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Reference Formats

ARW

Sony's current TIFF-based RAW format for Alpha-series cameras, replacing the earlier SRF (2004) and SR2 (2005) formats, storing 12- or 14-bit raw sensor data with an embedded preview and Exif/MakerNotes metadata.

Extension

.arw

Full name

Sony Alpha Raw

Introduced

July 2006, with the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

Vendor

Sony

What is inside the container

ARW is a TIFF-derived container carrying an embedded JPEG preview, standard Exif data, and Sony-specific MakerNotes; newer bodies offer both lossless-compressed and uncompressed ARW capture options. Like other vendor RAW formats, the exact internal layout has shifted somewhat across camera generations, so decoding software needs per-model updates rather than a single fixed parser.

How to open it

Sony native Sony Imaging Edge Desktop
Cross-vendor commercial Adobe Camera Raw / Lightroom Classic
Cross-vendor commercial Capture One
Open source RawTherapee and darktable

For archives

ARW is stable and widely supported after two decades of use, so no urgent conversion is needed for active archives; still recommend a DNG conversion pass for cross-brand DAM collections. Note that Sony's older SRF/SR2 files, used before ARW's 2006 debut, are a genuinely separate legacy format and need distinct handling if a collection includes early Sony raw captures.

Sony’s path to ARW ran through two earlier, short-lived raw formats: SRF, which appeared in January 2004 with the Cyber-shot DSC-F828, and SR2, introduced in December 2005 with the DSC-R1. ARW itself launched in July 2006 alongside the Alpha DSLR-A100, Sony’s first Alpha-series DSLR (built on Konica Minolta’s camera technology after Sony acquired that business), and has remained Sony’s standard raw format across the Alpha DSLR and mirrorless lines ever since.

For a DAM, ARW behaves much like NEF or CR2 — a TIFF-based container with an embedded preview and MakerNotes that mainstream raw processors handle well given its now-lengthy track record. The one archival trap specific to Sony is format continuity across the SRF/SR2/ARW transition: a photo library that includes early-2000s Sony captures may have SRF or SR2 files mixed in among the far more common ARW files, and those older formats have much thinner software support today, making them a genuine risk for a DAM performing long-term preservation rather than just current-camera ingestion.

Frequently asked

What preceded ARW as Sony's raw format?

SRF from 2004 and SR2 from 2005 were Sony's earlier proprietary raw formats before ARW replaced them in July 2006 with the Alpha DSLR-A100.

Does ARW use one fixed internal layout across all Sony camera generations?

No. The exact internal layout has shifted somewhat across camera generations, so decoding software needs per-model updates rather than a single fixed parser.

Should a DAM treat old Sony SRF/SR2 files the same as ARW?

No. SRF and SR2 are a genuinely separate legacy format used before ARW's 2006 debut and need distinct handling if a collection includes early Sony raw captures.

What bit depths does ARW capture at?

12-bit or 14-bit raw sensor data, depending on the camera; newer bodies also offer both lossless-compressed and uncompressed ARW capture options.

Is ARW structurally TIFF-based?

Yes. Like most vendor raw formats, ARW is TIFF-derived, carrying an embedded JPEG preview, standard Exif data, and Sony-specific MakerNotes.

Should a DAM convert ARW masters to DNG?

Not urgently. ARW is stable and widely supported after two decades of use, so no urgent conversion is needed for active archives, though a DNG pass is still recommended for cross-brand DAM collections.

What native Sony software opens ARW?

Sony Imaging Edge Desktop, alongside cross-vendor tools like Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom Classic, Capture One, RawTherapee, and darktable.

When was ARW introduced?

July 2006, with the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100.

Sources