Using Exifer

Exifer is an extremely powerful program that permits users to manipulate in many useful ways EXIF data in jpeg image files. Exifer is a Windows-only application that is available here. It is beyond the scope of this documentation to provide extensive documentation for Exifer (and the Exifer documentation is rather sparse). Gordon Dodge has developed detailed instructions for two useful manipulations possible with Exifer. These are given below along with helpful screenshots to illustrate his techniques.

Important Note: It is highly recommended that Exifer and any other software that can change image files be used ONLY ON COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL IMAGE FILES!

Backing up and Restore EXIF Information

Why would one want to do this? Because many image manipulation programs DESTROY (or at least modify) the original EXIF information. The technique described here will permit one to backup EXIF information and then restore the original EXIF information after a set of images has been processed by an image manipulation program.

Step 1

Once you have started Exifer, locate the directory containing the copies of your original images. Within Exifer, select all of your images in that directory.

Step 2

Click the EXIF/IPTC button in the menu bar and choose Backup. Exifer creates an .exi file for each of the jpeg files, using the same file names.

Step 3

Make copies of the files you wish to process with an image manipulation program. Put these copies into a separate folder. Keep the file names the same as the originals.

Step 4

Move copies of the .exi files from your originals folder to the processed files folder.

Step 5

Navigate in Exifer to the processed files folder and select all the thumbnails of those processed files. Restore the EXIF information to the processed files by clicking the EXIF/IPTC button in the menu bar and choosing Restore.

Step 6

If any of the processed files were cropped or otherwise altered in size, the new image size no longer matches the original image dimensions; you can use Exifer to correct the EXIF information by simply clicking on EXIF/IPTC and choose Update EXIF image size values.

Also, if a file has been altered in size, the thumbnail stored with the image may no longer be correct (it may still be a thumbnail of the original image). Exifer can correct this. Select the picture in question, the EXIF/IPTC button in the menu bar and select Thumbnail >> Create Thumbnail. You will then be shown both the original thumbnail and the proposed new thumbnail and will be asked if you wish to replace the old with the new.

Modifying Dates

When travelling in a different time zone, unless a digital camera’s time is manually adjusted, the timestamps recorded with the images will refer to the camera’s time zone rather than the time zone of the location where the pictures are taken. This procedure will change the timestamps in a batch of pictures.

Step 1

It is always wise to work on a copy of your original images, because it is easy to make errors when playing with the file dates and EXIF information. Make that copy now.

Step 2

Once you have started Exifer, locate the directory containing the copies of your original images. Within Exifer, select all of your images in that directory.

Step 3

Click the EXIF/IPTC button in the menu bar and choose Edit. Click the tab EXIF data. Click the Date tab.

Step 4

Do NOT check the date or time box. In this example, you took the photos in a time zone that is 7 hours earlier than the clock timer in your camera. Under Date/Time offset, set the plus to MINUS, keep the days at 0 and set the hours/minutes and seconds to 7:00:00AM. (You only change AM to PM if you are going to move the time back or ahead by more than 12 hours. For example, if you are changing the time by 19 hours, you would set the time offset to 7:00:00 PM.) Do NOT check the Incremental box. Do check the Apply to Date Modified and Date digitized box if you want the two to agree.

Step 5

Click the OK button. A confirmation dialog box will ask if you want to change all selected fields of all selected files. Click Yes. A confirmation dialog box will ask if the EXIF-Info of the selected files should be backed up before changing them. Click yes - it is always a good idea to backup your EXIF information before changing it - even when using a copy.

Step 6

Look at the new EXIF information for each photo to assure that everything has been modified correctly. If not, select all the photos again, go to EXIF/IPTC, and click on Restore. That will restore your files with all the original EXIF information that you backed up in step 5. Then you can go back through steps 2 - 5 and correct your errors.

Step 7

Now you can change your file dates to agree with the EXIF information you changed in the steps above. Select all of your photos in Exifer and go to Edit > Rename/Redate and Copy. Uncheck the Rename box and check the Redate (by EXIF date fields) box. Click Ok. A confirmation box asks if you really want to redate all selected files. Click Yes. You will see that now the Date Modified column for all of your files now agree with the date in your EXIF data.