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A Sony ARW is two things in one file: the sensor data, and a diary of the shot. The diary lists the camera model and firmware, the time, any name stored in the camera menu and, when a phone or accessory supplies a position, the location. We delete the diary entries and leave the sensor data and previews as they are. Because RAW needs ExifTool, processing is done on our server and the files are removed within minutes.
Entries in a Sony file
| Location | Fields | Gives away |
|---|---|---|
| Main directory (IFD0) | Software, Artist, Copyright, ModifyDate | Model and firmware, and any name set in the menu |
| EXIF | DateTimeOriginal, CreateDate, UserComment | The moment the picture was made |
| Thumbnail directory (IFD1) | A separate ModifyDate | The same time, repeated next to the thumbnail |
| Sony maker notes | Lens and shot data; on certain models serials and a shutter count | Camera setup and, sometimes, the individual body |
| GPS | Latitude, longitude, altitude, time | A position, if a phone or accessory provides one |
| Previews | A large JPEG and a small thumbnail | Small pictures that may hold metadata |
| Private raw data | The SR2 block with sensor and colour settings | Technical data a converter needs; not personal |
The date in the thumbnail directory
A real Sony file taught us something. After the first cleaning pass, ExifTool had cleared the main dates but a modification date was still sitting in the thumbnail directory, which it only edits when that directory is named explicitly.
Now the tool does a second pass: it scans the result, lists every identifying tag still present in any directory and removes each one by name. The same pass catches maker-note serials and picture IDs on other brands. On the Sony sample it removed the thumbnail date and the report reached zero fields.
Test on a real ARW
A public CC0 file from raw.pixls.us, an 11.4 MB ARW from a Sony DSLR-A200, went through the production cleaner and was then examined independently with ExifTool.
- Present before: the model and firmware string in
Software, plus the capture date in the main directory, the EXIF block and the thumbnail directory. - After cleaning: none of them, and the report said zero left.
- Not in this file: a serial number or a GPS position, since this older body records neither.
- Sensor data: byte for byte identical.
- Previews: unchanged, because neither held personal tags.
- Maker notes: all 106 Sony tags read the same.
- Size: about 82 KB smaller.
Sony's enciphered maker notes
Sony enciphers part of its maker notes. ExifTool can read that block, but writing to a given field depends on the camera model. A serial number inside it may therefore be impossible to remove on some bodies. If that happens the report lists the field as left and does not show “verified clean”. Our sample held no serial and we could not try newer cameras, so we promise nothing beyond that.
Kept intentionally
- Sensor data and previews.
- Make, model and lens information, which converters need for profiles and corrections.
- Exposure data, white balance and remaining maker notes.
- The `SR2` private block.
Cut it off at the camera
- Empty the copyright field in the menu if you do not want your name in every file.
- Turn off the location link to a phone or accessory when a geotag is not needed.
- Recorded files keep what they were given, so clean copies before they leave your hands.
How to clean an ARW
- Start without an account. Guests can clean 5 RAW photos a month, a free account 10.
- Drag the ARW onto the page. The upload shows progress.
- Wait while the server removes fields, rescans for leftovers, handles previews and scans the result.
- Read the report. Verified clean only appears at zero fields left.
File size limits: 25 MB for guests, 25 MB on a free account, 100 MB on Starter, 500 MB on Pro and 1,000 MB on Business. The 11 MB sample fits a free account; ARW files from modern high-resolution bodies run from 25 MB to well over 100 MB, so check your plan. Originals are deleted when cleaning ends and clean copies within 15 minutes. See pricing. Only .arw is accepted, not the older SRF and SR2 files.
exiftool -a -G1 -s -artist -copyright -software -alldates -gps:all "-*serial*" clean.arwFor every RAW format see the RAW photo metadata remover. Results for Canon, Nikon and DNG files are on the CR2, NEF and DNG pages.
Questions
Is the image data of an ARW altered?
No. Only metadata fields are edited. The raw data of a real ARW was byte for byte identical before and after.
Does it remove the date from the thumbnail?
Yes. A real Sony file kept that date after the first pass, so the tool rescans and removes identifying tags in directories the first pass skipped.
Are serial numbers removed?
Wherever ExifTool can write the field. On some Sony bodies a serial sits in the enciphered part of the maker notes and may be impossible to remove; the report then names it as left. Our test file had none.
Is GPS removed?
Yes, all of it. The Sony sample had no position recorded; GPS removal was verified on a phone RAW file.
Why does ExifTool warn about my cleaned ARW?
If the original already caused warnings, which is common for Sony files, the clean copy causes the same ones. They describe how the camera wrote the file.
Is my ARW uploaded?
Yes. RAW needs ExifTool, so the file goes over HTTPS to our server. The original is deleted when cleaning ends and the clean copy within 15 minutes. We never open the picture.
Are SRF and SR2 supported?
No. Of Sony's formats only .arw is accepted.
Will my RAW editor open the result?
The file validates in ExifTool and its raw data is unchanged. We could not test every editor, so open a clean copy in yours before handing files over and keep the originals.