RW2 File Format (.rw2)

An RW2 file stores unprocessed sensor data from a Panasonic Lumix camera in a TIFF-based container, the raw format Panasonic has used since it started building Micro Four Thirds cameras and still writes across the current Lumix G and S lineups.

.rw2Image Files

RW2 at a glance#

Full name	Panasonic Lumix Raw Image
File extension	.rw2
Category	Image Files
Developer	Panasonic
MIME types	image/x-panasonic-rw2image/x-panasonic-raw2
Compression	Varies from file to file
FileFlip support	FileFlip reads this format but does not write it

What a .rw2 file can hold#

These are the things a RW2 file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.

Lossless compression	Yes
Embedded metadata	Yes
Colour profiles	Yes

Strengths and limitations of RW2#

What RW2 does well

Captures 12-bit or 14-bit sensor data per pixel, well beyond the 8-bit range of an in-camera JPEG
Recent Lumix bodies embed a full-resolution JPEG preview with EXIF inside the file, so software without RW2 support can still show an image
Panasonic's own raw converter can correct lens geometric distortion and chromatic aberration using correction data stored in the file

Where RW2 falls short

Panasonic has never published the RW2 tag structure, so support outside Adobe and Panasonic's own software depends on reverse-engineered decoders
Files run several times larger than a JPEG from the same camera, since sensor data is kept close to raw
Leica's rebadged versions of the same Lumix-designed cameras write the equivalent data to a separate RWL extension instead

Shoot RW2 when a Lumix camera is set to record raw and the goal is to keep full sensor data for exposure and white balance adjustments later.

Convert RW2 once editing is finished and the image needs to go somewhere that doesn't read camera raw, such as a website, a shared album, or a printer.

How to open a .rw2 file#

A .rw2 file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts RW2 into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.

Platform	Programs that open it
Windows	Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photos (with Raw Image Extension), RawTherapee, darktable
macOS	Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Photoshop, Preview, Photos, RawTherapee, darktable
Linux	RawTherapee, darktable, digiKam
Web	FileFlip

RW2 questions people ask#

What camera creates RW2 files?

RW2 files come from Panasonic Lumix cameras with the capture format set to RAW, including the Micro Four Thirds G and GH series and the full-frame S series. JPEG is the default on most Lumix bodies, so RAW has to be turned on in the camera menu.

Can Windows open RW2 files without extra software?

Windows only shows RW2 thumbnails and previews after the Raw Image Extension is installed from the Microsoft Store, and even then only Photos and File Explorer use it. Converting to JPG works everywhere without installing anything.

Is RW2 the same as RWL?

RW2 and RWL hold the same kind of Panasonic sensor data in the same TIFF-based structure. Leica uses the RWL extension for the rebadged versions of Panasonic-designed cameras it sells, while Panasonic's own cameras write RW2.

Does converting RW2 to JPG lose image quality?

Converting an RW2 file to JPG applies the raw processing (demosaicing, white balance, tone curve) and then compresses the result, so some of the original sensor data is discarded. The RW2 itself is unaffected by the conversion and keeps every option for reprocessing open.

Converting RW2 files#

FileFlip does not write .rw2 files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.

Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.