Which Exiftool for a Dummie ???

Software
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64-bit Windows 7 Pro (and Home Premium)
In many of you guy’s posts, there is reference to using Exiftool; so, I got curious and searched it up.
There were two packages available, a “platform independent” Perl library something or other, and a standalone Windows Executable.
Somewhat puzzling is that the full package download is 4.1MB and the Windows Executable that says it doesn’t contain several things that are in the other is 5.9MB; both are version 10.68 05-Dec-2017.
I have downloaded both packages.
I guess my most important question is I downloaded the packages from the page link shown below;

  1. are these downloads trustworthy and safe?

https://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

  1. I get lost in a lot of this terminology and probably am not smart enough to use either; considering that, which package is best for me?
    The one says it requires Perl (whatever that is), but if I read right, the Perl is included in the package.
    Some of my image editing programs mess around with the metadata, making changes or deleting fields that I don’t want messed with;
  2. does this tool fix such manipulations, setting things back to rights ?
    Sorry for so many questions at once; these are just a few of the many I have.
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@BuckSkin the Windows Executable version will work for you without any extra effort, while the other one would require that you install Perl.

ExifTool can’t undo metadata modifications other tools made, no tool can, but what you can do is to backup your metadata into external files, and then write it back if needed. Though if you find yourself needing to do that, seriously reconsider the other programs you use.

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In addition to what @Morgan_Hardwood has said, when I’m working with exiftool, I make a copy of part of my library to test on before doing anything.

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Thanks !
Will the Windows Executable version do everything that the Perl version does?

As for the programs manipulating the data, I use Elements 7 A LOT; if I make the mistake of taggng or geolocating something in digiKam before Elements sees it, then for some mysterious reason, my Author and Copyright names will disappear; however, if I open the files in Elements first, then I can do whatever in digiKam and go back and forth between digiKam and Elements a dozen times and everything will remain intact.

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Thanks! That is good advice; it is not unlike the recommendations on miracle cleaning solutions that say to test on a hidden spot first.

As per what Morgan said, I like the part about being able to backup the metadata in external files.

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That is the author’s website, and he publishes the checksum so you can verify that the files you download are as he published them, and haven’t been hacked (unless the hackers have also hacked the checksums).

I’ve used exiftool extensively, and never had reason to think it does anything naughty (like planting a virus, or copying my images to someone’s server).

Personally, I never change files I’ve downloaded from cameras. I don’t trust any software that much. Even more, I don’t trust my own ability to never make mistakes.

Perl or not perl?

I’m on Windows (8.1). I’ve always used the non-Perl version. As far as I know, there is no difference in functionality.

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By default, exiftool creates a copy of the original file so you don’t have to worry about making a mistake. However, that quickly gobbles up disk space if you do it to a batch of files. I suggest that, if you are worried about doing the wrong thing, test one file of a set first and then apply what you have learned to a batch (overwrite if you are confident). You could also transfer metadata from the raws to the exported TIFs or JPGs. That is safer.

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Thanks for the information and the advice on which version to use; and, thanks for confirming the integrity of the downloads.

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Thanks, afre

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while we’re at it: is there an easy-to-use (!) GUI exif-editor for Linux?

exemple: when scanning a film, all images get the exif of the … filmscanner, right. When photographing the négatives through my macro-lens (better resolution) the exif state my digital camera and macro-lens.

I’d like to change that an punch in the camera, lens and film I used for the picture.

Exiftool is a pain in the southmost part of my … well I don’t like it. Any alternative?

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Please understand that I am probably the dullest knife in this drawer, but I will share what little I know.

I have been using FastStone in Windows for a long time.

Just two nights ago, I managed to successfully install a Linux O/S in dual-boot configuration on one of our machines; Zorin OS.

I barely know what I am doing in Zorin, but I did manage to install FastStone via Wine; I click the FastStone icon and it comes up and acts as if it is going to work, but I haven’t yet put it to the test.

I said all of that to say this: With FastStone, I can select a whole group of images > right-click one of the selected images > choose Properties > click the Details tab, and I can then add and edit most of the fields shown; FastStone is the best and easiest at this of any of the many programs we have.

I can also change the “Date Taken” in FastStone, right down to the minute; this is best done by clicking Tools and choosing Adjust Time (or whatever it says)

I, too, have a gazillion old photos, of which I have scanned maybe a tenth of them; and, I like to apply the Date Taken and such as best I can; plus, I like to identify whoever, whatever, and wherever, when this information is available; this is not as easy as it could have been twenty years ago, as a lot of that knowledge is now laying over at Haven Hill.

I will say this about FastStone; it is so good at so many things that it is worth the aggravation of keeping a Windows O/S around just for that — unless it proves to work well via Wine.

Enough about that; which yields the best product for you, scanning or macro-photographing ?

When macro-photographing, do you have a special set-up, or just steady hand-held ?

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digiKam or pyExifToolGUI