3 ms·

Why is it that cameras automatically add metadata to photos, anyway? If I go to buy a camera, what I expect it to do is take photos and that's it, not to add so

Why is it that cameras automatically add metadata to photos, anyway? If I go to buy a camera, what I expect it to do is take photos and that's it, not to add some data to the photos without asking me.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
obeattie 6y ago
We have very different expectations. I'd be pretty annoyed if I couldn't browse and sort my photos by date taken.
- axguscbklp 6y ago
  That makes sense. I myself would prefer to have to do something to get the camera to add a timestamp to a photo but I can understand that probably so many people want it to be the default that there's little reason for manufacturers to not make it the default.
  - arendtio 6y ago
    Btw. it is not just about date and location. Many cameras also add the lens, aperture, exposure time and the like, which can be very useful for post-processing. I think most EXIF information isn't that sensitive. And regarding the timestamp: it isn't that accurate after all, because the timezone is 'local' (whatever that means). So if you don't know where the picture has been taken or can't be sure that the device actually uses the local timezone (who changes the time on his DSLR when he travels to a different timezone?), you can only derive the date with certainty. After all, whenever you post an image online you should be aware of the information you put out there. For example, if you are an American and in the background of the picture is the Eiffel Tower, a burglar doesn't have to be Sherlock Homes to guess that you are on vacation. In addition, the article is about the information that is not explicitly encoded into the image (like EXIF), but implicitly reveals the sensor fingerprint, which you would not see even if you would take a look at every byte in the file, because you need to know what exactly to look for. If you know what too look for, you could theoretically see it even on the printed version of the picture ;-)
DJBunnies 6y ago
Probably similar reasons to why laser printers encode information in its dot patterns. They want to track you.
- cassepipe 6y ago
  Had never heard of it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code
  - reificator 6y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code
roywashere 6y ago
At least the date and time you took the photo are very helpful, and I'm glad it is there when looking through my photos. When we switched to APS cameras end of the 90s this info was also added to film photos. (Edit: EPS -> APS)
- ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
  APS. That’s a term I haven’t seen in a while. It was a pretty “flash in the pan” spec that only lasted for a few years, and never caught on. My wife has a very nice APS SLR that is covered in dust. We stopped being able to get film for it, even before digital cameras started to take off. It was too little, too late. Pros never took to it, and the smaller size and variable aspect made it less-than-ideal for consumer printing.
nextlevelwizard 6y ago
Your expectations don't gel with what actual users of these cameras expect. Normal users want this metadata to help with organizing their photos and help with post processing. I am sure the user manual tells you what EXIF data is stored by default and how to disable the data if you so choose. Howeve if you actually read the article you'd know this is not about metadata at all.
- axguscbklp 6y ago
  I did read the article, but I figured this comment section would be a good place to put a question about metadata.
formerly_proven 6y ago
Contrary to the article ("hidden information", "parasitically burrows itself into every photo", "not the only thing hidden in your photos") which tries hard to make it sound somewhat shady, EXIF metadata is neither hidden nor hard to remove. In fact, it is hidden so badly, that even Windows Explorer can view and edit it. Virtually every photo/image editing tool shows it and can remove it as well.
foobar33333 6y ago
Because the data is insanely useful. iOS uses it to show a map of your photos so you can browse by location. Google photos also lets you search by location. It can also be used by image processing software to apply default settings when importing photos from cameras. You may have set up different profiles for different cameras based on what you have found looks best for the hardware. Almost all social media strips this data other than really amateur stuff or 4chan. Or in the case of vice, their own site.
- steinuil 6y ago
  4chan does strip exif data. Sometimes when people posted photos with location data somebody would notice and order a pizza to their location, back when it was still a relatively civil place, then at some point they started removing it.
betterunix2 6y ago
To help users organize their photos by location, date, and time. Nothing nefarious about it, it is something that the majority of people find convenient.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

obeattie 6y ago

We have very different expectations. I'd be pretty annoyed if I couldn't browse and sort my photos by date taken.

axguscbklp 6y ago
That makes sense. I myself would prefer to have to do something to get the camera to add a timestamp to a photo but I can understand that probably so many people want it to be the default that there's little reason for manufacturers to not make it the default.
- arendtio 6y ago
  Btw. it is not just about date and location. Many cameras also add the lens, aperture, exposure time and the like, which can be very useful for post-processing. I think most EXIF information isn't that sensitive. And regarding the timestamp: it isn't that accurate after all, because the timezone is 'local' (whatever that means). So if you don't know where the picture has been taken or can't be sure that the device actually uses the local timezone (who changes the time on his DSLR when he travels to a different timezone?), you can only derive the date with certainty. After all, whenever you post an image online you should be aware of the information you put out there. For example, if you are an American and in the background of the picture is the Eiffel Tower, a burglar doesn't have to be Sherlock Homes to guess that you are on vacation. In addition, the article is about the information that is not explicitly encoded into the image (like EXIF), but implicitly reveals the sensor fingerprint, which you would not see even if you would take a look at every byte in the file, because you need to know what exactly to look for. If you know what too look for, you could theoretically see it even on the printed version of the picture ;-)

DJBunnies 6y ago

Probably similar reasons to why laser printers encode information in its dot patterns. They want to track you.

cassepipe 6y ago
Had never heard of it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code
- reificator 6y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code

roywashere 6y ago

At least the date and time you took the photo are very helpful, and I'm glad it is there when looking through my photos. When we switched to APS cameras end of the 90s this info was also added to film photos. (Edit: EPS -> APS)

ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
APS. That’s a term I haven’t seen in a while. It was a pretty “flash in the pan” spec that only lasted for a few years, and never caught on. My wife has a very nice APS SLR that is covered in dust. We stopped being able to get film for it, even before digital cameras started to take off. It was too little, too late. Pros never took to it, and the smaller size and variable aspect made it less-than-ideal for consumer printing.

nextlevelwizard 6y ago

Your expectations don't gel with what actual users of these cameras expect. Normal users want this metadata to help with organizing their photos and help with post processing. I am sure the user manual tells you what EXIF data is stored by default and how to disable the data if you so choose. Howeve if you actually read the article you'd know this is not about metadata at all.

axguscbklp 6y ago
I did read the article, but I figured this comment section would be a good place to put a question about metadata.

formerly_proven 6y ago

Contrary to the article ("hidden information", "parasitically burrows itself into every photo", "not the only thing hidden in your photos") which tries hard to make it sound somewhat shady, EXIF metadata is neither hidden nor hard to remove. In fact, it is hidden so badly, that even Windows Explorer can view and edit it. Virtually every photo/image editing tool shows it and can remove it as well.

foobar33333 6y ago

Because the data is insanely useful. iOS uses it to show a map of your photos so you can browse by location. Google photos also lets you search by location. It can also be used by image processing software to apply default settings when importing photos from cameras. You may have set up different profiles for different cameras based on what you have found looks best for the hardware. Almost all social media strips this data other than really amateur stuff or 4chan. Or in the case of vice, their own site.

steinuil 6y ago
4chan does strip exif data. Sometimes when people posted photos with location data somebody would notice and order a pizza to their location, back when it was still a relatively civil place, then at some point they started removing it.

betterunix2 6y ago

To help users organize their photos by location, date, and time. Nothing nefarious about it, it is something that the majority of people find convenient.