EXIF - Exchangeable Image File Format

EXIF is a metadata standard used to store information about digital images created by the Japan Electronic Industries Development Association (JEIDA, later renamed JEITA - Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association) in 1998. EXIF data is usually stored inside a JPEG or TIFF file - i.e. it accompanies the image rather than being held in sidecar files (in the same fashion as IPTC and XMP). In particular, EXIF is used by manufacturers to record technical information about the digital camera used to shoot an image. XMP data offers many of the benefits of EXIF but in a more flexible and easier to manipulate fashion, however, the support for it by the digital imaging industry has ensured that EXIF remains active and in widespread use.