How to use it
- Drop in ARW files.
- Each is developed with your camera’s white balance.
- Download the JPGs.
About ARW
Sony has used ARW since its first DSLR, the Alpha A100, in 2006, and it covers the Alpha 7 and 9 full-frame lines, APS-C models such as the A6000 series, and the RX compacts. SRF and SR2 were earlier Sony raw formats.
Compressed, lossless and uncompressed
Sony's raw options have varied. Older bodies offered only lossy compressed raw, which could show faint artefacts around very high-contrast edges. Later models added uncompressed, and recent ones lossless compressed raw, which is smaller than uncompressed with no loss. All are read here.
Sony colour
Sony's in-camera Creative Styles and Creative Looks are not stored in a way raw converters apply. You get a neutral development, which some photographers prefer as a base and others find cooler than the camera's JPGs.
RAW and JPG compared
| RAW | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| First released | Late 1990s, varies by maker | 1992 |
| Compression | Sensor data, uncompressed or lightly compressed | Lossy |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation or pages | No (holds a JPEG preview) | No |
| Best for | Editing photos with the most latitude | Photos for sharing, email and print |
| Support | Raw editors and camera software; not browsers | Universal |
Questions people ask
Which Sony cameras are supported?
Alpha mirrorless and SLT bodies and RX compacts, via LibRaw. Very new models may take time to be added.
Does it handle lossless compressed ARW?
Yes, along with compressed and uncompressed ARW.
Why do my photos look slightly different?
Creative Styles are camera processing and are not applied to the raw development.