Not able to convert HEIC files

[KeyPlayerMaek]

Hello.
I tried executing the following commands:

osxphotos export /Users/marek/Downloads/Export --directory "{created.year}/{created.month}" --download-missing --album "Risko a Lejko"

osxphotos export /Users/marek/Downloads/Export --directory "{created.year}/{created.month}" --download-missing --convert-to-jpeg --album "Risko a Lejko"

With the expectation that the second will either keep both HEIC files and their conversions, or just their conversions, but I'm getting exactly the same outputs for both commands - HEIC files for photos taken with the rear/main camera, JPG files for photos taken with the front camera and MOV files for videos.

Any ideas on what I'm missing? Is there a way to convert HEIC files to JPG files similar to what the Photos does when NOT exporting unmodified originals? Thanks in advance!

P.S.: I tried adding the --jpeg-quality 1.0 command, getting the same results, but as far as I understand it's optional if I want full quality. Also --has-raw is returning No photos.

[oPromessa]

Quick questions to see if we can help out:

• which MacOS version are you on?
• are you running o a virtual or physical machine?

Although some files may have HEIC extension they may actually be a JPG.

Run file command on the files to get their type:

$ file pic.heic

[KeyPlayerMaek]

marek@Mac-mini ~ % sw_vers
ProductName: macOS
ProductVersion: 15.3.2
BuildVersion: 24D81

Physical machine - Mac Mini M2

marek@Mac-mini April % file IMG_3534.HEIC
IMG_3534.HEIC: JPEG image data, JFIF standard 1.01, resolution (DPI), density 300x300, segment length 20, Exif Standard: [TIFF image data, big-endian, direntries=10, manufacturer=Apple, model=iPhone 13 mini, xresolution=156, yresolution=164, resolutionunit=2, software=18.3.2, datetime=2025:04:04 07:36:13, hostcomputer=iPhone 13 mini], baseline, precision 8, 1536x2048, components 3

[oPromessa]

RhetTbull has more experience than I, but it seems those files are already JPEG thus no conversion takes place. Try with a different file.

file output for a HEIC should be something like:

$ file heiC_file.HEIC

heiC_file.HEIC: ISO Media, HEIF Image HEVC Main or Main Still Picture Profile

[RhetTbull]

I will do some testing when I get a chance but this seems to me like the photo is already a JPEG and so was not converted. Why it has a .heic extension is a mystery. Try the following: Select one of the affected photos in Photos library view then run this command and post the output here:

osxphotos query --selected --print "{photo.original_filename} {photo.uti} {photo.uti_original} {photo.uti_edited}" --quiet

[RhetTbull]

No it's not because of Optimize Mac Storage. But that image appears to be a JPEG file even though it has a HEIC extension. What is the source of the image? Did you take the photo on the phone? Shared from someone else? Imported from camera? etc.

[KeyPlayerMaek]

Hmmm, there are some weird things going on. If I export a photo (via the Photos app) I took and shared in the Shared folder, from the Shared folder, I'm getting results as above. Meaning I'm getting a weird JPEG file dressed up as a HEIC file which has small resolution and an incorrect extension. Meaning your tool works fine, because I'm getting the same results with your tool and with the Photos app. But, when I export the same photo (again via the Photos app) directly from the Library I'm getting a much bigger (size and resolution) proper HEIC file...

[KeyPlayerMaek]

Learned something new...
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255117418?sortBy=rank
Please let me know if I should delete this whole discussion as it is quite off topic...

[RhetTbull]

Shared albums have always been reduced quality jpegs. What is weird is that the image has a .heic extension. Does this happen also when exporting the shared photo from Photos?

[KeyPlayerMaek]

Yes.