Export locally
Use ExifTool with JSON, numeric values and group names. Include Make, Model and the relevant counter fields. Grouped tag names preserve where a value came from, while numeric output avoids ambiguous formatted strings.
Inspect the imported evidence
The importer accepts recognized numeric counters and keeps their original tag names. ImageCount stays labelled as an image counter; it is not silently converted into shutter actuations. Up to100 file records can be compared in one JSON export.
A user-supplied JSON file is an external claim, not an authenticated camera read. Keep the original source file and record the ExifTool version if the evidence will be used in a purchase or service discussion.
Create a narrowly scoped export
A useful command is exiftool -j -n -G1 -Make -Model -ShutterCount -MechanicalShutterCount -ImageCount photo.jpg. Run it on your own computer and save the output as JSON. The -j switch selects JSON, -n keeps numerical values and -G1 retains tag-group information. Add a model-specific supported counter only after checking its meaning in ExifTool’s documentation.
Choose the JSON workflow and select the saved file, or paste the JSON text. A single object or an array of up to 100 records is accepted. Counters must be nonnegative integers. The importer does not interpret a string such as unknown or a formatted phrase as a numeric count, and it does not invent a zero when a requested tag is absent.
Record provenance for later comparison
Keep the original image, the command used and the ExifTool version with the exported report. The JSON importer cannot verify that the text still matches the image because it has not independently decoded that source. If two ExifTool versions report different values, investigate the tag definitions and model support before treating the difference as new camera activity.