Make: What This Metadata Tag Means
Make is the brand of the camera or phone that created a photo or video, such as Apple, Samsung, Canon, or Nikon, written by the device itself.
Last updated: November 13, 2026
What it means
Make names the brand of the device. Together with Model, it tells you exactly which camera or phone took a photo or video.
Example
- Tag
- Make
- Group in ExifMeta
- EXIF, QuickTime
- Example value
- Apple
This is how the tag appears in ExifMeta’s results. The value in your file will differ.
Typical values
Values are brand names as the maker writes them, which are not always tidy: you may see NIKON CORPORATION, Canon, SONY, samsung, or Google. Scanners and some apps write their own maker name here too.
Where it comes from
The device writes it at capture. Phone videos often carry it too, in the QuickTime group.
What it is useful for
With Model it tells you which device made a file. That helps sort a mixed archive, check a seller’s claim about a camera, or spot a photo that did not come from the phone someone says they used.
Watch out for
Screenshots, edited exports, and copies from social apps often have no Make. A missing Make proves nothing by itself, and like any tag it can be edited.
Find it in your file
Upload a file to ExifMeta, then type Make 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
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