Information about personalization of the camera.
In which the brand, model, user listed as the owner of the camera, serial number and resolution used is included. Information related to the file, with its format type and its resolution. To print all metadata information for an image, including duplicate and unknown labels, sorted by group: It may be interesting to be able to group it by information type groups…Įxiftool -a -u -g1 /home/marcos/DCIM/347CANON/_MG_4757.JPG
We can also get the number of camera focus points and their resolution, in pixels.Ĭertainly, much information can be extracted from an image in good conditions. However, if we continue reading the screen, we find the brand and model, the Firmware it uses, with the name that has been registered as its owner and with its serial number. So far, we have some data, perhaps you think that without importance. And if not, we can see the focal length of the lens. Hopefully, we can recognize the lens used. In this case both the digital negative, CR2, and the JPEG file have been recorded, (Manias that I have). We can see the recording mode of the image in the camera. We can also see the focal length used and some more configuration data of the camera at that time. We can also see the Exif version and the original dates of image creation, (Do they match the modification dates we’ve seen previously?) We continue, and we can see the shutter speed, the aperture, the type of program used (AE in this case). We continue reading, and we find the brand and model of the camera with which the photograph was made. We have to make sure we do not change anything.
These data, personally, I consider important because if it is a forensic analysis timestamps must be respected. We can also see the type of permissions that are available in the image, as well as its type of format. However, the modification date has not been altered since its creation, as we shall see below. In this case, the access dates are affected because I copied the images from my CF card to the lab. The first thing we see is the file name, the directory and the size. With just this form of execution, we get a lot of information that can be, as the case may be, of relevant importance. Let’s see how it works, first, with one of my last photographs, made with my old Canon EOS 20D.Įxiftool /home/marcos/DCIM/347CANON/_MG_4757.JPG There is a lot of information in your manual. We can see all the formats that it supports if we continue reading its manual, with the actions that can carry out for each one of them:Īnd we can also see with what types of metadata works, with the actions you can take on each of them: I mentioned at the beginning that it can work with many file formats. Then we can see a synopsis of how it is used. The first thing we see is that it says it can read and write metadata in files. We invoke the tool, to see what help parameters can offer us.ĭirectly it tells us that we should consult its documentation for see a complete list of options. I want to show you several examples, using only some of its own manual, so that you can see the power of this tool that, really, would give to write a book.Īs always, we proceed to its installation, through
Exiftool works both for Linux and Windows and Mac OS.ĮxifTool can be useful in forensic analysis, but it is not a forensic tool, nor is it an anti-forensic tool.
Exiftool, developed by Phil Harvey, which is a free and open source software program for reading, writing and manipulating metadata of many file formats. Whenever I talk about secrets, I do not know why reason, I always come to mind the steganography, which consists basically of hiding messages within other objects. And, I do not know why, every time I think about steganography, the same tool that I usually remember when I speak of forensic analysis on photographs comes to my head. (The photography is another of my passions, although I have lately left it a little abandoned). So that it has a good aroma and flavor, and a good amount of caffeine. It is necessary to know what type of coffee to use, (I always use natural coffee), how much coffee to use, what pressure to put it in the filter, how much water to use and what type of water, … Many factors must be taken into account when preparing good coffee. And it has its secret to prepare it properly, even more, if you use an Italian coffee maker. A coffee made by oneself, to your taste, in your house. Today I am writing this article while I drink a good coffee.