ARW Converter
FileFlip converts ARW files into 62 other formats entirely inside your browser, using ImageMagick, MuPDF and Pandoc compiled to WebAssembly. The ARW file is never uploaded to a server: it is read off your disk, converted on your own machine, and saved back by the browser. There is no file-size limit and no account to create.
How do I convert an ARW file?#
- Drop your ARW file onto the converter at the top of this page, or click it to pick one from your computer.
- Choose the format you want out of it. FileFlip downloads the engine that conversion needs, once, and your browser caches it.
- Conversion starts the moment you pick the format, and the result is yours to download. The work happens in this tab, so nothing is uploaded and nothing is queued.
Is it safe to convert ARW files online?#
Yes, because nothing is uploaded. FileFlip converts ARW files inside the browser tab you already have open, using WebAssembly builds of the same engines a desktop converter would install. Your file is read from your own disk into the page's memory, and no request carrying it is ever made.
You do not have to take that on trust. Open your browser's network panel, run a conversion, and you will see the engine come down and your file go nowhere. There is no upload, no server-side copy, no retention window, and no account tied to what you converted.
How FileFlip works lists every engine, its version and its download size, and shows how to check for yourself that nothing leaves your machine.
What happens to a ARW file#
FileFlip converts ARW into 62 formats with ImageMagick, MuPDF and Pandoc, all of it inside the browser tab. Each conversion below names the engine it uses, what it downloads, and exactly what that conversion keeps or drops.
| Category | Image Files |
|---|---|
| File extension | .arw |
| FileFlip support | Read only, so it is a source rather than a target |
| Conversions available | 62 |
| Engines | ImageMagick, MuPDF and Pandoc |
| Downloaded to your browser | 14.1 MB on the first conversion, then cached |
What is an ARW file?#
An ARW file stores raw sensor data in Sony's current TIFF-based raw format, introduced in 2006 with the Alpha DSLR-A100 and used by every Alpha DSLR, SLT and mirrorless camera Sony has released since, replacing the short-lived SR2 format Sony had used on cameras like the Cyber-shot DSC-R1.
ARW is what every current Sony Alpha or mirrorless camera writes automatically, so choosing between uncompressed and compressed ARW in the camera's menu is the only real decision.
Convert ARW to JPEG for sharing and printing, or to DNG when a particular piece of software hasn't yet added support for a brand-new Sony camera body.
The ARW file format reference covers the specification, the programs that open one, and what each conversion keeps or drops.
ARW questions people ask#
What software opens ARW files?
Sony's own Imaging Edge Desktop opens ARW files, as do Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Camera Raw, Capture One, and open-source tools like darktable and RawTherapee. ARW is Sony's current raw format, so support is broad across both paid and free raw processors.
Does converting ARW to DNG lose quality?
No, converting an ARW file to DNG keeps the same sensor data, since DNG conversion doesn't re-render the image. A small amount of Sony-specific metadata can be lost in the conversion, but not image quality.
Should I shoot compressed or uncompressed ARW?
Uncompressed ARW avoids Sony's lossy 11+7 bit delta compression, which can visibly posterize smooth gradients like skies under some conditions, at the cost of a larger file. Sony's lossless-compressed option is a middle ground that shrinks the file without that risk.
Which Sony camera first used ARW?
The Alpha DSLR-A100, Sony's first Alpha-branded DSLR, introduced ARW in 2006, replacing the SR2 format Sony had used on earlier cameras like the Cyber-shot DSC-R1. Every Alpha DSLR, SLT and mirrorless camera Sony has released since has written ARW, making it the only raw format across the current Alpha and RX lines.
Why does Sony use ARW instead of DNG?
Sony uses ARW, like other camera makers use their own raw formats, so it can add camera-specific metadata and features without waiting on Adobe to update a shared DNG specification. Sony's cameras don't write DNG in-camera; converting to DNG is always a separate step done afterward.