ISO: What This Metadata Tag Means
ISO is the sensor sensitivity a photo was taken at. Higher values like 3200 point to darker conditions and usually more noise.
Last updated: November 13, 2026
What it means
ISO shows how much the camera amplified the signal from the sensor. Bright daylight shots are often ISO 50 to 200, while indoor and night shots can reach the thousands.
Example
- Tag
- ISO
- Group in ExifMeta
- EXIF
- Example value
- 64
This is how the tag appears in ExifMeta’s results. The value in your file will differ.
Typical values
Daylight photos are often ISO 50 to 200, indoor photos 400 to 1600, and night or concert photos 3200 and higher. Phones adjust ISO constantly and often report values such as 64 or 1250.
Where it comes from
The camera writes the ISO it used, whether you set it or the camera chose it.
What it is useful for
It explains noise and grain, and it hints at the light when the photo was taken. A very high ISO on a photo said to be taken outdoors at noon deserves a second look.
Watch out for
Some cameras store ISO in other tags as well, such as maker-note fields, and the values can differ slightly. ExifMeta shows them all: search for “ISO” to see each one.
Find it in your file
Upload a file to ExifMeta, then type ISO into the “Search tags and values” box under All metadata. If nothing matches, the file does not contain this tag.
Learn more in the guide: How to See What Camera Settings a Photo Used
See the tags in your own file
Upload a photo, video, audio file, or document to see every tag it contains. Free, no account needed.