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If you publish a Canon RAW, you also publish a number that belongs to one specific camera. Sellers, stalkers and forensic tools can use it to connect your files to each other and to your purchase. This page clears that number and the rest of the personal fields, then proves the result with a re-scan. RAW needs ExifTool, so files are processed on our server and deleted within minutes.
Canon fields that point at you
| Group | Fields | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Canon maker notes | SerialNumber, InternalSerialNumber, OwnerName, FirmwareVersion | Ties a file to one body, the name typed into its menu, and its software |
| EXIF | Artist, Copyright, UserComment, three date fields | A name, a remark, the exact capture time |
| CR3 only | EXIF body and lens serials, Canon ImageUniqueID, lens serial | A code that is different for every frame |
| CR3 header | Creation and modification times with a zone offset | A second, independent copy of the capture time |
| GPS | Position, altitude, date stamp | Where, for bodies with GPS or a linked phone |
| Previews and XMP | Embedded JPEGs; ratings and labels | May hold their own metadata |
CR2 is organised like a TIFF, as a chain of directories. CR3 is organised in boxes, like an MP4. Both are handled by editing named fields only, so the picture data is never opened.
What happened with two real files
We ran CC0 samples from raw.pixls.us through the live cleaner and checked them with a separate ExifTool run.
| File | Size | Found | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| EOS 450D (CR2) | 17.6 MB | 3 dates, body serial, internal serial | Nothing left; sensor strips identical |
| EOS R10 (CR3) | 30.2 MB | 2 header dates, 3 EXIF dates, body, lens and internal serials, per-frame ID | Nothing left; media box identical |
- ExifTool called the CR2 valid before and after; the one odd-offset warning of the CR3 went away.
- Of 210 Canon tags in the CR2 only the two serials changed. In the CR3 only the three identity tags changed.
- Neither file had personal tags in its previews, so those stayed byte for byte.
A serial number stored twice
Inside the CR2, the body serial existed in two spots: the normal SerialNumber tag, and a copy inside Canon's undocumented camera-info block. No tag addresses that copy, so ExifTool never shows it. A tool that only rewrites tags would announce success while the number sat in the file.
The cleaner therefore takes the value it just removed, searches the metadata region for its stored forms, and zeroes any hit. It skips sensor data and the previews it can locate, so a chance match cannot corrupt pixels, and it runs ExifTool validation before and after, reverting if the file looks worse. The copy in the CR2 was found and zeroed.
What the cleaned file keeps
Sensor data, both previews, make, model and lens model (RAW converters pick profiles from them), exposure, white balance, picture style and the remaining maker notes. Edit instructions written by Canon's software are not touched either.
- In the camera menu, leave owner name and copyright blank unless you want them everywhere.
- Switch off GPS or phone-linked location when you don't need geotags.
Running a file
- Pick a mode: guests clean 5 RAW photos a month, a free account 10.
- Drop the CR2 or CR3 on the page.
- Wait for the server to strip fields, search for duplicate serials and re-scan.
- Download and read the report. “Verified clean” is shown only when zero fields remain.
Upload ceilings: 25 MB guest, 25 MB free, 100 MB Starter, 500 MB Pro, 1,000 MB Business. The 450D file fits a free account; the R10 file does not, and CR3 files from recent bodies often pass 25 MB. Originals vanish when cleaning ends, clean copies within 15 minutes. See pricing.
exiftool -a -G1 -s "-*serial*" -ownername -artist -copyright -imageuniqueid -alldates -gps:all clean.cr2Other formats: the RAW overview, NEF, ARW and DNG.
FAQ
Does the picture change?
No. Sensor blocks from a real CR2 and a real CR3 were identical byte for byte after cleaning.
Is the Canon body serial really gone?
Yes. The tag is zeroed, the internal serial deleted, and the extra copy in the camera-info block located by its bytes and zeroed.
Why not leave the field empty?
Canon requires it, so zeros are the neutral value that keeps the file valid.
Are lens serials covered?
Yes, where the file has them. The CR3 sample lost both its EXIF and Canon copies.
Does it work on CR3 from mirrorless bodies?
Yes; header dates were set to zero and identity fields removed in the R10 sample.
Is GPS removed?
The whole GPS block is. Our Canon samples had no position, so GPS was verified on a DNG that did.
Do white balance and picture style survive?
Yes; apart from the identity fields, every Canon tag read the same before and after.
Is the file uploaded?
Yes, over HTTPS, because RAW needs ExifTool. Originals are deleted when cleaning ends and results within 15 minutes. We never look at the picture.
Is it free?
Within the free limits: 25 MB per file and 10 RAW cleanings a month (5 for guests). Larger files and batches need a paid plan.