EXIF Shutter Speed
How long the sensor was exposed. Stored either as a fraction (1/250) or as an APEX value, and it reveals whether the photo was a sharp daylight shot or a long night exposure.
Quick facts
| Tag ID | 0x829A ExposureTime, 0x9201 ShutterSpeedValue |
|---|---|
| Stored in | IFD0 / ExifIFD |
| Example value | 1/250 s, 1/4000 s, 0.5 s (stored as 0.004, 0.00025, 0.5 seconds, or as APEX values) |
| Also known as | ExposureTime, ShutterSpeedValue, exposure time, shutter, 1/1250 |
| Privacy risk | Low risk. A capture setting, not an identifier. |
What the Shutter Speed tag actually means
ExposureTime records the length of time the shutter was open. ExposureTime is stored as a rational number in seconds — 1/250 becomes 0.004. ShutterSpeedValue stores the same information as an APEX value, where 0 means 1 second and each additional stop halves it.
Why it matters
Long exposures reveal that a photo was taken at night or indoors, and paired with the ISO it forms part of the exposure fingerprint. It is not identifying on its own.
What to do about it
Safe to keep.
Who writes this tag
All cameras and smartphones that record EXIF.
Sources and how this was verified
Tag IDs and encodings are taken from the CIPA DC-007-Translation (Exif 3.0) and ISO/IEC 21222-1 specifications. The privacy rating is our own editorial judgement, based on what each field can uniquely identify. Every entry in this reference is checked against real files produced by the cameras, phones and editors we test with.
- CIPA DC-007-Translation 2019 (Exif 3.0) — tag identifiers and IFD structure
- ISO/IEC 21222-1:2015 — data element registration
- Adobe XMP Specification (2024) — XMP packet properties
- IPTC IIM 4.2 — news/photo metadata field numbers
See our editorial and review policyfor how we test, rate and correct these entries. Found an error? Tell us.
Related EXIF tags
The aperture (f-number) your camera lens was set to when the photo was taken. It tells you how wide the lens opening was, which narrows down the camera and lens model.
The sensor sensitivity used to capture the photo. Higher ISO means a brighter image captured with more noise — a strong clue about the lighting conditions and device.
The specific camera or phone model, such as "iPhone 15 Pro" or "Canon EOS R6 Mark II". Narrower than the make and more identifying.
Shutter Speed FAQ
Common questions about the EXIF shutter speed tag, its values and its privacy implications.
How is shutter speed stored in EXIF?
Two tags carry it. ExposureTime (0x829A) is a rational number in seconds, so 1/250 s is stored as 0.004. ShutterSpeedValue (0x9201) is the same information expressed as an APEX value.
What shutter speed means the photo was taken at night?
Generally anything slower than about 1/15 s indicates a dim scene, and values below 1/30 s on a phone are usually night mode. Phones frequently record a synthetic shutter speed because they simulate a long exposure with multiple short frames.
Does shutter speed leak personal information?
Not directly. It reveals lighting conditions rather than identity. It only becomes sensitive in aggregate, when a large set of photos from one device can be grouped by their identical capture settings.
Cite this reference
If you are writing about the EXIF shutter speed tag, you are welcome to link to this entry. It is maintained, versioned and reviewed on a published schedule.
“EXIF Shutter Speed (0x829A ExposureTime), freexifdata.com EXIF Tag Reference, reviewed October 20, 2026.”