Videos import with incorrect capture date and remain wrong folder even after editing capture time?

[livin1965]

I have some videos that seem to import into LR Classic 9.1 with a date 1/1/1904. I'm not sure whether that is an issue with LR of the video. Nevertheless, I edit the capture time to the actual date/time that the video was taken and then the video appears chronologically in the correct order in All Photographs view. However, the video file still remains in a folder 1904>01>01. What can I do to get LR to put the video file in the correct folder? 

[johnrellis]

The date 1/1/1904 is special, suggesting that the capture-date field stored in the video is all zero-bytes. If you upload a sample video to Dropbox or similar and post the sharing link here, we can quickly determine if that's the issue, what might be causing it, and how best to handle it in LR.

[Use the reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[livin1965]

John, thanks. When I try to upload to Dropbox it says the mp4 file type can only be shared with view access, though I'm not sure why. I don't use Dropbox very often. I assume you are indicating you'd need to download and view it in order to further explore the issue?

[johnrellis]

"I assume you are indicating you'd need to download and view it in order to further explore the issue?"

That's right. I have no idea what might be causing the Dropbox behavior. If the video is short (e.g. less than 50 MB), you might try attaching it here: After posting the reply, click More > Edit Reply at the bottom of the reply. Then click the little paperclip icon in the lower-left corner of the reply box. Then click Apply Edits. 

[Use the reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[livin1965]

John, thanks. Attached is one of the videos that is having this same problem along with a screenshot of the exif data from LR Classic. Same problem with all three videos even though they were created by different people/sources... "Date Time Digitized" is set to 1/1/1904 whereas all other info is correct about capture time, etc. The videos appear in the proper date order when viewing "all photos" but are in the wrong folder in LR folder structure, ie; 1/1/1904 vs correct date corresponding to Date Time Original, which seems to what changes when I modify the Capture Date using LR.

[johnrellis]

As I suspected, your sample video has all zeroes stored in its Create Date field:

$ exiftool -b -QuickTime:CreateDate Neighbor\ beagle\ front\ yard\ 3-11-2019.mp4 
0000:00:00 00:00:00

That translates to 1/1/1904. Presumably the Ring camera is storing that value when it creates the .mp4.

It would be a little better if LR treated a Create Date of all zeroes the same as if it were missing, in which case LR uses the file's date-modified field (which is typically when the file was last written by the camera, which is usually the capture date/time).

If you are processing a lot of these videos, you could use the free ExifTool utility to set the QuickTime Create Date to the file's date-modified before you import the video into LR. But if you only have the occasional such video, it's probably easier just to use LR's Edit Capture Time command after import.

[Use the reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[livin1965]

John, thanks. I've used that to move the location the file is displayed in the Library view. However, the file (and a few others) remain in the 1/1/1904 folder. It's my understanding that moving files from one folder to another in the LR catalog can cause problems, though perhaps that is an option. How do I get these files in the folder that corresponds to the correct date (the date I used when editing the Capture Time) instead of the 1/1/1904 folder without making other problems?

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

"It's my understanding that moving files from one folder to another in the LR catalog can cause problems"

Moving multiple files from one folder to another within LR is generally robust, so I recommend that you drag and drop the videos into the correct folder.

Over the years, there have been rare but persistent reports of LR accidentally deleting photos when you move entire folders or folder hierarchies:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/moving-files-resulted-in-lr-deleting-the-file...

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-deletes-files-when-moving-folders

Adobe fixed at  least one of the bugs causing this, but there have been additional reports since that bug was fixed. Thus, many of us recommend you move the folders using Finder / Explorer and then use LR's Find Missing Folder command to tell LR about the folder's new location.

[Use the reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[livin1965]

John, thank you. The drag-n-drop option is not something I've done so a huge and easy fix to that problem. One issue I just encountered, however, is what to do when there is no existing folder for the specific/actual date of of the file I'm trying to drag out of the 1/1/1904 folder into it's corresponding and correct folder? Can I make one in the LR catalog hierarchy or does that cause problems? Hopefully another easy solution...?

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

"Can I make one in the LR catalog hierarchy"

Yes. In the Folders panel, right-click the parent folder and do Create Folder Inside.

[Beefyboy]

Hey livin1965, I've had this issue for years but never had the time to research this. I finally have the time now since we're all stuck at home and I found this thread. thanks to Johnrellis I used exiftool and see that there's a metadata name "Create Date" that's all zeros. LR is reading that when importing so these files gets copied to 1904. Where the created date or modified date that we see when we go to the properties of the file is correct, that's stored under the metadata "File Creation Date/Time" and "File Modification Date/Time". So if "Create Date" is present in the file, LR will read that instead of the "File Modification Date/Time". The files that gets imported correctly for me DOES NOT have the metadata "Create Date" on them. So I downloaded Bulk File Changer and it allows me to copy the date I want which is "File Modification Date/Time" to "Create Date" and now LR is able to import them to the correct date folder. In Bulk File Changer, you need to choose "Media Files - Date Encoded". That is the "Create Date" field in your file.