What does the EXIF GPSTimeStamp tag represent, and why can it differ from DateTimeOriginal?
Asked 6/2/2016
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2 answers
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I’m comparing EXIF metadata from phone photos and noticed that GPS GPSTimeStamp often differs from DateTimeOriginal. The gap is usually a second or two, but sometimes much larger. In many cases GPSTimeStamp is earlier than DateTimeOriginal.
What exactly does GPSTimeStamp refer to on phones? Is it the time the photo was taken, or the time the GPS location fix was obtained?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
8
Yes, it is the time at which the location was determined. That may be a second before the picture was taken, but it could be much more, if for example you are in a canyon and the GPS is unable to make a fix.
Originally by user27944. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27944
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
GPSTimeStamp generally refers to the time the GPS location was determined, not necessarily the exact instant the photo was captured.
That means it can be earlier than DateTimeOriginal by a small amount—or by much more if the device is reusing an older location fix because it could not get a fresh one quickly. For example, weak reception or obstructed sky view can delay or prevent a current GPS fix.
So your theory is correct: GPSTimeStamp is typically the timestamp of the GPS fix associated with the photo’s location tags, while DateTimeOriginal is the camera’s capture time.
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