Digital images contain their maker's mark

[Fred Dawson]

From the New Scientist
IF YOU thought your digital photos could not be traced back to you, think again. It turns out that digital cameras leave a telltale fingerprint buried in the pixels of every image they capture. Now forensic scientists can use this fingerprint to tell what camera model was used to take a shot.

full story at
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026826.200-digital-images-contain-their-makers-mark.html

 

[grumpybadger]

Looks like typical weak technical journalism from New Scientist to me. A 90% probability of correctly identifying the right model of camera. It's not going to be a great help. I reckon most images will have that data in the EXIF already!

 

[Foggy]

If they were really smart they would read my name, website and copyright info from the EXIF

I love this:

Pollitt believes that this technique can still be used forensically. He says that because digital cameras have a shelf life of only 18 months, this can help to narrow down when and where it was sold.

18 months? He's having a laugh. I wish I could replace my cameras every 18 months.

 

[awp]

Camera serial numbers are written to EXIF - what else do they need?

 

[puddleduck]

What a complete loads of *******s of an article.

 

[CopeImages]

18months.............

The way photography's gone in the last 18 months how many, say, D40's or EoS 400D's etc have been sold. Doesn't narrow it down that much does it.

I can imagine Poirot now "so we have a Nikon D40 as exhibit no. 1...hmmmmmm, get me the list of 1.5m people who have one of those... I want a fit on each of them by 8pm"

If they're going to write a technical article about photography, they could at least get someone to write it who knows the different between a camera and a cow's ar$e.

 

[purpleclouds]

It's easy enough to narrow it down to 50/50 anyway.....bad picture, Nikon.....good picture, Canon

 

[Janice]

Should be called The Ancient Scientist!

 

[hepburn]

Can't see much difference between this and the way colour laser printers print a microdot containing traceable information on each print they produce.

 

[Chappers]

I think some scientist had way to much time on his hands .

 

[Yv]

Looks like they needed a space filler if you ask me, thats an absolute non-item

 

[PsiFox]

Can I have my 30 seconds back please.