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

[theotherdtown]

Thanks, but that doesn't address the issue.  The issue is that when photos are uploaded from my Mac to Dropbox, the creation date is overwritten as the upload date.  If I download back to the Mac, I can again see the creation date, but it's now the date of download.  Another contributer said that the real creation date is preserved by Dropbox, but you have to access the EXIF data on Dropbox.  The instructions for doing this don't work (at least in a Chrome browser).  So the question remains: how do I view the creation date of a photo that has been uploaded to Dropbox on Dropbox?

[Walter]

I am sorry to let you know about this @theotherdtown but you'll have to download the file to see its EXIF data using the steps in my previous reply -since this information is not displayed on Dropbox.com. If you are not able to see the files' creation dates make sure that you are running a file system that supports extended attributes.

[theotherdtown]

It's really frustrating that you're completely ignoring what I'm saying. PLEASE READ:

"If I download back to the Mac, I can again see the creation date, but it's now the date of download. "

Dropbox is OVERWRITING the creation date. How can I view the REAL creation date, not the date of upload or download, either on Dropbox OR after downloading from Dropbox.

Again, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY WITHOUT CAREFULLY READING WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN.

[Walter]

Thanks for the update and sorry for my misunderstanding @theotherdtown!

In order to have a more in depth look into this and , if needed, escalate your case to an expert of my team, I have reached out to you directly via email to the address you use for your Community profile. 

Get back to me there when you find the time and we'll take it from there.

Thanks in advance and enjoy the rest of your day - talk to you via email!

[cd6]

Can't believe any photo management service would ignore this. It's fundamental. As the other user said, who cares when a photo was down/up loaded. Only glad I checked this out first. Now I cancel my subscription.

[Walter]

Hey there @cd6 - are you having issues with our automatic Camera Uploads feature? 

Can you let me know where exactly are you seeing this ( desktop/mobile or website)?

Dropbox would never tamper with the metadata ( or EXIF info if you prefer) meaning that all you'd have to do to see the original creation date is download the file in question and check its metadata ( you'll be needing another app/service to do this).

If you're having this while using our desktop application and within your Dropbox Folder, please send a screenshot of the problem as well as this would be very strange indeed. 

To quote Rich's answer:

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.com. 

[Pics1]

Hi, I am having exactly the same issue. I psy so much for storage space and I can't use it as when I transfer photos off mac to dropbox all the data i.e. time, date etc is overwritten by modification date - being the date it was transferred. SO so so annoying. Surely this is solvable. I have been in contact  with people from dropbox and nothing has been resolved. 

[Mark]

I suppose the issue is that actually it is working as they intended it to work (and so there is not actually anything to 'solve'). What people actually want is a Feature Request to change how this works. For that I suggest posting at https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Share-an-idea/ct-p/101002000

[cd6]

The problem is people don't know this data will not be available. We are used to clicking a photo and seeing this data. Most people will think Dropbox, whose purpose is to store and organise our photos, will show it.

[mw17]

How is this STILL not updated/fixed?

This almost makes me want to cancel my subscription...