Why does Photoshop remove some EXIF fields when saving a JPEG?
Asked 11/22/2011
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Photos from my Canon EOS 5D contain EXIF data that I can view in IrfanView, including items like camera serial number, firmware version, file number, camera temperature, and JPEG quality. After a simple edit in Photoshop CS5, such as open, resize, and Save As JPEG, some metadata remains but these specific fields disappear. This happens with both JPEGs and RAW files. Why does Photoshop keep some EXIF fields but discard others?
Originally by anon. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
anon
14y ago
2 Answers
11
EXIF is a standard that programs such as Photoshop support. Within the standard is a reservation for 'Maker Notes' or custom EXIF fields that camera manufacturers use for a variety of reasons (such as shutter count in Canon 1D series). Many of these Maker Notes are used by the camera manufacturer for internal purposes, and while exposed within the image, are not really intended to provide any externally useful data.
Some online communities and the occasional program, such as Infraview, have deciphered (or think they have) some of these Maker Notes, and will reveal them. However, since they are not part of the standard, they can be changed at any time by the camera manufacturer, without warning. And of course, they could be entirely wrong.
I suspect Photoshop supports the EXIF standard, but does not expose the Maker Notes. The EXIF isn't missing, it just is not exposed in PS interfaces. Its possible that PS does not write into these Maker Note "slots" and the effect is 'lost' data.
Originally by user4880. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4880
14y ago
0
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Photoshop generally preserves standard EXIF metadata, but some of the fields you listed are likely stored in manufacturer-specific "Maker Notes" rather than in the core EXIF standard.
Standard EXIF fields such as make, model, and date/time are widely supported, so they tend to survive normal saves. Canon-specific fields like serial number, firmware version, file number, camera temperature, and sometimes quality settings may be proprietary metadata. Programs like IrfanView can often read and display these notes, but they are not guaranteed to be preserved by other software.
Because Maker Notes are vendor-defined and can vary by camera model or firmware, editing software may ignore, rewrite, or drop them when the file is re-saved. That is why only some metadata disappears.
One common exception is using "Save for Web," which is known to strip metadata more aggressively. But even with a normal Save As JPEG, proprietary fields may still be lost.
So the short answer is: Photoshop keeps standard EXIF more reliably than manufacturer-specific metadata.
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