topic Re: Date Stamp on the photo in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Date Stamp on the photo

iracanon — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 19:53:03 GMT

Hello, I just got a EOS Rebel t6, and I cannot make it to stamp the date on the photo. I want to confirm the camera does not do that, because I want to return it if it does not? Can you recommend a similar Canon that does stamp the date on the photo? Thank you.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

cicopo — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 20:12:59 GMT

To the best of my knowledge none of the DSLR's do it so if that's what you need it will require going to a Point & shoot camera.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

kvbarkley — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 14:21:06 GMT

And even then, an *old* point and shoot, This is a feature that is disappearing since the data is in the exif.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

RobertTheFat — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 15:01:12 GMT

kvbarkley wrote:
And even then, an *old* point and shoot, This is a feature that is disappearing since the data is in the exif.

And the fact that the date is included in the Exif data means that there's bound to be post-processing software that will put it on the picture for you. I don't believe DPP will do it; but for all I know, Lightroom might.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

ebiggs1 — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 16:29:23 GMT

"...but for all I know, Lightroom might."

Nope.

I know there used to be some date stamper programs but I can't recall their names right now.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

TCampbell — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:03:44 GMT

Camera's stopped putting date/time stamps in photos many years ago -- beause in the age of digital, all images include the date in the file (it's just not visually displayed).

It was a hold-over from the days of film when some film cameras would put the date in the corner (because they weren't digital) and then when digital came out, they continued to support it. But usually the reasons someone wanted the date was that they could oranize and find their photos... based on date. But since that's all automatic now in most any photo app, it's not really necessary to visually show the date in the corner of the image.

If you do really want to see it... there are loads of apps for mobile phones, PCs, Macs, etc. that will automatically add the date/time stamp to the corner of the image.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

iracanon — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:21:54 GMT

Thank you all for your responses! I got this Canon to replace a Nikon D3200, also DSLR, because it has started to freeze. I am very disappointed because I still select photos to print, and do like to see the date on them. They should have the option to activate this feature if you prefer, like other cameras do (also DSLR). At least I can still return it! Thanks again!!!!

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

Waddizzle — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 00:31:33 GMT

@iracanon wrote:
Thank you all for your responses! I got this Canon to replace a Nikon D3200, also DSLR, because it has started to freeze. I am very disappointed because I still select photos to print, and do like to see the date on them. They should have the option to activate this feature if you prefer, like other cameras do (also DSLR). At least I can still return it! Thanks again!!!!

Food for thought:
Back in the old film days, we used to get prints back from the developers that had a month and year printed on the border, sometimes an actual date. This date stamp was created and applied during the film development and printing process, not by the camera.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

ebiggs1 — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 06:50:48 GMT

My F1n has the ability to print on the film.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

diverhank — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 17:43:29 GMT

@iracanon wrote:
Hello, I just got a EOS Rebel t6, and I cannot make it to stamp the date on the photo. I want to confirm the camera does not do that, because I want to return it if it does not? Can you recommend a similar Canon that does stamp the date on the photo? Thank you.

As others stated, there is no way to do it without post processing. Philosophically I can't understand why you would want the date on your photos...kinda ruin them for me. But each to his/her own.

I do recognize the need to have a date on a photo so years from now you can remember. Exif data is fine except many cheap online and offline editing programs fail to retain these after you edit and you lose the dates forever.

My solution is simple, I name all of my pictures starting out with a date when it's taken. For example tomorrow when I take pictures at our Xmas party, my photos will be named something like 20171224_Xmas Party_001.xxx. This is easy to do because most downloading program like Light Room or Photoshop allows you to automate this. In the above example, all I had to do is to provide Xmas Party. The program fills in the rest automatically.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

kvbarkley — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 15:15:24 GMT

Generally the people who like this feature are insurance adjusters/investigators. for some reason they think that it is better evidence than the exif. I guess they never heard about photoshop.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

Waddizzle — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 22:02:11 GMT

@iracanon wrote:
Hello, I just got a EOS Rebel t6, and I cannot make it to stamp the date on the photo. I want to confirm the camera does not do that, because I want to return it if it does not? Can you recommend a similar Canon that does stamp the date on the photo? Thank you.

A camcorder might do it, provided that it can capture a single image. Time stamps are easily challenged in court, BTW.

Some free legal advice, from someone who has gone around the block with timestamped video:

Just because you apply a "time stamp" to a print, that does not make it a certified legal document. The stamp alone is nothing more than an ink stain on your print. You would need to be able to document how that stamp was created. How the time was determined.

You would need to produce a written, proven, and tested operating procedures for determining the time of day, and how that information found its' way onto the print. You would need to document the chain of custody. Anyone in the custody chain would need to be tested and certified to handle the timiestamped photo, although that chain may be just a single person, yourself.

In other words, a time stamp is nothing more than an ink stain on your print, no more significant than a piece of dirt.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

RobertTheFat — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 22:17:18 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@iracanon wrote:
Hello, I just got a EOS Rebel t6, and I cannot make it to stamp the date on the photo. I want to confirm the camera does not do that, because I want to return it if it does not? Can you recommend a similar Canon that does stamp the date on the photo? Thank you.
A camcorder might do it, provided that it can capture a single image. Time stamps are easily challenged in court, BTW.

Some free legal advice, from someone who has gone around the block with timestamped video:
Just because you apply a "time stamp" to a print, that does not make it a certified legal document. The stamp alone is nothing more than an ink stain on your print. You would need to be able to document how that stamp was created. How the time was determined.

You would need to produce a written, proven, and tested operating procedures for determining the time of day, and how that information found its' way onto the print. You would need to document the chain of custody. Anyone in the custody chain would need to be tested and certified to handle the timiestamped photo, although that chain may be just a single person, yourself.

In other words, a time stamp is nothing more than an ink stain on your print, no more significant than a piece of dirt.

Which raises the question: How much better, in the legal environment, is a RAW file with Exit data?

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

Waddizzle — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 22:31:35 GMT

"Which raises the question: How much better, in the legal environment, is a RAW file with Exit data?"

Good question. My experience was with time stamped security video. We used a time/date generator, years ago, BTW.

Didn't Canon use to offer some sort of accessory to 1D Series camera that addressed that question? I do not see it offered, anymore, so I never really took a good look at it. Not sure how well it worked, or if it even stood up in court.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

RobertTheFat — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 02:21:43 GMT

Waddizzle wrote:
"Which raises the question: How much better, in the legal environment, is a RAW file with Exit data?"

Good question. My experience was with time stamped security video. We used a time/date generator, years ago, BTW.

Didn't Canon use to offer some sort of accessory to 1D Series camera that addressed that question? I do not see it offered, anymore, so I never really took a good look at it. Not sure how well it worked, or if it even stood up in court.

I believe their was a camera that put some sort of encryption key into the Exif data that supposedly provided proof that the RAW file was original. I don't remember (if in fact I ever knew) anything beyond that.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

iracanon — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 17:02:23 GMT

I appreciate all the answers, most have been very informative and I have learned. Everyone has different preferences and that is ok. I like to have that 'dirt stain' on my pictures so when the digital frame in my family room is on, I do not have to pause the slide show and navigate to find how old my son was when the photo was taken. As insignificant as it may seem to other people I like to keep that memory, and since I am not getting any younger, I do not remember all the dates. I like the date stamp on my pictures, that is my preference! I have photo albums, I still print some pictures and the paper photo in the album does not have an electronic file. I take photos of my kids, not just on birthdays, or especial days that I would remember, but also of simple, irrelevant moments that I will treasure later on. Happy Holidays to all!

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

iracanon — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 17:04:28 GMT

Thanks to this forum I learned of different phone camera apps that allows you to turn on date stamp, if you like it! I am already using it!

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

Iporã — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:50:33 GMT

The reason this might be important for some, included me, are legal reasons.

I work with printed reports to official legal agencies and, if in some countries processes are more and more digital we work all with printed documents.

We have an ageing ald camera that time stamps pictures, and that is great, as that is the best proof I get that this or that event occured when I am stating it happened so.

So when the government office I work makes an document with printed pictures to another legal agency, the best proof of the whens of the events is a simple time stamp if you're working with printed documents.

When we get our new camera (probably a Canon T5i, or other similar) whar would be the best workaround??

For those interested, I work on a local environment protection office.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

ebiggs1 — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:02:00 GMT

"When we get our new camera (probably a Canon T5i, or other similar) whar would be the best workaround??"

As I see it the problem is you can't trust photos anymore. With all the exif editors and Photoshop and other easy editors the dates can be changed without notice. Therefore rendering them untrust worthy.

Re: Date Stamp on the photo

Iporã — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:02:36 GMT

Well, as it seems I didn't notice there is a second discussion page, so my post got some bit out of touch with the discussion.

The opinions are right, it is not a proof per se, the final one, but it makes thinks easier to demonstrate on those reports.

I don't need excuses, the point is, it has helped my work and would be great to still have it..