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A Sony ARW file keeps the sensor data next to a record of the shot: the capture time, the camera model and firmware, any photographer or copyright text set in the menu, and, when a phone is linked to the camera, the position. A Sony ARW metadata remover deletes those fields, including a date that hides in the thumbnail’s own directory, and leaves the sensor data, the previews and the settings your RAW editor needs exactly as they were. Add an ARW file above, read what it held and download a clean copy. Sony RAW files are processed on our server and deleted within minutes.
What a Sony RAW file carries
| Where | Tags | What they reveal |
|---|---|---|
| First directory (IFD0) | Software, Artist, Copyright, ModifyDate | The camera model and firmware, and any name set in the menu |
| EXIF | DateTimeOriginal, CreateDate, UserComment | When the picture was taken |
| Thumbnail directory (IFD1) | Its own ModifyDate | The same time, repeated beside the thumbnail |
| Sony maker notes | Lens and shot data, and on some models serial numbers and a shutter count | How the camera was set up and, on some models, which camera it was |
| GPS | Latitude, longitude, altitude, time | Where the picture was taken, when a phone or accessory supplies a position |
| Previews | A large JPEG and a small thumbnail | Small pictures that may or may not carry their own metadata |
| Private raw data | Sony’s SR2 block with sensor and colour settings | Technical data a converter needs |
The date in the thumbnail’s own directory
When we first ran a real Sony file through the cleaner, one date survived. ExifTool, the tool the cleaner uses, removed the file’s main dates but left the modification date in the thumbnail’s own directory. It only removed that one when the thumbnail directory was named explicitly.
That is fixed. After the first pass, the tool now scans the file again and names any identifying tag that is still there, directory included, and removes it one by one. The same second pass is what finds maker-note serial numbers and picture IDs on other makes. On the Sony file it removed the thumbnail’s date, and the report ended at zero fields left.
What we found in a real Sony file
The sample is a public CC0 file from raw.pixls.us, an ARW from a Sony DSLR-A200 of 11.4 MB, run through the production cleaner and checked independently with ExifTool.
- Found: the camera model and firmware string in
Software, and the capture date in the main directory, the EXIF block and the thumbnail directory. - Removed: all of them. Nothing was left, and the report said so.
- Not present in this file: a serial number and a GPS position. This is an older body, and it recorded neither.
- The raw data was identical byte for byte before and after.
- Both previews were unchanged, because neither carried any personal tags.
- Every Sony maker-note tag read the same: all 106 were unchanged.
- The file came out about 82 KB smaller.
Sony’s enciphered maker notes
Sony stores part of its maker notes in an enciphered form. ExifTool can read it, but whether a particular field in it can be changed depends on the model. The practical effect is that on some Sony bodies a serial number held in that block might be one that cannot be removed. If that happens, the report names the field and counts it as left, and the file is not marked verified clean. The sample we tested had no serial number, and we have not been able to test newer bodies, so we do not claim more than that.
What stays
- The sensor data and the previews, unchanged.
- Camera make and model and the lens information that RAW converters use for profiles and corrections.
- Exposure data, white balance and the rest of Sony’s maker notes that editing software reads.
- Sony’s `SR2` private data, which holds sensor and colour settings.
Stop it at the source
- In the camera menu, clear copyright information unless you want a name in every file.
- Switch off any location link to a phone or accessory when you do not need a geotag.
- Files you have already recorded keep their data, so clean copies before they leave your control.
Clean a Sony RAW file in four steps
- No account needed to start. Guests can clean 5 RAW photos a month, a free account 10.
- Add the ARW. Drag it anywhere on the page. The upload shows its progress.
- Wait for the clean. The server removes the fields, looks again for anything left, deals with the previews and scans the result.
- Read the report. It lists what was found and how many fields remain. Verified clean appears only when none do.
The size limit is 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 file above fits a free account. ARW files from recent high-resolution bodies commonly run from 25 MB to well over 100 MB, so check your plan first. The original is deleted as soon as cleaning finishes, and the clean copy is kept for at most 15 minutes. See pricing. Only the .arw extension is accepted, not Sony’s older SRF and SR2 files.
exiftool -a -G1 -s -artist -copyright -software -alldates -gps:all "-*serial*" clean.arwThe RAW photo metadata remover page covers every format, and the CR2, NEF and DNG pages describe what we found in Canon, Nikon and DNG files.
Frequently asked questions
Does cleaning change the ARW image data?
No. Only metadata fields are edited. We compared the raw data of a real ARW before and after cleaning and it was identical byte for byte.
Does it remove the date inside the thumbnail?
Yes. A real Sony file kept a date in the thumbnail’s own directory after the first pass. The tool now scans again and removes identifying tags that sit in directories the first pass skips.
Does it remove Sony serial numbers?
It removes serial numbers wherever ExifTool can write to the field. Sony keeps part of its maker notes enciphered, so on some bodies a serial number may not be removable. In that case the report names it as left. The file we tested had none.
Will it remove GPS from my ARW?
Yes, the whole GPS block is removed. The Sony file we tested had no position recorded, and GPS removal was checked on a phone RAW file.
Why does ExifTool still show warnings for my cleaned ARW?
If the original file already produced warnings, which is common with Sony files, the cleaned file produces the same ones. They describe how the camera wrote the file, and cleaning does not change that.
Is my ARW uploaded?
Yes. RAW needs ExifTool, so the file is uploaded over HTTPS to our server. The original is deleted when cleaning finishes and the clean copy within 15 minutes. We never open the picture.
Does it work with SRF and SR2 files?
No. Only .arw files are accepted among Sony’s formats.
Will my RAW editor still open the file?
The file validates in ExifTool and its raw data is unchanged. We could not try it in every editor, so open a clean copy in yours before you hand files over, and keep the originals.