iPhoto 5.0.x: Incorrectly time-stamping videos, photos; Red-eye tool not working as well as version 4.0

Incorrectly time-stamping videos, photos We previously reported that the time-stamps generated for short videos imported into iPhoto 5.0.x are inaccurate. It now appears that this issue also affects images from some cameras.

In some cases, it appears that the metadata (containing date and time information) is stripped from movie files. Before being imported, the .AVI files show the appropriate data (from the metadata file) through other applications such as the browser software included with many devices. After importing the movies into iPhoto, the same data is gone, even when attempting viewing with the previously successful browsing application.

Meanwhile, MacFixIt reader Mike explains why the problem may be occurring with images:

"If you look to the AlbumData.xml file that iPhoto produces for third-party programs to interface with (i.e. myPhoto), you'll find that the date information for a large number of photos is wrong (they are stored as NSTimer time intervals which are the number of seconds since a set date). If you translate those intervals appropriately, you'll see that most of the photos are dated as being from some time during 12/31/2000.

For instance, for a photo that was taken in the evening of 10/30 :

• DateAsTimerInterval
• 1764.907847 --> "2000-12-31 19:29:24 -0500"
• ModDateAsTimerInterval
• 120933374.65015 --> "2004-10-31 11:36:14 -0500"

"Within iPhoto though, the date information appears to be correct *most* of the time (I presume it gets the data from the EXIF headers). However, if you select a photo and get info on it, you can occasionally find these invalid dates there as well (i.e. I have a photo where every date listed is 2/21/2003 but the modification date is listed in iPhoto as 12/31/2000)."

Red-eye tool not working as well as version 4.0 A number of readers are reporting disappointment with the red-eye reduction tool in iPhoto 5.0.x, noting its lackluster results when compared with the red-eye reduction tool in iPhoto 4.0.x.

Graham Jones writes:

"iPhoto '05 totally changed the way they do red-eye adjustments. What used to be one of the biggest features of the software is now virtually useless. iPhoto '04 was able to fix 90% of our red-eye shots. With iPhoto '05 we now don't even bother.

"Try zooming in to shots you compensated in '04 and ones you compensated in '05, and you'll be amazed at the difference."

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