Batch editing of EXIF data - Need Help Please: Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year...

RF-4 Phantom Flyer Loc: Gilbert, Arizona USA

Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year in the cameras date time info. I now find that I have hundreds of photos (both Raw and JPEG) that I would love to be able to Batch edit EXIF data for. Have tried using Picasa but the results were not satisfying i.e. Picasa would show the correct date but the imbedded EXIF data was unchanged. Looking for suggestions please.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

If you are on a Mac, download EXIF Sync from lemkesoft.de . It's shareware---$12 if you like it. It should do batch EXIF editing.

RF-4 Phantom Flyer Loc: Gilbert, Arizona USA

burkphoto wrote:

If you are on a Mac, download EXIF Sync from lemkesoft.de . It's shareware---$12 if you like it. It should do batch EXIF editing.

Thanks. No Mac. PC -Win10 is what I use.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Passatpete wrote:

Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year in the cameras date time info. I now find that I have hundreds of photos (both Raw and JPEG) that I would love to be able to Batch edit EXIF data for. Have tried using Picasa but the results were not satisfying i.e. Picasa would show the correct date but the imbedded EXIF data was unchanged. Looking for suggestions please.

There are several options depending on what type of computer you have....and what software you have....

Lightroom does it easily thru the metadata tab in library mode....other suggestions in the article link below....

http://petapixel.com/2012/11/05/how-to-fix-your-timestamps-if-you-forgot-to-update-your-camera-for-daylight-savings/

RF-4 Phantom Flyer Loc: Gilbert, Arizona USA

Dngallagher wrote:

There are several options depending on what type of computer you have....and what software you have....

Lightroom does it easily thru the metadata tab in library mode....other suggestions in the article link below....

http://petapixel.com/2012/11/05/how-to-fix-your-timestamps-if-you-forgot-to-update-your-camera-for-daylight-savings/

Thanks Dngallagher I will check it out.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Windows 10 has an option do display and change the EXIF - Free -.

It does not include changing the creation date... I am not sure if that is editable thought.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Passatpete wrote:

Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year in the cameras date time info. I now find that I have hundreds of photos (both Raw and JPEG) that I would love to be able to Batch edit EXIF data for. Have tried using Picasa but the results were not satisfying i.e. Picasa would show the correct date but the imbedded EXIF data was unchanged. Looking for suggestions please.

Download exiftool by Phil Harvey. It's free, and it will do anything you need done to Exif data. The problem is not if it will do it, but figuring out how.

The basic command line to increment by one year the DateTimeOriginal and CreateDate fields would be this:

  exiftool -createdate+='1:0:0 0:0:0' -DateTimeOriginal+='1:0:0 0:0:0' dsc_0001.jpg

The arguments "1:0:0 0:0:0' represent changes to Y:M:D H:M:S values. If there is only one trio specified it will be H:M:S values. Note also that adding "-o newfile.jpg" will write the output to "newfile.jpg", otherwise the existing file will be modified and a new file with the original data will be created with a name dsc_0001.jpg.original for the above command line.

The program will not recognize wildcards on the command line, hence it must be separately issued for each file to be modified. A batch process will work nicely to change all of your files. (I can write one for a Linux shell but not for Windows or a Mac.)

Math78 Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

Apaflo wrote:

Download exiftool by Phil Harvey. It's free, and it will do anything you need done to Exif data.

You can also use this tool to see how many date/time metadata fields are in your image files. I just checked a Nikon raw file and there appear to be at least 6 date/time fields. For completeness, you may want to change them all to the same date.

RF-4 Phantom Flyer Loc: Gilbert, Arizona USA

Math78 wrote:

You can also use this tool to see how many date/time metadata fields are in your image files. I just checked a Nikon raw file and there appear to be at least 6 date/time fields. For completeness, you may want to change them all to the same date.

The problem I am finding is that most of these programs only work on jpg files. I need to make the changes in the Nikon NEF raw files and these programs spit out everything as jpg.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Math78 wrote:

You can also use this tool to see how many date/time metadata fields are in your image files. I just checked a Nikon raw file and there appear to be at least 6 date/time fields. For completeness, you may want to change them all to the same date.

Exiftool will list multiple date/time fields, but the only two that the OP would want to change are the two listed. (Use the -G option to include the Group for each field.)

The other significant date/time is the ModifyDate field, which is not necessarily written only by the camera. It would be somewhat complex, but it's possible to change it if it is the same as the CreateDate field, and not change it otherwise. Incrementing it without verifying what it is could end up with dates that are extremely confusing (into next year if it was modified yesterday).

There is also a PowerUpTime field in the MakerNotes, which is probably meaningless to the OP anyway. But it could also be incremented.

Otherwise there are several fields with date stamps that are either composite fields which will be changed automatically when the Exif field is changed, or they are "file" dates that relate to file access not to the image, and should not be changed.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Passatpete wrote:

The problem I am finding is that most of these programs only work on jpg files. I need to make the changes in the Nikon NEF raw files and these programs spit out everything as jpg.

Exiftool works on any image file.

One thing that might be interesting (as in it could make life difficult) is if you have the NEF file and on occasion simply extract the embedded JPEG for use. That embedded JPEG will have the original date/time stamps. If you really want to do it... I'll show you how to extract the embedded JPEG, modify the dates, and then put it back into the NEF file with the new dates. It's a tedious task...

RF-4 Phantom Flyer Loc: Gilbert, Arizona USA

Apaflo wrote:

Exiftool works on any image file.

One thing that might be interesting (as in it could make life difficult) is if you have the NEF file and on occasion simply extract the embedded JPEG for use. That embedded JPEG will have the original date/time stamps. If you really want to do it... I'll show you how to extract the embedded JPEG, modify the dates, and then put it back into the NEF file with the new dates. It's a tedious task...

I have taken a quick look at Exiftool. It looks like it will be the one that works for my situation. I will report back how it works out. Thanks

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Passatpete wrote:

Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year in the cameras date time info. I now find that I have hundreds of photos (both Raw and JPEG) that I would love to be able to Batch edit EXIF data for. Have tried using Picasa but the results were not satisfying i.e. Picasa would show the correct date but the imbedded EXIF data was unchanged. Looking for suggestions please.

I sort of hope making the date change is NOT easy. While you are changing to make a valid correction, there are others that would use this for more pejorative reasons.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Passatpete wrote:

Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year in the cameras date time info. I now find that I have hundreds of photos (both Raw and JPEG) that I would love to be able to Batch edit EXIF data for. Have tried using Picasa but the results were not satisfying i.e. Picasa would show the correct date but the imbedded EXIF data was unchanged. Looking for suggestions please.

I've used EXIF Date Changer for making corrections.

https://www.relliksoftware.com/exifdatechanger/download

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Passatpete wrote:

Purchased a refurb Nikon D7100 over a year ago. Only after shooting with it for a few months did I notice that I had set the wrong year in the cameras date time info. I now find that I have hundreds of photos (both Raw and JPEG) that I would love to be able to Batch edit EXIF data for. Have tried using Picasa but the results were not satisfying i.e. Picasa would show the correct date but the imbedded EXIF data was unchanged. Looking for suggestions please.

I don't know how to batch edit EXIF, but if Lightroom can't do it, it can't be done in batch.