Set your camera to daylight saving time
Sunday 29 March 2026, 13:26 by Nando Harmsen | 1,173 views | 3 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
It's that time again. The clocks go forward. Daylight saving time has arrived. That means changing the clocks. Don't forget the time in your camera or cameras. That needs changing too.
Daylight saving time means changing the clocks. Not literally moving the clock, but changing the time. I could never remember whether this was forward or back, until I heard the mnemonic: 'spring' means 'spring forward'. Now I never forget.
Clocks are in the most unlikely places. The wall clock, alarm clock, microwave, oven, coffee maker, watch and, don't forget, the car. Some things, or most things, now do this automatically.
The clock in your camera, action camera or drone doesn't do this automatically, though. You mustn't forget to change that clock if you want the correct timestamp in your photos. So go to the time settings and move the clock forward by one hour.
Some cameras have a special daylight saving time function. On Canon cameras, this is the sun symbol next to the time zone. That's handy for changing the clock without having to adjust the time. Check your camera's menu to see whether it has this useful function too.
Is the time correct, and have you changed the clock? Your photos will have the correct timestamp again. In six months, it will be time again. Then we'll switch back to winter time. But in the meantime, enjoy spring and summer.
About the author
Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.
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3 comments
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Hugo wrote on Monday 30 March 2026 at 17:09 | replyTo each their own. But my cameras are simply always set to U.T.... always the right time. Even when you are in an area where you switch from one time zone to another, you don't have to worry about the "right time".
Translated from Dutch. -
Jan Willem wrote on Tuesday 31 March 2026 at 12:38 | replyOops, in the 40 years that I've been taking photographs, I've never done that before and, to be honest, never thought of it either.
Translated from Dutch. -
martin0907@outlook.com wrote on Tuesday 31 March 2026 at 13:28 | replyDrone, camera. Everything always in UTC. When switching to/from daylight saving time, I do check the time on the cameras
Translated from Dutch.
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