ARW to RAF Converter

Encoding: the ARW uses Sony's lossy compressed raw, uncompressed (since the A7R II) or lossless compressed (since the A1); RAF uses uncompressed or lossless compressed sensor data in Fujifilm's own container, and the download is a Linear DNG: demosaiced 8-bit RGB with the colour matrices raw editors need.

Bit depth: 12 or 14 bits per channel in the ARW; RAF allows 12 to 16 bits per channel depending on the camera, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. The sensor's 12 or 14 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.

Colour: camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic in the ARW; RAF supports camera RGB from an X-Trans 6×6 or Bayer 2×2 mosaic, written here as 8-bit sRGB.

Metadata: the ARW can carry EXIF, Sony maker notes, a thumbnail and a full-size JPEG; RAF can carry EXIF and Fujifilm maker notes, including the Film Simulation, but nothing is copied across.

ARW is the raw format of Sony Alpha, RX and Cyber-shot cameras. It stores the sensor data (compressed, uncompressed or lossless compressed, depending on the model) with a full-size JPEG preview.

ARW is TIFF-based: the first directory carries EXIF and Sony's JPEG preview and the sensor data sits in a sub-directory. In Sony's classic compressed raw each block of 16 same-colour pixels keeps an 11-bit maximum and minimum plus 7-bit steps for the rest, which can leave artefacts beside high-contrast edges.

ARW files usually come from Sony Alpha mirrorless and SLT cameras, RX compacts and some Cyber-shot models.

RAF is the raw format of Fujifilm cameras, from the X series to the medium-format GFX. Most X-series bodies use an X-Trans sensor with a 6×6 colour filter pattern instead of the usual Bayer 2×2.

RAF is not TIFF at the top level: it opens with the text 'FUJIFILMCCD-RAW', then a header with the camera model and offsets to three blocks: a JPEG preview near the start of the file, a header describing the sensor layout, and the sensor data.

RAF files come from Fujifilm X-T, X-H, X-S, X-E, X100 and GFX cameras.

Forms and workflows that ask for RAF usually feed a raw editor, and each of those opens DNG as well, so the DNG can take the RAF's place. Keep the ARW if you only need to view or share the picture.

What RAF offers when it comes straight from the camera: Film Simulation baked into the embedded JPEG; Lossless compressed option on recent bodies; Large medium-format files from GFX cameras. Its drawbacks: Fujifilm's own container rather than TIFF; X-Trans demosaicing differs between raw editors; Film Simulations need camera-matching profiles in third-party editors.