What is a RAW file?
RAW stands for Panasonic and Leica raw image. It was created by Panasonic and first released in the mid 2000s. Before RW2, Panasonic Lumix cameras and the Leica compacts made with them saved raw photos with the plain .RAW extension. Other cameras and scanners use .raw for unrelated formats of their own; this converter reads the Panasonic and Leica kind, and raw files of other brands, such as CR2, NEF or ARW, can be dropped on the same page.
| Type | image |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless |
| Colour | raw sensor data, usually 12 or 14 bits per pixel |
| Transparency | No |
| Animation | No |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Lightroom, darktable and RawTherapee open it |
| Common uses | Panasonic Lumix cameras made before 2008, such as the FZ18, FZ30 and LX2, and the Leica models built with them |
| MIME type | image/x-panasonic-raw |
Which format should you convert RAW to?
- RAW to JPG for photos that must open everywhere and stay small.
- RAW to PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency.
- RAW to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
RAW is lossy or lossless depending on how it was saved, so check what a program needs before converting.
How to open a RAW file
A RAW file does not open in a web browser, and only some devices have a program for it. Here is what works on each. If none of these is to hand, converting the file to PNG here is the quickest way to see what is inside it.
| Windows | darktable and RawTherapee (both free) and Lightroom open Panasonic and Leica RAW files. |
|---|---|
| Mac | darktable and RawTherapee (both free) and Lightroom open Panasonic and Leica RAW files. |
| iPhone and iPad | iPhone and iPad have no dependable app for these RAW files. Convert them to JPG here to view them. |
| Android | Android has no common app for these RAW files. Convert them to JPG here to view them. |
Want the technical details? See what a .raw file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
RAW compared with other image formats
How RAW stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAW | Either | No | the mid 2000s | Panasonic Lumix cameras made before 2008, such as the FZ18, FZ30 and LX2, and the Leica models built with them |
| JPG | Lossy | No | 1992 | camera photos, web images and email attachments |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | 1996 | screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency |
| WebP | Either | Yes | 2010 | images served by websites to save bandwidth |
| HEIC | Lossy | Yes | 2017 | photos taken on iPhones and iPads since iOS 11 |
How to use the RAW converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your RAW files on the box, or press Choose RAW files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting RAW files without losing quality
RAW can be lossy or lossless depending on how the file was saved. Either way, converting to a lossless format keeps exactly what is there, and converting to a lossy one trades a little detail for a much smaller file.
- Keep the raw file. It holds the full sensor data, with far more room for adjusting exposure and colour than any JPG or PNG made from it.
- Choose JPG to share or upload a photo, and PNG or TIFF when the picture will be edited further, since they add no compression loss.
- The conversion is a neutral development with the white balance the camera recorded. For an edited look, develop the file in Lightroom, darktable or RawTherapee instead.
- The server accepts files up to 25 MB, which fits the raw files of most cameras; very high-resolution cameras can go past it.
Convert RAW files from the command line
LibRaw and ImageMagick do the same on your own computer:
dcraw_emu -w -o 1 -q 3 -T input.raw
magick input.raw.tiff -quality 92 output.jpgConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
RAW converter FAQ
What is a RAW file?
RAW stands for Panasonic and Leica raw image, an image format created by Panasonic in the mid 2000s. Before RW2, Panasonic Lumix cameras and the Leica compacts made with them saved raw photos with the plain .RAW extension. Other cameras and scanners use .raw for unrelated formats of their own; this converter reads the Panasonic and Leica kind, and raw files of other brands, such as CR2, NEF or ARW, can be dropped on the same page.
How do I open a RAW file?
RAW does not open in browsers; Lightroom, darktable and RawTherapee open it. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common RAW conversion?
RAW to JPG is the conversion people search for most. The RAW is developed by LibRaw, the open-source camera RAW decoder, on our conversion server: the sensor data is turned into a full-colour picture with the white balance the camera recorded, AHD demosaicing and standard sRGB colour.
Does converting RAW files here upload them?
Yes. RAW conversions need LibRaw and ImageMagick, open-source programs that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the RAW converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert RAW files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your RAW files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several RAW files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.