diff --git a/samples/Jzon.cpp b/samples/Jzon.cpp
index 52861f3d..39b4e8cc 100644
--- a/samples/Jzon.cpp
+++ b/samples/Jzon.cpp
@@ -483,28 +483,28 @@ namespace Jzon
     Object::iterator Object::begin()
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Object::iterator(&children.front());
-        return Object::iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.front()};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
 
     Object::const_iterator Object::begin() const
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Object::const_iterator(&children.front());
-        return Object::const_iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.front()};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
 
     Object::iterator Object::end()
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Object::iterator(&children.back() + 1);
-        return Object::iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.back() + 1};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
     Object::const_iterator Object::end() const
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Object::const_iterator(&children.back() + 1);
-        return Object::const_iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.back() + 1};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
 
     bool Object::Has(const std::string &name) const
@@ -586,26 +586,26 @@ namespace Jzon
     Array::iterator Array::begin()
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Array::iterator(&children.front());
-        return Array::iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.front()};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
     Array::const_iterator Array::begin() const
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Array::const_iterator(&children.front());
-        return Array::const_iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.front()};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
     Array::iterator Array::end()
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Array::iterator(&children.back() + 1);
-        return Array::iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.back() + 1};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
     Array::const_iterator Array::end() const
     {
         if (!children.empty())
-            return Array::const_iterator(&children.back() + 1);
-        return Array::const_iterator(nullptr);
+            return {&children.back() + 1};
+        return {nullptr};
     }
 
     size_t Array::GetCount() const
diff --git a/src/exif.cpp b/src/exif.cpp
index 874386bd..651911da 100644
--- a/src/exif.cpp
+++ b/src/exif.cpp
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
     {
         auto thumbnail = Thumbnail::create(exifData_);
         if (!thumbnail)
-            return DataBuf();
+            return {};
         return thumbnail->copy(exifData_);
     }
 
@@ -844,7 +844,8 @@ namespace {
     {
         Exiv2::ExifKey key("Exif.Thumbnail.JPEGInterchangeFormat");
         auto format = exifData.findKey(key);
-        if (format == exifData.end()) return Exiv2::DataBuf();
+        if (format == exifData.end())
+            return {};
         return format->dataArea();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/image.cpp b/src/image.cpp
index c7ea45d5..470769d4 100644
--- a/src/image.cpp
+++ b/src/image.cpp
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
         const Registry* r = find(registry, type);
 
         if (r == nullptr || type == ImageType::none) {
-            return Image::UniquePtr();
+            return {};
         }
 
         return r->newInstance_(std::move(io), true);
diff --git a/src/pngchunk_int.cpp b/src/pngchunk_int.cpp
index 1a166068..e74004b8 100644
--- a/src/pngchunk_int.cpp
+++ b/src/pngchunk_int.cpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ namespace Exiv2
             if (it == data.cend())
                 throw Error(kerFailedToReadImageData);
 
-            return DataBuf(data.c_data() + offset, std::distance(data.cbegin(), it)- offset);
+            return {data.c_data() + offset, std::distance(data.cbegin(), it) - offset};
         }
 
         DataBuf PngChunk::parseTXTChunk(const DataBuf& data, size_t keysize, TxtChunkType type)
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ namespace Exiv2
         DataBuf PngChunk::readRawProfile(const DataBuf& text, bool iTXt)
         {
             if (text.size() <= 1) {
-                return DataBuf();
+                return {};
             }
 
             DataBuf info;
@@ -527,26 +527,26 @@ namespace Exiv2
             const char* eot = text.c_str(text.size()-1);  // end of text
 
             if (sp >= eot) {
-                return DataBuf();
+                return {};
             }
 
             // Look for newline
             while (*sp != '\n') {
                 sp++;
                 if (sp == eot) {
-                    return DataBuf();
+                    return {};
                 }
             }
             sp++;  // step over '\n'
             if (sp == eot) {
-                return DataBuf();
+                return {};
             }
 
             // Look for length
             while (*sp == '\0' || *sp == ' ' || *sp == '\n') {
                 sp++;
                 if (sp == eot) {
-                    return DataBuf();
+                    return {};
                 }
             }
 
@@ -556,17 +556,17 @@ namespace Exiv2
                 // Compute the new length using unsigned long, so that we can check for overflow.
                 const size_t newlength = (10 * length) + (*sp - '0');
                 if (newlength > std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()) {
-                    return DataBuf();  // Integer overflow.
+                    return {};  // Integer overflow.
                 }
                 length = newlength;
                 sp++;
                 if (sp == eot) {
-                    return DataBuf();
+                    return {};
                 }
             }
             sp++;  // step over '\n'
             if (sp == eot) {
-                return DataBuf();
+                return {};
             }
 
             enforce(length <= static_cast<size_t>(eot - sp) / 2, Exiv2::kerCorruptedMetadata);
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ namespace Exiv2
 #ifdef EXIV2_DEBUG_MESSAGES
                 std::cerr << "Exiv2::PngChunk::readRawProfile: Unable To Copy Raw Profile: cannot allocate memory\n";
 #endif
-                return DataBuf();
+                return {};
             }
 
             // Copy profile, skipping white space and column 1 "=" signs
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ namespace Exiv2
 #ifdef EXIV2_DEBUG_MESSAGES
                         std::cerr << "Exiv2::PngChunk::readRawProfile: Unable To Copy Raw Profile: ran out of data\n";
 #endif
-                        return DataBuf();
+                        return {};
                     }
 
                     sp++;
diff --git a/src/preview.cpp b/src/preview.cpp
index c771494c..9f62f54a 100644
--- a/src/preview.cpp
+++ b/src/preview.cpp
@@ -438,7 +438,8 @@ namespace {
 
     DataBuf LoaderNative::getData() const
     {
-        if (!valid()) return DataBuf();
+        if (!valid())
+            return {};
 
         BasicIo &io = image_.io();
         if (io.open() != 0) {
@@ -450,10 +451,10 @@ namespace {
 #ifndef SUPPRESS_WARNINGS
             EXV_WARNING << "Invalid native preview position or size.\n";
 #endif
-            return DataBuf();
+            return {};
         }
         if (nativePreview_.filter_.empty()) {
-            return DataBuf(data + nativePreview_.position_, static_cast<long>(nativePreview_.size_));
+            return {data + nativePreview_.position_, nativePreview_.size_};
         }
         if (nativePreview_.filter_ == "hex-ai7thumbnail-pnm") {
             const DataBuf ai7thumbnail = decodeHex(data + nativePreview_.position_, static_cast<long>(nativePreview_.size_));
@@ -469,9 +470,9 @@ namespace {
 #ifndef SUPPRESS_WARNINGS
                 EXV_WARNING << "Missing preview IRB in Photoshop EPS preview.\n";
 #endif
-                return DataBuf();
+                return {};
             }
-            return DataBuf(record + sizeHdr + 28, sizeData - 28);
+            return {record + sizeHdr + 28, sizeData - 28};
         }
         throw Error(kerErrorMessage, "Invalid native preview filter: " + nativePreview_.filter_);
     }
@@ -548,7 +549,8 @@ namespace {
 
     DataBuf LoaderExifJpeg::getData() const
     {
-        if (!valid()) return DataBuf();
+        if (!valid())
+            return {};
         BasicIo &io = image_.io();
 
         if (io.open() != 0) {
@@ -558,7 +560,7 @@ namespace {
 
         const Exiv2::byte* base = io.mmap();
 
-        return DataBuf(base + offset_, size_);
+        return {base + offset_, size_};
     }
 
     bool LoaderExifJpeg::readDimensions()
@@ -625,7 +627,8 @@ namespace {
 
     DataBuf LoaderExifDataJpeg::getData() const
     {
-        if (!valid()) return DataBuf();
+        if (!valid())
+            return {};
 
         auto pos = image_.exifData().findKey(dataKey_);
         if (pos != image_.exifData().end()) {
@@ -640,7 +643,7 @@ namespace {
             return buf;
         }
 
-        return DataBuf();
+        return {};
     }
 
     bool LoaderExifDataJpeg::readDimensions()
@@ -823,7 +826,7 @@ namespace {
         IptcData emptyIptc;
         XmpData  emptyXmp;
         TiffParser::encode(mio, nullptr, 0, Exiv2::littleEndian, preview, emptyIptc, emptyXmp);
-        return DataBuf(mio.mmap(), static_cast<long>(mio.size()));
+        return {mio.mmap(), mio.size()};
     }
 
     LoaderXmpJpeg::LoaderXmpJpeg(PreviewId id, const Image &image, int parIdx)
@@ -877,8 +880,8 @@ namespace {
     DataBuf LoaderXmpJpeg::getData() const
     {
         if (!valid())
-            return DataBuf();
-        return DataBuf(preview_.c_data(), preview_.size());
+            return {};
+        return {preview_.c_data(), preview_.size()};
     }
 
     bool LoaderXmpJpeg::readDimensions()
@@ -940,12 +943,12 @@ namespace {
                 validSrcSize++;
         }
         if (validSrcSize > ULONG_MAX / 3)
-            return DataBuf(); // avoid integer overflow
+            return {};  // avoid integer overflow
         const unsigned long destSize = (validSrcSize * 3) / 4;
 
         // allocate dest buffer
         if (destSize > LONG_MAX)
-            return DataBuf(); // avoid integer overflow
+            return {};  // avoid integer overflow
         DataBuf dest(static_cast<long>(destSize));
 
         // decode
@@ -972,7 +975,7 @@ namespace {
 #ifndef SUPPRESS_WARNINGS
             EXV_WARNING << "Invalid size of AI7 thumbnail: " << src.size() << "\n";
 #endif
-            return DataBuf();
+            return {};
         }
         const byte *imageData = src.c_data(colorTableSize);
         const long imageDataSize = static_cast<long>(src.size()) - colorTableSize;
@@ -986,7 +989,7 @@ namespace {
 #ifndef SUPPRESS_WARNINGS
                     EXV_WARNING << "Unexpected end of image data at AI7 thumbnail.\n";
 #endif
-                    return DataBuf();
+                    return {};
                 }
                 value = imageData[i++];
                 if (value != 0xFD) {
@@ -994,7 +997,7 @@ namespace {
 #ifndef SUPPRESS_WARNINGS
                         EXV_WARNING << "Unexpected end of image data at AI7 thumbnail.\n";
 #endif
-                        return DataBuf();
+                        return {};
                     }
                     num = value;
                     value = imageData[i++];
@@ -1004,7 +1007,7 @@ namespace {
                 dest.append(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(colorTable + (3*value)), 3);
             }
         }
-        return DataBuf(reinterpret_cast<const byte*>(dest.data()), static_cast<long>(dest.size()));
+        return {reinterpret_cast<const byte *>(dest.data()), dest.size()};
     }
 
     DataBuf makePnm(uint32_t width, uint32_t height, const DataBuf &rgb)
@@ -1014,7 +1017,7 @@ namespace {
 #ifndef SUPPRESS_WARNINGS
             EXV_WARNING << "Invalid size of preview data. Expected " << expectedSize << " bytes, got " << rgb.size() << " bytes.\n";
 #endif
-            return DataBuf();
+            return {};
         }
 
         const std::string header = "P6\n" + toString(width) + " " + toString(height) + "\n255\n";
@@ -1058,7 +1061,7 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
 
     DataBuf PreviewImage::copy() const
     {
-        return DataBuf(pData(), size());
+        return {pData(), size()};
     }
 
     const byte* PreviewImage::pData() const
diff --git a/src/rw2image_int.cpp b/src/rw2image_int.cpp
index 124bbe34..6f16227b 100644
--- a/src/rw2image_int.cpp
+++ b/src/rw2image_int.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
     DataBuf Rw2Header::write() const
     {
         // Todo: Implement me!
-        return DataBuf();
+        return {};
     }
 
     }  // namespace Internal
diff --git a/src/value.cpp b/src/value.cpp
index 30a816c2..f28e21d3 100644
--- a/src/value.cpp
+++ b/src/value.cpp
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
 
     DataBuf Value::dataArea() const
     {
-        return DataBuf(nullptr, 0);
+        return {nullptr, 0};
     }
 
     DataValue::DataValue(TypeId typeId)