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RAW to ORF Converter

Convert RAW 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

RAW expected · other image formats also work

Files are processed on this device. Nothing is uploaded.0 B uploaded

How to use RAW to ORF

  1. 1

    Add your RAW files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.

  2. 2

    There is nothing to tune: the DNG is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.

  3. 3

    Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.

  4. 4

    Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.

Why use Aback Images for raw 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 RAW

The DNG stores the camera preview's pixels uncompressed, so it can be as large as the 20 to 80 MB raw file, or larger, depending on the preview's resolution.

No new artefacts

The preview inside the RAW is a camera JPEG; the DNG stores its decoded pixels uncompressed, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.

Processed on your device

Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

RAW vs ORF

What changes from RAW to ORF

Encoding: the RAW uses uncompressed, lossless JPEG or vendor-specific coding of the sensor data, depending on the maker; 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: 12 to 16 bits per channel in the RAW; ORF allows 12 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. The sensor's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the camera's 8-bit preview is converted.

Colour: camera-native RGB from a colour filter mosaic in the RAW; ORF supports camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, written here as 8-bit sRGB.

Metadata: the RAW can carry EXIF and vendor maker notes, almost always with an embedded JPEG preview; ORF can carry EXIF and Olympus maker notes, which also contain the preview, but nothing is copied across.

About RAW

Camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RW2, RAF and others) hold the unprocessed sensor data from a camera along with an embedded full-size JPEG preview rendered by the camera.

.RAW is an extension rather than one format. Panasonic and Leica compacts wrote TIFF-like .RAW files before Panasonic moved to RW2, and scanners and scientific cameras use .raw for headerless dumps with no width, height or layout recorded, which nothing can read without being told those values.

RAW files usually come from older Panasonic and Leica compacts that saved .RAW, and scanners or scientific cameras that use the extension for pixel dumps.

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 RAW 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 RAW 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

  • The camera's embedded JPEG preview is what gets converted, not the sensor data; it matches what the camera showed on its screen.
  • A headerless .raw pixel dump has no preview and no size information, so it cannot be converted here.
  • The DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the RAW.

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. This converter reads the JPEG preview inside the RAW, not its sensor data, so it cannot make one either. 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 this process the RAW sensor data?

No. Camera RAW files carry a JPEG rendered by the camera when the picture was taken, and that is what gets converted, so the result matches what you saw on the camera screen. For full development (white balance, highlight recovery, lens corrections) use a RAW editor.

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.