic Lightroom is incorrectly reading MTS video file capture times. The capture times for the same file in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge and Mac finder are all correct. Only in Lightroom is there a problem. It’s most annoying when I’m trying to filter files based on what year the photos and videos were shot. LR shows me files from 2015 when i’m trying to view files from 2017. The incorrect files all have the same incorrect capture time also. Very strange. I have about 50,000 so i’m Worried about files getting completely lost in the mix.The screenshots show the file info in Lightroom being incorrectly seen and then the file info in Photoshop being CORRECTLY seen. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Bermannyc]

Has this not been fixed yet? I tried creating a new catalog and now there are hundreds of mts files (aka Sony's hd video format) all incorrectly having the capture time as the date I created the catalog not the actual capture time. See the post above.

[RC Phillips]

When exporting files that have an adjusted capture date, the capture date is not reflected in the custom file name (where capture date is selected), but the unmodified date of the original scan is used instead.  This is a problem when trying to export a chronological set of files by file name (using capture time in export), and the unmodified scan date is being used to create the export file name.

[RC Phillips]

Thank you for your time Tom and John.  I finally figured out my problem.  I was updating using the capture time adjustment on the right side panel in the Library module.  Then I would highlight a bunch more images and sync the metadata (with only the capture time selected).  This changed the capture time in the panel on the right under the default metadata dropdown, but it did not change the EXIF capture date on the files.  I now use the Change Capture Date under the Metadata dropdown menu at the top on a Mac.  This changes the EXIF capture date and is reflected in the export name.  Thanks again for your time everyone.