How to Find Aperture and Shutter Speed for Your Existing Photos

Did you ever take a photo and now want to know the exact settings you used? Decoding the metadata of your images is a straightforward process. Through this guide, you will learn how to access the aperture and shutter speed for your existing pictures using a variety of devices and software. Whether you are working on a Windows or Mac computer, an iOS or Android smartphone, or even using online tools, the steps are relatively similar. Let's dive in!

On a Computer

On both Windows and Mac computers, you can access crucial metadata such as aperture and shutter speed. Here are the detailed steps for both operating systems:

Windows

Right-click on the image file. Select 'Properties' from the context menu. Go to the 'Details' tab. Here you should be able to find the 'Aperture' and 'Shutter speed' information.

Mac

Right-click on the image file. Select 'Get Info.' Look for the camera settings, which should include the 'Aperture' and 'Shutter speed.'

For users who prefer using photo editing software, follow these additional steps:

Open the image in program such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or another photo editing software. Look for the 'Metadata' panel. The 'Aperture' and 'Shutter speed' should be listed there.

On a Smartphone

Smartphones have made photography more accessible than ever. Here's how to find the aperture and shutter speed on both iOS and Android devices:

iOS Devices

Open the Photos app and select the image. Tap the 'i' button or swipe up to view the photo details including aperture and shutter speed.

Android Devices

Open the Google Photos app and select the image. Tap the three dots menu and choose 'Info.' The camera settings, including aperture and shutter speed, should be listed here.

Using Online Tools

For users who prefer an online solution, there are several EXIF viewers available. Here’s what you need to do:

Upload your image to a site that reads EXIF data such as The camera settings including aperture and shutter speed will be displayed.

It's important to note that edits or saving in certain formats, such as some social media uploads, might strip the EXIF data. Therefore, the information might not be available there.

Alternative Method: ExifTool

For those who want more control over the metadata extraction, ExifTool by Phil Harvey is a powerful command-line tool. It can also be automated with a shell script to extract and format various parameters. Here’s an example of the metadata found using ExifTool:

File Date taken:    Thursday 25 February 2021 17:38:36
Exposure:           1/320 sec f/4.5 EV 12.7 200/24 ISO
Camera:            Olympus OM-D E-M1
Lens:              Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400 mm f/4.0-6.3
Focal length:      100.0 mm (full frame equivalent: 200 mm)
Focus:             S-AFMF 16.115 m 14.54 - 18.07 m
Field of view:     9.9 horizontal 7.4 vertical 12.4 diagonal
Meter mode:        ESP Program AE
Stabilization:     Lens
Size:              4608 x 3456 pixels 15.93 megapixels
Copyright:         Greg Lehey

This tool can provide you with detailed information, allowing you to fully understand the conditions under which each photo was taken.

For users with specific requirements or needing advanced metadata management, tools like ExifTool offer a robust solution. The metadata is typically found in the EXIF data, which can be accessed through the methods described above.