Problem
A copy utility preserves filenames but not camera-created modification timestamps, breaking chronological sorting used to reconstruct a multicamera shoot.
Solution
Root Cause / Diagnostic:
Standard operating system file transfer utilities often stamp the time of transfer as the file's creation/modification date rather than preserving the camera hardware's original metadata timestamps. This breaks time-of-day sequence sorting required for syncing multicam shoots without continuous timecode.
Actionable Fix:
1. Preservation-Grade Copy Flags: Utilize `rsync -avh --times` on macOS/Linux or `robocopy /E /DCOPY:DAT /COPY:DAT` on Windows to preserve all timestamps and attributes.
2. Dedicated Offload Utility: Deploy professional DIT offload tools (Silverstack or DaVinci Resolve Clone Tool) that natively maintain all original filesystem and EXIF creation dates.
3. Timestamp Verification: Inspect file attributes across source and destination volumes using `stat` or File Properties to verify identical creation dates down to the second.
Pro Tip:
Always use `robocopy` or `rsync -a` for manual transfers; standard drag-and-drop can strip original file modification timestamps and destroy your multicamera sync order.
Standard operating system file transfer utilities often stamp the time of transfer as the file's creation/modification date rather than preserving the camera hardware's original metadata timestamps. This breaks time-of-day sequence sorting required for syncing multicam shoots without continuous timecode.
Actionable Fix:
1. Preservation-Grade Copy Flags: Utilize `rsync -avh --times` on macOS/Linux or `robocopy /E /DCOPY:DAT /COPY:DAT` on Windows to preserve all timestamps and attributes.
2. Dedicated Offload Utility: Deploy professional DIT offload tools (Silverstack or DaVinci Resolve Clone Tool) that natively maintain all original filesystem and EXIF creation dates.
3. Timestamp Verification: Inspect file attributes across source and destination volumes using `stat` or File Properties to verify identical creation dates down to the second.
Pro Tip:
Always use `robocopy` or `rsync -a` for manual transfers; standard drag-and-drop can strip original file modification timestamps and destroy your multicamera sync order.