Can a JPEG with all EXIF removed still reveal what camera or software created it?
Asked 11/17/2016
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2 answers
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I have a JPEG file whose EXIF metadata has been completely stripped. I know the image was edited, and I’m wondering whether anything else inside the JPEG might still indicate what camera, firmware, editor, or library created or saved it. For example, do programs like Photoshop leave identifiable traces in the JPEG structure beyond EXIF? Or once all metadata is removed, is it no longer possible to tell?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
8
JPEGsnoop compares the compression signature in a JPEG with its database of known combinations of signatures and software/firmware, and gives a list of software/cameras that match the signature of the input image. Here is some sample output:
*** Searching Compression Signatures ***
Signature: 013BA18D5561625796E986FDBC09F846
Signature (Rotated): 01AC57E12793DFA7C46C704625C5AF0F
File Offset: 0 bytes
Chroma subsampling: 2x2
EXIF Make/Model: NONE
EXIF Makernotes: NONE
EXIF Software: NONE
Searching Compression Signatures: (3347 built-in, 0 user(*) )
EXIF.Make / Software EXIF.Model Quality Subsamp Match?
------------------------- ----------------------------------- ---------------- --------------
CAM:[??? ] [Treo 680 ] [ ] Yes
CAM:[Canon ] [Canon PowerShot Pro1 ] [fine ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E2500 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E3100 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E4500 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E5000 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E5700 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E775 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[NIKON ] [E885 ] [FINE ] No
CAM:[OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO.,LTD ] [C3040Z ] [ ] No
CAM:[PENTAX ] [PENTAX Optio 550 ] [ ] No
CAM:[Research In Motion ] [BlackBerry 9530 ] [Superfine ] Yes
CAM:[SEIKO EPSON CORP. ] [PhotoPC 3000Z ] [ ] No
CAM:[SONY ] [DSC-H7 ] [ ] No
CAM:[SONY ] [DSC-H9 ] [ ] No
CAM:[SONY ] [DSC-S90 ] [ ] No
CAM:[SONY ] [DSC-W1 ] [ ] No
CAM:[SONY ] [SONY ] [ ] No
SW :[ACDSee ] [ ]
SW :[FixFoto ] [fine ]
SW :[IJG Library ] [090 ]
SW :[ZoomBrowser EX ] [high ]
The following IJG-based editors also match this signature:
SW :[GIMP ] [090 ]
SW :[IrfanView ] [090 ]
SW :[idImager ] [090 ]
SW :[FastStone Image Viewer ] [090 ]
SW :[NeatImage ] [090 ]
SW :[Paint.NET ] [090 ]
SW :[Photomatix ] [090 ]
SW :[XnView ] [090 ]
Based on the analysis of compression characteristics and EXIF metadata:
ASSESSMENT: Class 1 - Image is processed/edited
This may be a new software editor for the database.
If this file is processed, and editor doesn't appear in list above,
PLEASE ADD TO DATABASE with [Tools->Add Camera to DB]
Originally by user38159. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38159
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Sometimes, but not reliably. A JPEG can contain several kinds of metadata besides EXIF, and all of them can be removed. If that has happened, there may be no explicit camera or software identifier left.
In some cases, tools such as JPEGsnoop can compare the JPEG’s compression signature, subsampling, and encoding patterns against known signatures from cameras or software. That may suggest likely matches for a camera, firmware, or editing program.
However, this is only heuristic evidence, not proof. Different programs may use the same JPEG library, and an image might have been created or re-saved entirely in software with no camera-specific data at all. For example, someone could make a new file in an editor and paste image content into it, leaving no trace of the original camera.
So the practical answer is: yes, there may be indirect clues in the file structure or compression behavior, but if all metadata is stripped, you usually cannot determine the source with certainty.
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