charmfix

Repair the EXIF metadata of Kodak Charmera photos so Apple Photos, and everything else, shows the right date, size and camera. Only metadata changes: every byte of image data stays the same (→ REPAIRS.md), and charmfix checks this before it writes each file (→ REPAIRS.md). Source files are never modified (→ CLI.md). Repaired copies go to a separate folder.

What is wrong with Charmera files

The Charmera uses a Generalplus chip; its JPEGs carry a GPEncoder comment. Most files have no EXIF at all, so Photos falls back to the import or copy date. Other firmware writes broken EXIF: dates like 2026:03:03:12:16:29, a 640×480 size on a 1440×1080 image, or a MakerNote that points outside the EXIF block. charmfix fixes all of these; the exact rules are in REPAIRS.md.

Install

Released versions are published to PyPI. With uv:

uv tool install charmfix   # puts `charmfix` on your PATH
uvx charmfix -h            # or run it without installing

pipx install charmfix works too. Before the first release, or to run unreleased changes, install from a checkout of this repository (→ DEVELOPMENT.md):

uv tool install .
uvx --from . charmfix -h

Supported Python versions → DEVELOPMENT.md.

Usage

charmfix /Volumes/CHARMERA                     # writes to ~/Pictures/Kodak Charmera Repaired
charmfix /Volumes/CHARMERA -o ~/Desktop/fixed --report ~/Desktop/charmfix-report.json
charmfix /Volumes/CHARMERA --dry-run -v        # show what would change, write nothing

Without -o, copies go to the default output folder → CLI.md. All options, exit codes and the report format are in CLI.md. Each file gets a status → REPAIRS.md. Running charmfix again on the same card skips files it has already written → CLI.md.

Run it on the card itself. When a file has no usable EXIF date (often no EXIF at all), the capture date is the file's modification time, which the camera sets when it takes the photo (rule 1a). Use the mounted card, or a copy that kept the times (cp -p, Finder copy). Downloaded or exported files usually carry the copy time instead.

macOS blocks the card? Follow the hint charmfix prints (→ CLI.md): allow the app you run it from under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders → Removable Volumes (or Full Disk Access), then restart that app.

Apple Photos workflow

1. Insert the card and run charmfix /Volumes/<card> --report ~/charmfix-report.json.
2. Check the summary and look at any partial or failed lines.
3. In Photos, choose File → Import… and pick the output folder.

Documentation

License

MIT → LICENSE.