PCX to ORF Converter
Convert PCX to ORF in your browser. You download a Linear DNG (.dng), not a .orf: only an Olympus camera can create a genuine ORF, and every editor that opens ORF also opens DNG. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
PCX expected · other image formats also work
How to use PCX to ORF
- 1
Add your PCX files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the DNG is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for pcx to orf
Where a ORF would go
ORF files are opened by OM Workspace, Lightroom, Photoshop Camera Raw, Capture One and RawTherapee, and every one of them opens the DNG too.
DNG next to PCX
The DNG is written uncompressed, so expect it to be several times larger than the PCX, which stores byte-wise run-length encoding.
Written without a lossy pass
The DNG is written uncompressed, so the pixels decoded from the PCX arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
PCX vs ORF
What changes from PCX to ORF
Encoding: the PCX uses byte-wise run-length encoding; ORF uses losslessly compressed sensor data, with a preview and thumbnail, and the download is a Linear DNG: demosaiced 8-bit RGB with the colour matrices raw editors need.
Bit depth: 1, 2, 4 or 8 bits per pixel with a palette, or 24-bit as three 8-bit planes in the PCX; ORF allows 12 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised.
Colour: a 16 or 256-colour palette, or 24-bit RGB in the PCX; ORF supports camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the PCX can carry only a 128-byte header with the resolution; ORF can carry EXIF and Olympus maker notes, which also contain the preview, but nothing is copied across.
About PCX
PCX is the image format of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush, the standard for DOS paint programs, scanners and games before GIF and BMP took over. It compresses with a simple run-length scheme.
A PCX file has a 128-byte header (the byte 0x0A, version, encoding, bits per pixel, image window, DPI, a 16-colour palette and the number of colour planes), then RLE-compressed scanlines; 256-colour files end with the byte 0x0C and a 768-byte palette.
PCX files usually come from DOS paint programs (PC Paintbrush, Deluxe Paint), old games, and fax and scanner software.
About ORF
ORF is the raw format of Olympus and OM System cameras, built around Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds sensors. It stores 12-bit sensor data with a JPEG preview kept inside Olympus's maker notes.
ORF looks like TIFF but replaces the version number 42 with the letters 'RO', so a little-endian file starts 'IIRO' and generic TIFF readers reject it. Its JPEG preview is not in the main image directory but inside the camera-settings block of Olympus's maker notes.
ORF files come from Olympus E-series DSLRs, OM-D and PEN mirrorless cameras and OM System bodies.
When converting PCX to ORF makes sense
Forms and workflows that ask for ORF usually feed a raw editor, and each of those opens DNG as well, so the DNG can take the ORF's place. Keep the PCX if you only need to view or share the picture.
What ORF offers when it comes straight from the camera: Compact files from a smaller Four Thirds sensor; High Res Shot results stored as a single file; Supported across two decades of Olympus and OM System bodies. Its drawbacks: An 'IIRO' header that generic TIFF readers reject; 12-bit depth, less than most full-frame raw files; A preview hidden inside the maker notes.
Limitations
- DOS art was often drawn for 320×200 screens shown at 4:3, where pixels were slightly taller than wide, so it can look a little squashed on a modern display.
- A palette PCX holds at most 256 colours, so a full-colour target keeps them exactly but adds nothing.
- The DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the PCX.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do I get a .dng file instead of a .orf?
A real ORF is written by Olympus cameras and holds the sensor's own readings (12 bits per channel, stored as losslessly compressed sensor data, with a preview and thumbnail) along with EXIF and Olympus maker notes, which also contain the preview. A PCX holds no sensor data, so no software outside the camera can create a genuine ORF. The Linear DNG you get instead is Adobe's open raw format, and every editor that opens ORF files opens it with the same raw controls. It holds decoded pixels, so it adds no quality or dynamic range.
Does converting PCX to ORF lose quality?
DNG is written uncompressed, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.