Change EXIF timestamp, file dates and other attributes.
A Better Finder Attributes allows you to change file and photo dates and times, as well as other useful file attributes that the Finder won't let you touch. Quickly change the following file attributes: modification date and time, creation date and time, batch adjust the Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) time & date that JPEG pictures were shot to compensate for timezones or incorrectly set camera clocks, set the file creation date to the time that a digital camera picture was taken, lock or unlock the file (prevents the name and the contents of the file to be modified, set the Mac OS 9-style creator & type codes, show or hide the file extension for particular files. A Better Finder Attributes is a great help for digital camera owners who wish to compensate for incorrectly set camera clocks or for timezone differences, web masters, CD or DVD disk authors, graphic arts practioners and software developers.
Pretty flexible - can change just the date, or date & time of files and folders.
Cons
Default setting is to change to today's date and time. Probably should default to "no action"
Summary
I had just a few pictures that my camera mis-dated (it suddenly decided it's 2013 already!), and this allowed me to change the year to the right one. If I had more such slip-ups, I would no doubt have gone ahead and donated. Might still do, just to support decent programs.
This is still v4.7.5, where's v4.7.6?
AlanG2
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />None of the links give you the v4.7.6 version mentioned
Just what I wanted
s_gans
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />In reviewing whether to buy this software, I read the review below, about the 1903 dates. Upon looking at some of my files that had been shot as jpegs, I noted the same problem BEFORE using ABFA. However, ABFA fixed it.
I bought this, because I sorely missed the functionality of Phototools on my Intel Mac. I have just used this to change the creation and modification dates of over 2,000 images to match the EXIF data (these attributes had been replaced with the current date, when converting from NEF to JPG and to DNG). It was quite intuitive to use, and amazingly speedy. Although I didn't need to convert any of my NEF's, I did test it on the files from my Nikon D40, and it worked perfectly.
I would like to see a PDF of the support documentation and help files, as I did have one question, and the help menu took me to the website for the answer. This could be a problem, if I have a question when using this on the road.
Despite this one issue, I'm going to get a LOT of good use from this program!
Not impressed. Thinks that we are back in 1903
flyinmac
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I thought by now that all new programs would be year 2000 compliant. Even my old Apple IIgs didn't have an issue with Year 2000 dates when I was running it with the latest OS for it at the time.
Not sure what is going on, but the time and date are correct on my Mac. I'm running OS 10.4.10 (note that is the current version released after 10.4.9 it is not 10.4.1 but 10.4.10). I am running this on a Mac Mini G4 1.25 GHz with 1 GB of RAM.
The date on my machine is currently August 3, 2007. It is now 7:34 P.M. in my area, and the time and date are correct.
And, I am working with a file that was created at 18:53:59 (that's 6:53 and 59 seconds in the evening).
For some reason, both the 4.3 version I was using of A Better Finder Attributes, and also the latest version 4.5.6 see the date as 1903.
For this file, it shows the creation date and time as being:
31 Dec 1903
15:00:00
So, for some reason August 3, 2007 is being reported as December 31, 1903
And, 6:53 P.M. is being reported as 3:00 P.M.
Very odd.
I guess I'll just use another tool (Miana) to change the dates manually. So much for an automated solution.
ABFA keeps getting better...
SPI...master...
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />What started out as a one-trick pony has evolved and keeps getting better. I've been using the Better Finder Series since the early days. Frank has continued to support the whole series and continues to improve the user interface and functionality. I have NEVER had a problem with any of the series and use ABFAttributes and ABFRenamer almost on a daily basis. Products like the one mentioned by the review following this one (Miana) are still in the one-trick phase and although it may do that one-trick well, it still isn't as funtional or elegant as ABFA.
Excellent, reliable product
mjtd
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I have used this programme for over a year now, and I have found it to be easy and elegant. I bought it originally because I was confronted with merging photos taken by three different people on a month's trip. All three cameras had different date and time settings. To make things more complicated, the three cameras had different image formats. When I first tried to merge, I wound up with a complete mess and the prospect of days of wotj; I took a second try using BFA and was able to get everything into the right order in just a few seconds. No fuss, no muss, no bother. I looked for free alternatives, but there are none that can do the job.
Works elegantly, consistently, and easily...
SPI...master...
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />If you really need to do attribute changes on a large number of files, this will do what you need.<p>..<p>
I recommend that readers discount the inane comments of "reviewers" like <b>"Oryman"</b> and <b>"gconway"</b> who don't actually review the functional aspects of the application but merely gripe about price, upgrade policy or installation mechanics. Neither one of these reviewers offer the name of a similar (<i>or functionally equal</i>) alternative utility or for that matter even demonstrate a knowledge of the ABF series. While <b>PhotoToolCM</b> is a great little CM...it currently is limited to working with JPGs ONLY...and it can only be executed on files selected in the finder which can be painfully slow when dealing with a number of files (see my comment below regarding CM actions on a large number of files). For anyone that really works with photos, the ability to work with all the other image formats (that also contain EXIF data) such as RAW, TIFF is also important...thus eliminating <b>PhotoToolCM</b> as a viable alternative. People like <b>"Oryman"</b> and <b>"gconway"</b> that post reviews here should limit their commentary to useful information and ratings rather that just give across the board unfair ratings that do not provide value to other readers of this site.<p>..<p>
<b>One issue regarding using CMs on numerous files at once</b>...(<i>as mentioned above</i>)...<p>
If you use the contextual menu to execute the action on a large selection of files it will take a long time to setup the action...the workaround to eliminate this delay is to select the folder and perform the action on the contents of the folder (rather than the individually selected files). This issue is a function of the way contextual menus are executed by the OS, not ABFseries utilities.
<p>..<p>
If you have a need for either simple or complex modification of file attributes, without having to drop into (or for that matter learn) Unix/BSD type utilities, or other tools....the A Better Finder Attributes utility will serve your needs. As far as the "price" issue goes...Hey, the $10 is cheap compared to the value of MY time...but if your time isn't worth that much, I guess you have other problems you should be dealing with rather than writing inane reviews. Kudos to those programmers that keep their software prices reasonable relative to the quality.
Overpriced, Lousy Upgrade Policy, Other apps do it...
gconway
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...for free<br />This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is part of a "suite" of "Better" apps, each priced separately so the author can charge far more for the group than they're worth. And unlike almost every other shareware app, upgrades are not free. Check out versiontracker for all the other apps that do the same job for nothing.
Works like a charm...
SPI...master...
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Thanks Frank...now when camera files get get improperly imported and arrive without proper creation dates they can be fixed. Glad to see this feature in the OSX version...I came to rely on it in OS9 and am very pleased to see it native X. Great utilities!
SPI...master...
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I have used the Better Finder Series (Rename,Select,Attributes,Creators) for 3+ years now. Early on, the developer was beat up for having an odd shareware payment