[lalibertemarc]

Description

Fixes #1808 and #1612.

Exports from RAW files wrote incomplete and partly invalid EXIF. For RAW sources, the export took its values from RapidRAW's metadata cache, which stores display strings. It only read the RAW's own typed values when that cache was missing, which almost never happens once a folder has been browsed. As a result:

• DateTimeOriginal / CreateDate were written as 2026-09-12 13:41:33. EXIF requires 2026:09:12 13:41:33, so Windows Explorer's "Date taken" and Immich ignored the date (exiftool -validate flags it).
• White balance, flash, metering mode, exposure program and exposure bias were dropped, even though RapidRAW shows them in the metadata panel. Missing some EXIF in exported JPEG: Windows 11 #1612 is the same root cause on a DxO DNG.
• ExifVersion, FlashpixVersion and ComponentsConfiguration were missing, though the spec requires them.

Now the RAW's typed EXIF is always read first. The cache then overrides only the fields it already handled, so things like the Nikon lens name recovered from the MakerNote (#1823) are kept. Its dates are converted to EXIF format.

Type of Change

• Bug fix
• New feature
• Breaking change
• Performance improvement
• Code refactoring
• Documentation update
• UI/UX improvement
• Build/CI or Dependency update

Changes Made

• exif_processing.rs:
  • apply_exif_from_rawler (the former inline fallback block) now runs for every RAW source, before the cache values are applied. It also writes ShutterSpeedValue, ApertureValue and LensInfo (lens specification).
  • Cache dates go through format_creation_datetime(.., EXIF_DATETIME_FORMAT), which shares the parsing with the existing fmt_date_str.
  • ExifVersion (0232) and FlashpixVersion (0100) are always written, and ComponentsConfiguration is written for JPEG.
  • The RAW metadata is read once per export and shared by the EXIF and GPS steps. Before, GPS parsed the file a second time. read_raw_metadata, read_raw_metadata_from_path and both rawler apply functions now share one loader (raw_metadata_from_source) and two rational helpers (rawler_to_ur64 / rawler_to_ir64, next to the existing to_ur64 / to_ir64).

Screenshots/Videos

This one was already present, just showing no regression :

Testing

• These changes were tested locally by a human and confirmed to work.
• I haven't added any automated tests to the code because the codebase currently lacks a test suite.

Checked on NEF (Nikon D810), ARW (three Sony files, one with GPS), CR3, CR2, RAF and DNG:

• The capture date is in EXIF format.
• Make/model, lens, f-number, exposure time, ISO, focal length, exposure bias, program, metering, flash and white balance are present, along with shutter speed/aperture value and lens specification where the camera records them.
• GPS is still written for the ARW that has it.

Test Configuration:

• OS: Windows 10 Home (19045)
• Hardware: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070

Checklist

• My code follows the project's code style
• I haven't added unnecessary AI-generated code comments
• My changes generate no new warnings or errors

Additional Notes

• The timezone offset tags (BUG: JPEG export drops OffsetTimeOriginal / OffsetTime tags from source RAW #1241) are left to fix: preserve EXIF timezone offset in JPEG export #1246, and the UserComment charset header (BUG: Invalid charset error in Comments EXIF data #1161) is left alone too, to avoid stepping on existing work.
• Merges cleanly with fix: write EXIF metadata and the sRGB profile into TIFF exports #1752 (TIFF metadata) and with the companion XMP keywords PR fix(export): embed keywords, rating and label as XMP #1896.
• Not changed: when the cache is built from rawler, FocalLengthIn35mmFilm holds the real focal length rather than the 35mm equivalent. That was already the case before this PR, and the export still writes it from the cache.

AI Disclaimer:

Please state the involvement of AI in this PR:

• This PR is created by an AI agent
• This PR is mostly AI-generated but edited/merged together by a human
• This PR was handwritten with AI assistance (spell check, logic suggestions, error resolving)
• This PR contains only blood, sweat, and coffee (AI-free)

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[CyberTimon]

LGTM, thanks so much!!

[mlc]

thank you for this! I was in the process of writing up a bug for this and was delighted to find that not only was there a bug filed but a fix has already been merged!