Exif manipulation library for python

Python Problem Overview

I'm looking for good exif (Exchangeable image file format) manipulation library for python. I prefer flexibility (e.g., ability to retrieve providers' proprietary tags) than processing speed. What would you suggest?

Python Solutions

Solution 1 - Python

You might want to check out exif-py:

> Python library to extract EXIF data from tiff and jpeg files. Very easy to use - $ ./EXIF.py image.jpg

or the Python Imaging Library (PIL):

> The Python Imaging Library (PIL) adds image processing capabilities to your Python interpreter. This library supports many file formats, and provides powerful image processing and graphics capabilities.

There's also the aptly named pyexif: <http://pyexif.sourceforge.net/>

> The pyexif python library and tools aims at extracting EXIF information from Jpeg and Tiff files which include it. This information is typically included in images created using digital imaging devices such as digital cameras, digital film scanners, etc.

However, it looks like pyexif hasn't been updated in quite while. They recommend if theirs isn't doing the trick to check out EXIF-py, so you should probably try that one first, as their sourceforge page seems to have some activity there lately, though not much. Finally, using PIL you could do this:

from PIL import Image
from PIL.ExifTags import TAGS

def get_exif(fn):
    ret = {}
    i = Image.open(fn)
    info = i._getexif()
    for tag, value in info.items():
        decoded = TAGS.get(tag, tag)
        ret[decoded] = value
    return ret

Disclaimer:
I actually have no idea which is best, this is just what I was able to piece together with Google. :)

Solution 2 - Python

I've been using pyexiv2 myself recently, and it seems to fit my needs quite nicely. Perhaps it might suit yours as well.

Note: pyexiv2 is only for python2, for python3 use py3exiv2

Solution 3 - Python

Exiv2 Based solutions

Exiv2 (exiv2: http://exiv2.org/) is a mature, open-source C++ library that supports reading and writing metadata to many image types (JPEG, PNG, TIFF and many raw formats), understands standard (Xmp, IPTC and Exif) and non-standard metadata ("Makernotes"), and runs on multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, and, with some work, Mac).

Python bindings to exiv2 are:

gexiv2 (a multi-language binding, but works with python 2.6/2.7/3.X): https://wiki.gnome.org/gexiv2
pyexiv2 (no longer supported, but works with python 2.6/2.7): http://tilloy.net/dev/pyexiv2/

One advantage of pyexiv2 is that there is a windows build available for python 2.7. A windows build request for gexiv2 is here: https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=712441

exiv2 and the bindings are all open source (GPL).

Solution 4 - Python

This article describes a Python module for writing EXIF metadata (and not just reading them) using pure Python. Apparently, none of PIL, pyexif, nor EXIF-py support writing EXIF. pyexiv2 appears to be bleeding-edge and platform-specific.

Solution 5 - Python

Use PIL :)

import os,sys
from PIL import Image
from PIL.ExifTags import TAGS

if __name__ == '__main__':
    for (k,v) in Image.open(sys.argv[1])._getexif().iteritems():
        print '%s = %s' % (TAGS.get(k), v)
    os.system('pause')

Solution 6 - Python

The page at http://redmine.yorba.org/projects/gexiv2/wiki (became https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/gexiv2) reads now:

> This will work equally well with either Python 2 or 3, which makes > GExiv2 an excellent replacement for pyexiv2, which only supports > Python 2.

So, both Python2 and Python3 are now supported by GExiv2.

Good news.

Solution 7 - Python

You might also look at Gheorghe Milas' jpeg.py library at http://www.emilas.com/jpeg/, which is "A python library to parse, read and write JPEG EXIF, IPTC and COM metadata."

A drawback is that he appears to be hosting his domain on a dynamic IP via DynDNS, so it's not always available.

Solution 8 - Python

I started to write my own small library which is based on the code in PIL. check it here.

Solution 9 - Python

somehow i get an attributeError for _getexif with Paolo's code above.. I am using Python 2.6.6 and PIL 1.1.7. Is _getexif obsolete now??

Here's a small modification that worked for me.

from PIL import Image
from PIL.ExifTags import TAGS

def get_exif(fn):
    ret = {}
    i = Image.open(fn)
#    info = i._getexif()
    info = i.tag.tags
    for tag, value in info.items():
        decoded = TAGS.get(tag, tag)
        ret[decoded] = value
    return ret

Solution 10 - Python

I have been using my own wrappers around http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/ -- the reason is that it is very complete, the dev is very active. And not being able to support almost all image formats is a absolute showstopper for the project it is needed for

The drawback of course is that it isn't python, so you would need to use subprocess calls, as I do.

Solution 11 - Python

There are some examples of PIL and EXIF.py usage on ASPN

Solution 12 - Python

In Python 2.6 the place of module is different. Use this:

import Image    
from ExifTags import TAGS

Content Type	Original Author	Original Content on Stackoverflow
Question	oo_olo_oo	View Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - Python	Paolo Bergantino	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - Python	user25148	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - Python	dlm	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - Python	Jason R. Coombs	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 5 - Python	Max	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 6 - Python	jno	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 7 - Python	Alan Miller	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 8 - Python	Albert	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 9 - Python	otterb	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 10 - Python	Geert Dekkers	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 11 - Python	Michał Niklas	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 12 - Python	Tomasz Nazar	View Answer on Stackoverflow