These are the EXIF tags of the same file viewed in another program after tagging in MC:
Camera
Make OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO.,LTD
Model E-20,E-20N,E-20P
Orientation upper left
X resolution 144
Y resolution 144
Resolution unit 2
Software 29-1104
Datetime 2002:12:13 00:49:31
YCbCr positioning co-sited
Image
Image description OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Exposure time 1/6 s
F-number 2.4
Exposure program Aperture priority
ISO speed ratings 80
Date/time original 2002:12:13 00:49:31
Date/time digitized 2002:12:13 00:49:31
Component config YCbCr
Exposure bias value -0.3
Max. aperture value 2.06
Metering mode Pattern
Flash Flash did not fire
Focal length 36 mm
User comment
Colorspace sRGB
Pixel X dimension 2560
Pixel Y dimension 1920
Artist
Copyright
Miscellaneous
Exif version (30,32,31,30)
Maker note (4f,4c,59,4d,50,00,01,00,00,46,02,00,00, ...a very long code, truncated
FlashPix version (30,31,30,30)
File source DSC
It looks like the MC's proprietary tags do not disturb other EXIF aware programs. So I guess it is OK.
Actually I am more concerned about the file dates.
However, sometimes the dates seem to change anyway. I have recently often discovered that in many folders all files have new dates without an apparent reason.
I would like to use MC for renaming the files from tags, so "read-only" is not an option.
Since the original dates are saved in EXIF, perhaps I could stop worrying about the dates and include the [Date (filename friendly)] string when renaming the files with MC. In that way I could see also with Windows Explorer when the photos were taken.