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Date Stamp on the photo

iracanon
Apprentice

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.

22 REPLIES 22

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.

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.

"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.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

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..

Some Powershot models may still have that option.  Or, perhaps, you can use your smartphone.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

Canon supports this for 'printing' via PictBridge.... in the camera menu there's a setup page where you can enable the date stamp when printing via PictBridge.  The date (and just the date... not the time) will appear on the print output (the original image isn't altered... just the print.)

 

Also, some Canon printers come with printing software which also has the option to add the date.  I'm checking the software for my Canon Pixma PRO-10 printer and I see the option in the Canon 'Easy-PhotoPrint EX' software which lets me add the date on print output.

 

You do have to be careful when using PictBridge... a standard that was designed to be easy... isn't so much anymore.

 

It turns out there is "PictBridge" and "PictBridge WiFi".  They are NOT the same.  My Canon Pixma PRO-10 is a WiFi printer and it supports PictBridge.  So you'd think it would support PictBridge over WiFi.  It does not.  It only supports PictBridge via the USB cable method.  My Canon EOS 5D IV is a WiFi enabled camera and it supports PictBridge WiFi... but it does NOT support PictBridge via USB.  So basically there's no way to use PictBridge to print from my Canon camera to my Canon printer.

 

 

This isn't a huge loss to me because normally I use Lightroom for printing.  I merely point this out because PictBridge has the option to enable date stamps on the print output but you have to make sure both your camera & printer are compatible with the same standard.

 

There is also quite a bit of 3rd party software you can get for your computer that will add the date (and often date + time) stamps to the visible image.  

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

Another option if you are creating the printed documents in a word processor would be to copy the EXIF data (Just the basic data) and paste it into the document beside the picture or directly under it. There are a number of software for computers (Windows, MAc, and Linux) which can display the exif data and allow you to copy it to paste into a document.

 

 Ifranview is a simple and easy solution for Windows. You will have to search on your own for Mac or linux as I am not as familiar with them.

 

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

@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.

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"The right mouse button is your friend."


@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?

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

"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.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."
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