Frequently Asked Questions

How it works

I'm trying different JPG files, but it doesn't work. Why?

Pixel Peeper reads Exif and XMP to obtain camera settings and Lightroom adjustments.

If this kind of metadata is not present in the file, you won't see any results. Many photographers choose not to include it. Some websites (e.g. Facebook and Instagram) remove all metadata from their photos.

See also: How to Find Photos with EXIF data

Does it work with Photoshop? Or any other editing software?

It works for files exported with Lightroom only.

Do PixelPeeper presets include Camera Profiles?

Presets downloaded from PixelPeeper include only the name of the camera profile. The actual camera profile is not embedded in JPG.

Camera profile is a binary file that has to be installed in Lightroom independently — and PixelPeeper can't do that.

Can I share the settings of a photo I just checked?

Yes, every image you check here gets a unique URL. Simply copy the URL and share it.

Are my local files uploaded to the server?

No, your local files are not uploaded to our servers. Metadata is checked in the browser, using JavaScript and only metadata is posted to and stored on our servers.

Why does my photo appear on this site?

"Check via URL" option (available for premium users) will add photos to our database. This works only for photos with public URLs (local files are never uploaded to the site).

This works similar to Google Image Search or Pinterest.

While we try our best to link to sources/author's website, the process is automated (based on Google Image Search API) and doesn't always produce correct results.

If you'd like to remove your photos from this site, contact me.

I don't own any Lightroom presets, can I use Preset Finder?

Sorry, no. The Preset Finder feature is intended for those who already purchased (or created their own) preset packs. You have to upload presets from your computer to make them available for Preset Finder.

It's implemented like this, because I don't want to discourage people from buying certain presets, simply because they can copy the settings from this site.

Premium accounts

I have an account, but I can't log in

The most common causes are:

1. You're not using the email you signed up with. If you get the "Unknown email" error, the email you're entering is not the one you used to created the account.

2. Emails from PixelPeeper go to Spam. Check your spam folder and add [email protected] to whitelisted contacts. The specifics of how to do that will depend on your email provider.

3. Your browser is outdated. Make sure your're using the latest version of your browser. Supported browsers are: Chrome, Firefox and Safari. If you're using Internet Explorer, the site won't work for you.

If the tips above didn't fix the problem and you still can't log in, email me.

I paid for a premium account but I still don't see settings. Why?

You do not need a paid account to be able to see whether a photo has metadata or not. The free version will show you that.

Only pay for the account if the site already works for you and you want the extra features.

How do I get a refund?

Premium Account fees are fully refundable for 3 days following signup. No need to give any reasons or explanations. If you're not happy, just send me an email with "Refund" in 'll send your money back as soon as possible (although it takes 3-5 days for refunds to be processed by the payment provider).

Will my annual account renew automatically?

Annual plans created after July, 2nd 2022 are not auto-renewed by default. When your account expires, you'll have to renew it manually.

Annual plans created before July, 2nd 2022 are auto-renewed by default. If you want to disable automatic renewal, you can do that at any time, by going to the "Settings" page and clicking on "Cancel Your Subscription". Your account will remain active until the current subscription expires.

Miscellaneous

I've noticed a bug. How can I report it?

Email me the details, including a screenshot and information about the OS and the browser you're using.

Please include as much information as possible (e.g. link to the photo, or the JPG file) to make it easier to find the issue.

What happened to (the old) PixelPeeper?

This site was first registered as PixelPeeper.io in mid-2017. At the time, PixelPeeper.com was a photo search website that "let you check sample photos at 100% zoom from any camera and lens", originally started in 2006.

At one point in 2021 the original PixelPeeper.com disappeared from the Internet and it didn't seem like it was coming back. After a while I decided to reach out to the owner and ask him if he'd be willing to sell the domain to me.

He was kind enough to let me take over the domain and in mid-July 2022 this site moved from pixelpeeper.io to pixelpeeper.com. The original PixelPeeper.com is no longer available, but you can view the archived version here.