Canon Camera Metadata
A Canon body writes two things into every frame: the standard EXIF fields every camera writes, and a proprietary MakerNote block that only Canon software fully understands. Which one you can read depends entirely on the file you hand your viewer — and that is where most people get stuck.
Which Canon files can you actually open in a browser?
| File | What it really is | In a browser viewer |
|---|---|---|
.JPG | A normal JPEG, MakerNote included. | Yes — everything on this page applies. |
.CR2 | A TIFF file underneath, with Canon's data inside it. | Usually — TIFF is a format web viewers can parse. |
.CR3 | An ISO Base Media (HEIF-style) container using Canon's own crx brand. | No — browser tools do not recognise the container. |
So if you shoot CR3 — every EOS R body does — the quickest route to your metadata is the JPEG your camera saved alongside it (shoot RAW+JPEG), because Canon writes the same EXIF and the same MakerNote into both. If you have only the raw file, you need a desktop tool.
Jump to reading CR2/CR3, Canon EXIF explained, viewing your camera settings, or the best tools.
How to Read Canon RAW, CR2, and CR3 Metadata
"Canon raw" is not one format. It is three, and the difference decides which tools can open your file.
CR2 — the TIFF years
Used by Canon DSLRs from roughly 2004 onward. A CR2 is a TIFF file with Canon's data written into it, and because TIFF is a format general-purpose readers already understand, a CR2 will usually give up its standard EXIF to an ordinary viewer.
CR3 — the current one
Used by the EOS R system and recent DSLRs. CR3 is built on the ISO Base Media File Format — the same lineage as MP4 and HEIC — but it identifies itself with Canon's own crx brand, which generic parsers do not accept. This is why your CR3 bounces off web-based viewers.
CRW — the legacy one
Canon's original raw format, from the early digital bodies that predate CR2. It uses a Canon-specific structure of its own. Support outside Canon's software and ExifTool is thin.
The two reliable routes to Canon raw metadata
- Read the paired JPEG. When you shoot RAW+JPEG, the camera writes the same EXIF and the same MakerNote into the JPEG. The exposure, the lens, the focus settings, the owner name — all of it is there, in a file every tool can open. For simply reading your settings, this is the shortest path, and it works in the browser.
- Use ExifTool on the raw file itself. It reads CR2, CR3, and CRW, and it decodes far more of Canon's MakerNote than any general-purpose viewer does.
ExifTool, the three commands worth knowing:
exiftool photo.CR3— every tag the file carries.exiftool -Canon:all photo.CR3— only the Canon-specific MakerNote tags.exiftool -G1 -a -s photo.CR3— everything, grouped by where it lives, showing duplicates and exact tag names.
A warning that matters more with raw than with JPEG: the MakerNote is the first thing editing software throws away. Convert a CR3 to DNG or export a JPEG from Lightroom and the Canon block is typically dropped or rewritten. If you want the original Canon data, read the file that came off the card — not a conversion of it.
Canon EXIF Data Explained
Everything in a Canon file sits in one of two places, and knowing which is which explains why some fields show up everywhere and others seem to vanish.
Standard EXIF — read by everything
The fields defined by the EXIF specification, which every manufacturer writes the same way:
Make—CanonModel—Canon EOS R5LensModel—RF24-105mm F4 L IS USMFNumber,ExposureTime,ISOSpeedRatings,FocalLengthDateTimeOriginal,SerialNumber- GPS tags, when the body has a receiver or is paired to your phone
The Canon MakerNote — read by few
A proprietary block Canon structures however it likes. The EXIF standard says nothing about its contents, so a tool can only read it if someone wrote a Canon decoder for it:
CanonModelID— numeric body identifierOwnerName— the name you set in the cameraFocusMode,ContinuousDrive,RecordModeLensType— a numeric lens ID, not a nameInternalSerialNumber,ImageStabilization- The AF points the camera actually used
The privacy field people miss. Canon bodies let you type an owner name into the menus, and many are set up once by a shop, a studio, or a previous owner and never touched again. It is written into OwnerName in the MakerNote of every frame, and it survives straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. Before you publish, check what yours says — see removing photo metadata if you would rather it were not there at all.
For how Canon's MakerNote compares with what Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm write, see EXIF data by camera brand, or the Canon brand page for the field-by-field list and popular EOS models.
How to View Canon Camera Settings From EXIF
To see how a Canon shot was exposed, drop the JPEG (or the CR2) into our EXIF viewer. It runs in your browser — the file is read into the tab and never uploaded. Two tabs matter:
- Camera— the shooting settings, read from standard EXIF: body, lens, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, flash, white balance, and exposure mode. This is the tab that answers "what settings did I use?"
- All — every tag the file actually contains, including whatever Canon MakerNote fields the viewer could decode.
Be realistic about the MakerNote in any web viewer.
Browser-based tools decode a small part of Canon's proprietary block — typically the MakerNote's own LensModel, a raw numeric LensType, and the camera's AutoRotate setting. The rest of what Canon writes — OwnerName, FocusMode, CanonModelID, drive mode, AF points — is present in your file but stays undecoded.
That is not a bug in the file, and no browser tool will show it to you. Reading those fields means ExifTool or Canon's own software.
One quirk worth recognising when you look at the raw tags: Canon records the lens as a number, not a name. A LensType of 61182 is the ID for Canon's RF-mount lenses collectively, and the body relies on an internal lookup table to turn IDs into readable names. That is why a third-party lens sometimes shows up as a blank, a generic string, or the name of a lens you have never owned.
What each exposure field actually means is covered in camera settings in EXIF data, and the tags that describe the glass in lens EXIF data.
Best Tools for Canon Metadata
There is no single winner here — the right tool depends on whether you have a raw file and how deep into the MakerNote you need to go.
| Tool | Reads CR3? | Canon MakerNote | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| This site's EXIF viewer | No — JPEG and CR2 | Partial | Reading your settings in seconds, with nothing uploaded and nothing installed. |
| ExifTool | Yes | Full | Everything Canon wrote, including the fields no other tool surfaces. Command line. |
| Canon Digital Photo Professional | Yes | Full | Canon's own free raw software — shooting information displayed the way the camera meant it. |
| Lightroom / Adobe Bridge | Yes | Partial | Filtering a catalogue by lens, ISO, or body while you edit. |
| Windows Properties / macOS Get Info | Limited | None | A quick look at date and dimensions. It will not show you the Canon fields. |
The practical combination for most Canon shooters: the browser viewer for the everyday question of how a shot was exposed, and ExifTool for the once-in-a-while question that only the MakerNote can answer.
Read the Metadata in Your Own Canon Photos
Drop a Canon JPEG into the viewer and the Camera tab gives you the body, the lens, and the exposure immediately; the All tab lists every tag in the file. Nothing is uploaded — the photo is read in your browser and stays on your machine.
If you shoot CR3 and have no JPEG to hand, turn on RAW+JPEG for your next shoot. It costs a little card space and makes your metadata readable anywhere, on any device, without software.
Open the EXIF ViewerRelated Guides
Canon EXIF Data by Model
The field-by-field reference for Canon bodies, from the EOS R5 to the PowerShot G7 X.
Nikon Camera Metadata
The other side of the comparison — a NEF opens in a browser viewer where a CR3 does not, but Nikon decodes nothing.
Camera Settings in EXIF Data
Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and metering — how to read a photo's exposure from its metadata.
EXIF Viewer
Read every tag in a photo in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Lens EXIF Data
The tags that record lens model, focal length, and aperture range — and why stabilization is not among them.
EXIF Data by Camera Brand
Side by side: how Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm each structure the proprietary MakerNote block.
Camera Brand Guides
What each manufacturer writes into its photos, MakerNote included.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I view Canon metadata online?
Drop a Canon JPEG into a browser-based EXIF viewer. You will get the body, lens, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and timestamps straight away, and the file never leaves your computer. CR2 files usually work too, because a CR2 is a TIFF underneath. CR3 files generally do not open in web tools — use the JPEG your camera saved alongside the raw, or a desktop tool such as ExifTool or Canon's Digital Photo Professional.
Why won't my CR3 file open in an EXIF viewer?
Because CR3 is not the same kind of file as CR2. CR2 is a TIFF, a format general-purpose readers already handle. CR3 is built on the ISO Base Media File Format — the container family that also includes MP4 and HEIC — but it identifies itself with Canon's own crx brand, which generic parsers reject. The metadata is in there; the tool simply cannot get past the wrapper. ExifTool and Canon's own software read CR3 without trouble.
What is the difference between CR2 and CR3?
CR2 is the raw format Canon DSLRs used from roughly 2004, stored as a TIFF. CR3 replaced it on the EOS R system and recent DSLRs, and is stored in an ISO Base Media container. CR3 files are smaller for the same image, support Canon's compressed raw mode, and carry a richer set of metadata — but they are readable by far fewer tools, which is the trade-off you feel the moment you try to inspect one.
Does my Canon photo contain my name?
It might. Canon bodies have an owner-name setting, and it is written into the OwnerName field of the MakerNote in every frame — including straight-out-of-camera JPEGs you might upload without thinking. Cameras set up by a shop, a studio, or a previous owner often carry a name nobody remembers setting. Check yours with ExifTool (exiftool -OwnerName photo.CR3) or in the camera menu, and strip the metadata before publishing if you would rather it were not there.
Why does my Canon lens show as a number instead of a name?
Canon stores the lens as a numeric LensType ID in its MakerNote — 61182 covers the RF-mount lenses, for instance — and relies on a lookup table to turn that ID into a readable name. Tools without a complete, current table show you the number instead. The standard EXIF LensModel field usually carries the human-readable name alongside it, which is what most viewers display. Third-party lenses are the common exception: they report an ID the table may not know, so the name comes out blank, generic, or occasionally wrong.
Does editing a Canon photo destroy its metadata?
It destroys the Canon-specific part of it, usually. Standard EXIF — exposure, lens, timestamps — normally survives an export. The MakerNote often does not: converting a CR3 to DNG or exporting a JPEG from an editor typically drops or rewrites the proprietary block, taking the focus mode, drive mode, and owner name with it. If you need the original Canon data, read the file as it came off the memory card rather than a copy that software has been through.
See what your Canon wrote into your photos
Drop in a JPEG to read the body, lens, exposure, and every other tag the file carries. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Open Photo Metadata Viewer