# My new $300 Camera has no timestamp function. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 16, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709 "2008-01-16T04:38:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/21 "2008-01-16T23:56:09Z")
That’s O.K… I spent 500 on a nice camera and after a year my wife decides it’s too big so for Christmas I had to buy her a hundred dollar turd because it was small and cute. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/22 "2008-01-16T23:57:33Z")
Is it really so hard to understand that someone would want to have a record of the time and date of their photos marked on the photos themselves without having to wade through the morass of information they don’t care about in the EXIF? So that the people they were sending the photos to could tell at what time they were taken, assuming that our dear **Throatwarbler** is at least as good as his word, for instance. This is not to say that it is impossible to find a free program which will take the date stamp and reprint it on the photo, but I can imagine circumstances when you would want the stamp on the photo and not want to have to mess around with some third party program to get the damn thing there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/23 "2008-01-17T00:41:22Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] Is it really so hard to understand that someone would want to have a record of the time and date of their photos marked on the photos themselves without having to wade through the morass of information they don’t care about in the EXIF? [/QUOTE] Honestly? I’ve never understood the allure. Always hated those damned things. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/24 "2008-01-17T01:37:12Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Honestly? I’ve never understood the allure. Always hated those damned things. [/QUOTE] I kinda liked it for going through old pictures. It helps you place images in a timeline. A few years ago, I was going through some pictures of my childhood with my parents, and we had endless discussions of this sort: “Well, it must have been '91 or '92, since you’re wearing that sweater that Grandma Lilly got you for Christmas before she died” “No, that can’t be right. Look, my friend Joe’s in the picture, and I didn’t meet Joe until Jr. High., and I was only in 6th grade in '92” “Of course you did. I remember the first time he came over, we were still at the old house.” “No, that was my friend Jim. Look, I’m wearing braces. It must have been late '93” And then we had to haul out the orthodontics file folder. A fine trip down memory lane, I suppose, and we were eventually able to get to what we wanted. But that’s with several people working together to remember it. Looking at pictures of my parents’ lives, the datestamps are pretty helpful. Really, if the most important part of the image is in the bottom right corner, you need to take better pictures. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/25 "2008-01-17T02:24:33Z")
If the feature is so important to you, just get a software that extracts the date from the EXIF header and insert it into the image. It only took about 30 seconds to locate several shareware and one [freeware](http://www.download.com/Photo-Dater/3000-2192_4-10303278.html?tag=lst-6) which I think do just that. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/26 "2008-01-17T04:51:44Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] I kinda liked it for going through old pictures. It helps you place images in a timeline. [/QUOTE] I don’t think they still do it, but a lot of our old family photos have month/year of development stamps on the back. This would be photos from the 70s and 80s. > [@](#): > > Really, if the most important part of the image is in the bottom right corner, you need to take better pictures. Well, I am a photographer, and I try to make all of the picture important. The digital orange glow of a time stamp just, I dunno, bugs the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/27 "2008-01-17T04:59:51Z")
Many (most) cameras have the ability, but only when they are set on the lowest resolution. The camera makers do this because they are trying to avoid people putting non-removable pixels on top of their excellent quality photos when that info is in a removable form in the EXIF data. If you have the original image you always have the date information; and the third party tool to extract it and place it on a copy of the image is, IMO, the best option. I think the camera makers will eventually have to give in and add this feature back. But really, there’s no reason to clutter your image with a non-removable date stamp when the info is in the file. For printing, perhaps, but not for storing the image in electronic form. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/28 "2008-01-17T17:26:43Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] I think the camera makers will eventually have to give in and add this feature back. [/QUOTE] I think a better solution would be for printers to allow optional timestamping from EXIF data or photobrowsing programs to include it as an option. However, I would think if there’s such a public demand for it, printers or programmers would have latched on to it. My guess is that it’s a small percentage of the market that desires this feature. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/29 "2008-01-17T17:28:10Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] My guess is that it’s a small percentage of the market that desires this feature. [/QUOTE] On a digital camera forum I post on it’s a very common question. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/30 "2008-01-17T17:53:41Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] On a digital camera forum I post on it’s a very common question. [/QUOTE] Well, I’ll be darned. Looks like an easy opportunity for photofinishers to make some extra cash. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/31 "2008-01-17T22:44:07Z")
[QUOTE=Una Persson] Here you go - it took me about 30 seconds to do this including the time to upload it to the UnaServer. With more time, I could probably make it such that no one could ever tell it was a fake timestamp. [http://65.69.77.33/files/Lincoln.jpg](http://65.69.77.33/files/Lincoln.jpg) [/QUOTE] I can tell this is a fake because the stamp is date only. No _time_? Hmmmmfff! ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/32 "2008-01-18T00:29:12Z")
My DSC-W1 has the option to show a timestamp. It’s more of a point-and-shoot type of camera though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/33 "2008-01-18T00:46:53Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] I can tell this is a fake because the stamp is date only. No _time_? Hmmmmfff! [/QUOTE] That’s because you had to sit still for a whole day to have your picture taken back then. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/34 "2008-01-18T00:56:57Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I think a better solution would be for printers to allow optional timestamping from EXIF data or photobrowsing programs to include it as an option. However, I would think if there’s such a public demand for it, printers or programmers would have latched on to it. My guess is that it’s a small percentage of the market that desires this feature. [/QUOTE] I was going to suggest some kind of encrypted hash of the the image data and the timestamp, imposed by the camera and stored in the EXIF data, so that if either were altered, it would be detectable, but the trouble with that is that some enterprising hacker would crack it within minutes of it going on sale. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/35 "2008-01-18T01:48:33Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] That’s because you had to sit still for a whole day to have your picture taken back then. [/QUOTE] Damn, you’re right! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/36 "2008-01-18T06:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I was going to suggest some kind of encrypted hash of the the image data and the timestamp, imposed by the camera and stored in the EXIF data, so that if either were altered, it would be detectable, but the trouble with that is that some enterprising hacker would crack it within minutes of it going on sale. [/QUOTE] True. Still doesn’t guard against someone simply setting the camera to the wrong date and time. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/37 "2008-01-18T15:07:21Z")
I thought the feature of timestamping on the “finished” product was more of a cam-corder feature. We have loads of baby movies marked this way; I’d timesstamp the beginning of a clip and then turn the stamp off. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/38 "2008-01-18T15:23:55Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] Really, if the most important part of the image is in the bottom right corner, you need to take better pictures. [/QUOTE] Look at [this picture I took about 2 weeks ago](http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/2179374647/): the closest view of the pattern of tiles on that building is, as it happens, in the lower right corner. I think the picture would be significantly diminished if it had a date and time obscuring the pattern in that corner. (And, of course, I can look at the EXIF data to see that it was taken a few seconds before 3 pm on New Year’s Day.) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/39 "2008-01-18T15:31:28Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] True. Still doesn’t guard against someone simply setting the camera to the wrong date and time. [/QUOTE] True. I guess they could build in atomic radio clocks, but that’s probably going a bit too far. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709/40 "2008-01-18T16:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] Is it really so hard to understand that someone would want to have a record of the time and date of their photos marked on the photos themselves without having to wade through the morass of information they don’t care about in the EXIF? So that the people they were sending the photos to could tell at what time they were taken [/QUOTE] Eh. He’s sending digital pictures, right? It’s all electrons anyway, nothing real, no “front” or “back” of a photo. If the problem is elderly relatives who cannnot handle .exif data extraction, well, they’d probably appreciate a letter detailing the circumstances of the photos…ideally, handwritten with a fountain pen. If it’s for an insurance company’s legal purposes…well, IANAL and all that, and this is not legal advice, but last time I discussed this with a lawyer, I _overheard a rumor_ going around his office that _nothing_ outside of formal police chain-of-custody has any standing as evidence. No matter how hard it is to change the date stamp. So how do courts consider such information? According to the rumor, _they take your word for it_. Well, actually, whoever took the photo is sworn in and attests that the photo is unaltered. That doesn’t prove anything technologically, but it does work the same regardless of advances in technology – although the apparent question is, “can we trust this guy’s picture?” the real question is, “can we trust this guy?” – if we can trust the photographer, we can trust his pictures. Sailboat [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-300-camera-has-no-timestamp-function/433709.md?page=1)