There are some pictures taken from my camera (Sony alpha 6000) where both shotwell and darktable do not show any EXIF information, e.g. resulting in some images not added to the correct event date in shotwell and no automatic rotation.
I checked the metadata of these images both in shotwell and darktable, and both only have file name, all other stuff (camera make, ISO, shutter, date when picture was taken, etc) is empty.
The image details are fully and correctly displayed in Thunar and ristretto and both rotate the picture correctly.
Also, exiftool displays all information correctly.
Do you have any idea what could cause this? Where should I start troubleshooting?
Good point, I will try the flatpak version, maybe the issue is not there…
jhead, as well as exiftool both show correct image information:
$ jhead DSC03240.JPG
File name : DSC03240.JPG
File size : 10321920 bytes
File date : 2025:05:03 15:22:44
Camera make : SONY
Camera model : ILCE-6000
Date/Time : 2025:05:03 13:22:44
Resolution : 6000 x 4000
Orientation : rotate 90
Flash used : No
Focal length : 16.0mm (35mm equivalent: 24mm)
Exposure time: 0.017 s (1/60)
Aperture : f/5.0
ISO equiv. : 100
Whitebalance : Auto
Metering Mode: pattern
Exposure : program (auto)
JPEG Quality : 93
$ exiftool DSC03240.JPG
ExifTool Version Number : 12.65
File Name : DSC03240.JPG
Directory : .
File Size : 10 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2025:05:03 15:22:44+02:00
File Access Date/Time : 2025:05:19 21:29:21+02:00
File Inode Change Date/Time : 2025:05:13 20:29:37+02:00
File Permissions : -rwxr-xr-x
File Type : JPEG
File Type Extension : jpg
MIME Type : image/jpeg
Exif Byte Order : Little-endian (Intel, II)
Image Description :
Make : SONY
Camera Model Name : ILCE-6000
Orientation : Rotate 90 CW
X Resolution : 350
Y Resolution : 350
Resolution Unit : inches
Software : ILCE-6000 v3.21
Modify Date : 2025:05:03 13:22:44
Y Cb Cr Positioning : Co-sited
Exposure Time : 1/60
F Number : 5.0
ISO : 100
Sensitivity Type : Recommended Exposure Index
Recommended Exposure Index : 100
Exif Version : 0230
Date/Time Original : 2025:05:03 13:22:44
Create Date : 2025:05:03 13:22:44
Components Configuration : Y, Cb, Cr, -
Compressed Bits Per Pixel : 3
Brightness Value : 5.68125
Exposure Compensation : 0
Max Aperture Value : 3.5
Metering Mode : Multi-segment
Light Source : Unknown
Flash : Off, Did not fire
Focal Length : 16.0 mm
Rating : 0
Brightness : 0
Long Exposure Noise Reduction : On (unused)
High ISO Noise Reduction : Normal
HDR : Off; Uncorrected image
WB Shift AB GM : 0 0
Face Info Offset : 94
Sony Date Time : 2025:05:03 13:22:44
Sony Image Width : 6000
Faces Detected : 0
Face Info Length : 37
Meta Version : DC7303320222000
Creative Style : Standard
Color Temperature : Auto
Color Compensation Filter : 0
Scene Mode : Auto+
Zone Matching : ISO Setting Used
Dynamic Range Optimizer : Auto
Image Stabilization : On
Color Mode : Standard
Full Image Size : 6000x4000
Preview Image Size : 1616x1080
File Format : ARW 2.3.1
Quality : Fine
Flash Exposure Compensation : 0
White Balance Fine Tune : 0
White Balance : Auto
Sony Model ID : ILCE-6000
Teleconverter : None
Multi Frame Noise Reduction : Off
Picture Effect : Off
Soft Skin Effect : Off
Vignetting Correction : Auto
Lateral Chromatic Aberration : Auto
Distortion Correction Setting : Auto
Lens Type : E-Mount, T-Mount, Other Lens or no lens
Lens Spec : E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Auto Portrait Framed : No
Flash Action : Did not fire
Electronic Front Curtain Shutter: On
Focus Mode : AF-S
AF Area Mode Setting : Wide
Flexible Spot Position : 0 0
AF Point Selected : n/a
AF Points Used : (none)
AF Tracking : Off
Focal Plane AF Points Used : (none)
Multi Frame NR Effect : Normal
Flash Level : Normal
Release Mode : Normal
Sequence Number : Single
Anti-Blur : On (Shooting)
Shot Number Since Power Up : 1
Sequence Image Number : 1
Sequence File Number : 1
Sequence Length : 1 file
Camera Orientation : Rotate 90 CW
Quality 2 : JPEG
Sony Image Height : 4000
Model Release Year : 2014
ISO Setting : Auto
ISO Auto Min : Auto
ISO Auto Max : Auto
Ambient Temperature : 22 C
AF Area Mode : Multi
Focus Position 2 : 255
Exposure Program : iAuto+
Intelligent Auto : On
Lens Zoom Position : 0%
Sony ISO : 100
Base ISO : 100
Stops Above Base ISO : 0
Sony Exposure Time 2 : 1/67
Sony Max Aperture Value : 3.7
Sony Image Width Max : 6024
Sony Image Height Max : 4024
Picture Effect 2 : Off
Distortion Correction : Applied
Distortion Corr Params : 104 0 -144 -304 -512 -736 -1000 -1272 -1576 -1872 -2176 0 0 0 0 0
Vignetting Corr Params : 0 0 192 512 1024 1536 2432 3840 5952 8960 13056 0 0 0 0 0
Chromatic Aberration Corr Params: 64 64 96 168 280 416 616 944 1320 1688 1992 0 0 0 0 0 1544 1432 1288 1104 880 600 320 144 -80 -448 -1080 0 0 0 0 0
Battery Temperature : 30.6 C
Battery Level : 98%
Lens Mount 2 : E-mount
Lens Type 3 : Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Camera E-mount Version : 1.50
Lens E-mount Version : 1.20
Lens Firmware Version : Ver.01.129
Release Mode 3 : Normal
Self Timer : Off
Flash Mode : Fill-flash
HDR Setting : Off
Picture Profile : Gamma Still - Standard/Neutral (PP2)
WB RGB Levels : 677 256 477
Min Focal Length : 16.0 mm
Max Focal Length : 50.0 mm
Distortion Corr Params Number : 11 (APS-C)
Aspect Ratio : 3:2
Shutter : Mechanical (3644 5851 7360)
Flash Status : Built-in Flash present
Shutter Count : 3958
Sony Exposure Time : 1/67
Sony F Number : 5.0
Shutter Count 2 : 3958
Sony Date Time 2 : 2025:05:03 12:22:44
Release Mode 2 : Normal
Internal Serial Number : ccfdb90d
Lens Mount : E-mount
Lens Format : APS-C
Lens Type 2 : Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Distortion Corr Params Present : Yes
Lens Spec Features : E PZ OSS
User Comment :
Flashpix Version : 0100
Color Space : sRGB
Exif Image Width : 6000
Exif Image Height : 4000
Interoperability Index : R98 - DCF basic file (sRGB)
Interoperability Version : 0100
File Source : Digital Camera
Scene Type : Directly photographed
Custom Rendered : Normal
Exposure Mode : Auto
Digital Zoom Ratio : 1
Focal Length In 35mm Format : 24 mm
Scene Capture Type : Standard
Contrast : Normal
Saturation : Normal
Sharpness : Normal
Lens Info : 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6
Lens Model : E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
PrintIM Version : 0300
Compression : JPEG (old-style)
Thumbnail Offset : 38472
Thumbnail Length : 11812
MPF Version : 0100
Number Of Images : 2
MP Image Flags : Dependent child image
MP Image Format : JPEG
MP Image Type : Large Thumbnail (full HD equivalent)
MP Image Length : 1132825
MP Image Start : 9172480
Dependent Image 1 Entry Number : 0
Dependent Image 2 Entry Number : 0
Image Width : 6000
Image Height : 4000
Encoding Process : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample : 8
Color Components : 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling : YCbCr4:2:2 (2 1)
Aperture : 5.0
Blue Balance : 1.863281
Image Size : 6000x4000
Lens ID : Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Megapixels : 24.0
Red Balance : 2.644531
Scale Factor To 35 mm Equivalent: 1.5
Shutter Speed : 1/60
Thumbnail Image : (Binary data 11812 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Preview Image : (Binary data 1132825 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Focus Distance 2 : inf
Circle Of Confusion : 0.020 mm
Field Of View : 73.7 deg
Focal Length : 16.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 24.0 mm)
Hyperfocal Distance : 2.56 m
Light Value : 10.6
It shows perfectly well in Thunar (rotated), but when imported in shotwell (rpm), it is sorted under “No Event” and does not display any meta information on the right hand side (except the folder name).
That image shows correct in Darktable and Shotwell here, rotation, date, camera details…
Maybe create a fresh user and try there? Possibly a corrupt config of Shotwell on your current user?
You are correct, Darktable and Shotwell on Leap 15.6 have an issue with your sample photo, here on a pure default Gnome install so XFCE is not a factor apparently.
So, exif is using the same libexif as shotwell. However, exif displays the image’s metadata correctly (not about the role of libexiv2 or libgexiv2):
exif DSC03240.JPG
EXIF tags in 'DSC03240.JPG' ('Intel' byte order):
--------------------+----------------------------------------------------------
Tag |Value
--------------------+----------------------------------------------------------
Image Description |
Manufacturer |SONY
Model |ILCE-6000
Orientation |Right-top
X-Resolution |350
Y-Resolution |350
Resolution Unit |Inch
Software |ILCE-6000 v3.21
Date and Time |2025:05:03 13:22:44
YCbCr Positioning |Co-sited
PRINT Image Matching|106 bytes undefined data
Compression |JPEG compression
Image Description |
Manufacturer |SONY
Model |ILCE-6000
Orientation |Right-top
X-Resolution |72
Y-Resolution |72
Resolution Unit |Inch
Software |ILCE-6000 v3.21
Date and Time |2025:05:03 13:22:44
YCbCr Positioning |Co-sited
Exposure Time |1/60 sec.
F-Number |f/5.0
Exposure Program |Normal program
ISO Speed Ratings |100
Exif Version |Exif Version 2.3
Date and Time (Origi|2025:05:03 13:22:44
Date and Time (Digit|2025:05:03 13:22:44
Components Configura|Y Cb Cr -
Compressed Bits per | 3
Brightness |5.68 EV (175.81 cd/m^2)
Exposure Bias |0.00 EV
Maximum Aperture Val|3.62 EV (f/3.5)
Metering Mode |Pattern
Light Source |Unknown
Flash |Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length |16.0 mm
Maker Note |37116 bytes undefined data
User Comment |
FlashPixVersion |FlashPix Version 1.0
Color Space |sRGB
Pixel X Dimension |6000
Pixel Y Dimension |4000
File Source |DSC
Scene Type |Directly photographed
Custom Rendered |Normal process
Exposure Mode |Auto exposure
White Balance |Auto white balance
Digital Zoom Ratio |1.00
Focal Length in 35mm|24
Scene Capture Type |Standard
Contrast |Normal
Saturation |Normal
Sharpness |Normal
Lens Specification |16.0, 50.0, 3.5, 5.6
Lens Model |E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Interoperability Ind|R98
Interoperability Ver|0100
--------------------+----------------------------------------------------------
EXIF data contains a thumbnail (11812 bytes).
