Author Topic: PhotoFusion and Photo Timestamps (aka lazy friends)  (Read 4143 times)

BobBailey

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 62
    • View Profile
PhotoFusion and Photo Timestamps (aka lazy friends)
« on: April 08, 2009, 06:38:29 AM »
I am faced with the prospect of using photos from friends where the timestamp may be as much as two years or more off. Having read the archived posts on this topic my understanding is that the only way to fix this is with the GMT offset and calculating the number of hours/minutes involved. Is this true? Got any suggestions for doing it besides a calculator or the exif editor?

Seems to me like a better way might be for PF to allow the input of the correct time for the first photo in the series and the actual timestamp on that photo. PF could then calculate the difference??? (I'm lazy too.)

tia... Bob

ScottMorris

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2756
  • TopoFusion Author
    • View Profile
    • http://www.topofusion.com/diary
Re: PhotoFusion and Photo Timestamps (aka lazy friends)
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2009, 08:32:40 AM »
That's not a bad idea -- being able to input the correct time of a photo.  I'm a little worried about it confusing the normal operation of PhotoFusion for first time users (it's hard to figure out what the correct time for a photo would be if you only need to adjust the time zone, as the software does now).  Perhaps in an 'advanced' tab.

Otherwise you are correct that you need to compute the offset by multiplying the number of hours in a year, et cetera...
Scott Morris - founder and co-author of TopoFusion
email: smorris@topofusion.com

BobBailey

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 62
    • View Profile
Re: PhotoFusion and Photo Timestamps (aka lazy friends)
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2009, 03:00:42 PM »
I would not worry too much about confusing the first time user with this. I'm not much more than a first timer myself. I suggest that you label the proposed field with something like, "What time was the first picture taken?"

TF is not an intuitive interface, I'm not sure that it can be given how new all of this really is. If you put yourself in the position of someone who only rides bikes, takes pix, and knows a little bit about GPS then ask yourself how many of the fields in this dialog box are self explanatory. For example, I have been using a "GMT Offset" of "-5:00:00" instead of time zone. That's because I only recently figured out that the offset field is for the picture time error.  I had been thinking that you could EITHER enter the time zone or offset.

EXIF headers may or may not mean anything to a first timer. I only understood what they were this morning becauseuntil today I didn't need to know.

Please understand that I am not arguing with you, just presenting a point of view and trying to be helpful. I have found that it helps to think in terms of what the user is trying to DO, not what the field IS. Or, put another way, think Benefits not Features.

Thanks... Bob


jakepkoe

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
Re: PhotoFusion and Photo Timestamps (aka lazy friends)
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2009, 10:52:53 PM »
How about providing a place for 'camera time' and another for 'gps time.'  Display the time on your gps, take a pic, and you've got all the info you need.

piolet_rampe

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 23
    • View Profile
Re: PhotoFusion and Photo Timestamps (aka lazy friends)
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2009, 07:24:06 AM »
This program offers the choices you are looking for.
http://code.google.com/p/gpicsync/