Get rid of EXIF data from RAW files?

<p>Hi guys!<br>

Does anybody know how to get rid of (erase) Exif data (camera and lens information) from RAW files?<br>

I know how to do it with JPG files but I am wondering whether there is a software out there which erases all the exif info without changing the RAW files...<br>

Thanks!</p>

 

<p>Just delete the EXIF in your RAW processor when you convert the photos. Lightroom and Photoshop can do it easily.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

<p>The problem is that I don't want to convert the photos. I want to keep the photos in RAW format without the Exif data in it.....Any suggestions?</p>

<p>I've read somewhere that copying a image in PS and pasting it to a new document will strip the Exif data in the new document. I haven't tried it.</p>

<p>Graphic Converter software?</p>

<p>One of the nice things about RAW files is that they are supposed to be read-only (at least according to Adobe), so that editing is completely non-destructive, i.e., your edit instructions are written to a sidecar XMP file or you write the results of your edits to a TIFF or JPG file and the RAW file remains unmodified.</p>

<p>May I ask, why would you want to do this? Who is demanding your RAW files? I can think of a variety of reasons one might want to strip out EXIF info from a RAW file including situations like: (a) being embarrassed of that you took the image on a several year old camera; (b) you took the image on a Nikon and you now want to enter it in a contest sponsored by Canon and they demand you submit your RAW files; etc.. ;-) Well, in all these cases, because stripping EXIF info from a RAW file is so uncommon, when the recipient realizes that the usual info is missing from your RAW file, they will immediately suspect that you are up to something. Since you now realize this, to avoid this situation, you might be tempted to fake the EXIF data. In any case, you can see that this really is not a good road to go down.</p>

<p>OTOH there are legitimate reasons for photographers to remove the EXIF and/or IPTC info from JPGs and TIFFs that they send out. For example, you may not want to give away your "secret" settings. In this case, don't send the RAW file. This practice is common enough with JPGs and TIFFs so that the recipient of your image in these formats won't become suspicious if they find the image data is missing. On the other hand, stripping out all such info can be detrimental to the photographer. For example, your copyright statement and contact info get deleted if you strip out all of your IPTC info.</p>

<p>Tom M.</p>

This can be done in theory on many raw file formats that are well understood (e.g., NEF, CR2), although I don't know of a utility that does it. But, once stripped, it's not clear that raw processors will accept the resulting tampered-with raw. They may be programmed to look for certain EXIF data that they know is always there (after all, it's a raw, with no standards to follow), and get into trouble if the data isn't there.

 

That said, as has been noted above, it's unusual to send raws to someone to whom one does not wish to disclose EXIF data. That's probably why there are so few utilities to do it.

 

Wait... there is one utility worth checking into: ExifTool (google it).

 

--Marc

<p>Yup, I just tested it: ExifTool (...the GUI version) edits Nikon NEF RAW files. You can set it so that it automatically makes a backup of the original version of the file.</p>

<p>However, as Marc pointed out, if a field has no data, or unexpected data, NEF viewing / editing programs may not know how to handle the modified file and crash or do other unexpected / unwanted things.</p>

<p>Tom M.</p>

<p>I have always thought that because RAW files (including the EXIF data) can not be edited they could be used in a court of law where image tampering might affect the outcome of the 'case'. For this reason I hope that RAW images and their data can not be altered.</p>

Jeff--

 

Raw files can certainly be edited. That most utilities don't do it reflects the realities of the market, not any technical issues. There are, I understand, methods for digitally securing images, and I think some high-end SLRs (including my own Nikon D700) have such a feature, but this is a completely different thing. I have no idea of its evidentiary value.

 

In particular, the dates and times stored in a raw file should have no legal import, and I hope that's how the legal community treats them.

 

--Marc

<p>silly question... but why?</p>