Camera Upload- Preserve Original Photo creation Dates?

[Andy T.3]

Hello, I have a great deal of photos on my Iphone that I am contemplating to use DropBox. Archiving is very important to me with original creation dates. If I use the Camere Upload app, will the photo uploaded to Dropbox have the original creation date and other meta data (camera used, gps info). It is very important that I have the original creation date on my pictures and have this file be accessible on my other devices.

In Mac and MS Windows, if I move a file (cut/cop), the creation date is preserved. If I copy a file, the creation date becomes the date when the file was copied. So in the Camera Upload app am I copying or moving? Or I can do both?

-Andy

[JKP]

No, still no solution. Please share. Thanks

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@Ed wrote:

Hi there,

Sorry for the delay - are you still having issues?

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Yes

[Rich · Accepted solution]

This has not changed and, with the upcoming changes to the way photos are handled, I don't see this changing anytime soon.

The modified date will always be the date that the file was uploaded. Your photos still retain the date that they were taken within the EXIF data of the file. That information, however, is not displayed on Dropbox.

[Jane]

Hey  JKP and all!

Thanks for taking the time to get in touch with us on the Community! 

As @Rich stated above, currently, preserving the metadata associated with the file creation is not a feature within Dropbox, since the metadata we keep track of is when the photo was first uploaded on Camera Uploads, though, because we’re always looking for user input when building out new features, I'll make sure your comments are passed along to our Dropbox development team for further review. 

Again, thanks for all the time you have devoted in sending this feedback, we appreciate it a lot! 

Kind regards, 

JaneA

[MGJones]

I think this is shocking! Surley, it's fundamental for any 'file storage system' to preserve the creation dates of all files. My goodness has Dropbox scrubbed this information on everything I've uploaded?  

[MGJones]

On closer inspection... It seems that in 'Photos' the 'creation dates' are preserved. Phew! This thread had got me worried.

[fencetsang]

Could you share how can I see the EXIF data if Dropbox is no longer displaying it? I really want to organise and track some photos taken date from time to time.
Thanks in advance.

[fencetsang]

in my case the creation dates become the upload date...not the photo taken date

[sallywr]

I don't see where anyone has answered the repeated question - How to see the creation date of a photo once it is downloaded into Dropbox.  Right click on the photo in Dropbox and click "Properties".  Then click the tab at the top of the newly opened window that reads, "Details".  Under the heading "Origin" you should see "Date Taken" and there it is! 

Hope this is helpful.

[theotherdtown]

HOW do we access the EXIF data?  Another user selected right clicking to access "Properties," but no such option is displayed when I right click.  If I download, the photo now has a creation date that is download date.  I have lost the dates on literally hundreds of photos of my son's first year, and it's pretty heartbreaking.

[Walter]

Hey there @theotherdtown - how are ytou today?

As you mention you can't see the "Properties" option I imagine you are using a Mac computer. While this is not actually Dropbox related (directly at least), this is what I was able to find for you:

This is how to bring up EXIF, location, and other metadata information in Photos for Mac:

1. Launch Photos on your Mac.
2. Select the picture you want to find out about.
3. Click on Window > Info in the menu. (Or just hit Command + I.)

I hope this helps and please let me know what you find. Thanks!