ExifRead
Library to extract Exif information from digital camera image files.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. exifread is a stable, actively maintained library with no dependencies, low install friction, and a clear use case for anyone working with image metadata. The BSD-3-Clause license is permissive. No known vulnerabilities. Install it if you need to extract Exif data from photos.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Image file must be opened in binary mode ('rb').
- Supported formats are TIFF, JPEG, JPEG XL, PNG, Webp, HEIC, and RAW.
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies.
License · maintenance · safety
(unclear) — Licensed under BSD-3-Clause, a permissive open-source license that allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—you must retain copyright notices and the license text.
last release 2025-08-23 (356 days) · last repo commit 2026-06-10 · 961 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,125,033 downloads/mo, #4,328 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install exifread
import exifread
with open('image.jpg', 'rb') as f:
tags = exifread.process_file(f)
for tag, value in tags.items():
print(f'{tag}: {value}')- Performance characteristics when processing large image files or batches
- Completeness of MakerNote support across different camera manufacturers
- Whether the library handles corrupted or malformed Exif data gracefully
What it is and what it does
exifread is a pure-Python library that reads Exif metadata embedded in digital image files. It parses Exif tags from TIFF, JPEG, JPEG XL, PNG, Webp, HEIC, and RAW formats and returns them as a dictionary mapping tag names to their values. The library supports both standard Exif tags (Image, Thumbnail, GPS, Interoperability) and manufacturer-specific MakerNote tags for cameras where specifications are available.
You can use it as a command-line tool to inspect image metadata or import it into Python scripts to programmatically extract and process tag data. The library offers options to speed up processing by skipping MakerNote details or thumbnail extraction, to stop at a specific tag, to enforce strict validation, or to convert tag values to built-in Python types for easier serialization. It requires Python 3.7 or later and has no external dependencies.
Use it for
- Extract camera settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) from photos for analysis or logging
- Read GPS coordinates from geotagged images to build location-aware photo applications
- Correct image orientation before display by reading the Exif Orientation tag
- Batch-process image metadata from the command line to audit or organize photo collections
- Serialize image metadata to JSON for storage or API responses using builtin_types mode
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
exifread is a stable, actively maintained library with no dependencies, low install friction, and a clear use case for anyone working with image metadata. The BSD-3-Clause license is permissive. No known vulnerabilities. Install it if you need to extract Exif data from photos.
Install
exifread on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The package is actively maintained with a recent release (2025-08-23) and the repository shows ongoing commits and community engagement.
Image file must be opened in binary mode ('rb'). Supported formats are TIFF, JPEG, JPEG XL, PNG, Webp, HEIC, and RAW.
License in practice
Licensed under BSD-3-Clause, a permissive open-source license that allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—you must retain copyright notices and the license text.
Quickstart
pip install exifread
import exifread
with open('image.jpg', 'rb') as f:
tags = exifread.process_file(f)
for tag, value in tags.items():
print(f'{tag}: {value}')Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics when processing large image files or batches
- Completeness of MakerNote support across different camera manufacturers
- Whether the library handles corrupted or malformed Exif data gracefully
Package facts
| License | Not declared unclear |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 356 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,125,033 / month, #4,328 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: End Users/DesktopOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: exifread-3.5.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also imagesize · piexif · exif · PyExifTool · pyexiv2 · tifffile · OpenImageIO · pillow-heif · pyheif · pi-heif