How Do Photographers Show What Lens They Used on Their Photos?
Ever wondered how photographers display their lens and gear info on their photos? Here's how they do it and how you can too, even if you're just starting out.
How Do Photographers Show What Lens They Used on Their Photos?
You see it all the time on photography accounts. A beautiful photo with a small, clean line of text at the bottom: "RF 35mm f/1.4" or "Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art." It tells you exactly what lens was used, sometimes alongside the camera body and a few other details.
It looks simple. But if you have ever tried to figure out how to do this yourself, you probably ran into a wall. There is no obvious button in your camera app or Instagram that says "show lens info." So how are they doing it?
The Short Answer
Your camera saves the lens information (and a lot more) inside every photo file automatically. This happens behind the scenes. You never see it when you open the photo normally, but the data is there.
Photographers use tools that read this hidden information and place it directly onto the image as visible text. That way, when the photo is uploaded to Instagram or anywhere else, the lens info is part of the picture itself.
What Lens Information Gets Saved?
When you take a photo, your camera records details about the lens that was attached at that moment. This typically includes:
- The lens name and model. For example, "Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM" or "Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II."
- The focal length. If you used a zoom lens at 35mm, the camera records 35mm. If you zoomed to 70mm, it records 70mm. For a fixed lens (called a prime), this number stays the same.
- The maximum aperture. This is the widest the lens can open, shown as an "f/" number. A lens labeled "f/1.4" can open very wide, which is great for blurry backgrounds and low light.
This data is recorded with every single shot. You do not need to type it in or turn on a setting. The camera handles it automatically.
Why Photographers Share Their Lens Info
Lens choice is one of the most important decisions a photographer makes. Different lenses create completely different looks, even when pointed at the same subject from the same spot.
A 24mm wide-angle lens makes a scene feel expansive and dramatic. An 85mm portrait lens compresses the background and isolates the subject beautifully. A macro lens reveals details invisible to the naked eye.
When photographers show their lens info, they are sharing a piece of the creative process. It tells the viewer: "This is the tool I chose to create this look." For other photographers, this is incredibly useful. It helps them understand what gear produces the results they are after.
It also sparks conversation. Lens recommendations are one of the most common topics in photography communities. When you show what lens you used, people ask questions, share their own experiences, and engage with your content.
How to Display Lens Info on Your Photos
There are three common approaches, ranging from tedious to effortless.
Option 1: Type It Manually in a Photo Editor
You can open your photo in any editor (Photoshop, Canva, even your phone's built-in editor), add a text box, and type out the lens name yourself. This works, but it is slow. You have to remember the exact lens you used, type it correctly, choose a font, position it, and repeat the process for every photo.
Option 2: Use a Photoshop Plugin or Template
There are paid plugins and templates designed for this. They range from about $10 to $50 and give you pre-made layouts. The downside is that they still require Photoshop or Lightroom, they have a learning curve, and you are paying for something that should be simple.
Option 3: Let the Tool Read It Automatically
This is what Exif Frame does. Instead of typing your lens info by hand, Exif Frame reads the hidden data that your camera already saved inside the photo. It identifies the lens model, focal length, aperture, and everything else, then displays it on a clean strip that you can customize.
The process looks like this:
- Open exif-frame.com/app
- Drop in your photo
- See your lens and camera details appear automatically
- Adjust the style, colors, and which details to show
- Download your photo with the lens info included
No manual entry. No Photoshop. No plugins. Just your photo and the data that was already inside it.
What If I Use Multiple Lenses?
If you are the kind of photographer who swaps lenses during a shoot, each photo will have the correct lens info embedded individually. A portrait shot with your 85mm will show "85mm," and a wide shot from the same session taken with your 24mm will show "24mm." The camera tracks which lens was on the body for every single frame.
Exif Frame reads each photo independently, so even in a batch of mixed photos, every image gets the right lens info.
Does This Work with Phone Cameras?
Yes. Modern phones record lens information too. If you shot with the ultrawide camera on your iPhone, that data is saved. If you used the main wide camera or the telephoto, same thing.
The lens names will look different from dedicated camera lenses (you will see something like "iPhone 15 Pro back camera 6.765mm f/1.78" instead of a brand name lens), but the information is still there and Exif Frame can display it.
What If the Lens Info Is Missing?
In some cases, the lens data might not be in the file. This can happen when:
- You used a manual or vintage lens that does not communicate electronically with the camera body
- The photo was edited in an app that stripped the hidden data
- Someone sent you the photo through a messaging app that removes this information
- You downloaded the image from a website
If the data is missing, Exif Frame Pro lets you type in the lens info yourself. So even if you used a vintage 50mm that your camera could not identify, you can still add "Helios 44-2 58mm f/2" to the image manually.
Tips for Displaying Lens Info
Include the focal length you actually shot at. If you have a 24-70mm zoom and you shot at 50mm, showing "50mm" is more useful than just the lens model name. It tells people exactly what field of view produced the image.
Keep it readable but subtle. The lens info should complement the photo, not distract from it. A small, clean font at the bottom of the frame is the standard for a reason.
Pair it with the camera body. Showing "Sony A7IV + Sigma 35mm f/1.4" gives the full picture. People often want to know both the body and the lens.
Be consistent across your posts. If you show lens info on one photo, try to do it on all of them (or at least on a regular basis). Consistency makes your feed look intentional and professional.
Start Showing Your Lens Choices
Your lens is a creative choice, not just a piece of equipment. Sharing what you used helps other photographers, invites engagement, and adds a layer of depth to every photo you post.
The best part is that your camera is already doing the hard work of recording everything. All you need is a tool to surface it.
Try it now. Visit Exif Frame and drop in your latest photo to see what lens data is waiting inside.
Curious what lens info is hiding in your photos? Open Exif Frame and find out in seconds.
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