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Reference Formats

SRW

SRW is Samsung's proprietary raw format, introduced with the NX10 mirrorless camera in 2010, now an orphaned format since Samsung exited the camera business.

Extension

.srw

Full name

Samsung RAW

Introduced

2010, with the Samsung NX10

Vendor

Samsung

What is inside the container

SRW is a TIFF/EXIF-based container storing unprocessed Bayer sensor data plus Samsung maker-note metadata and an embedded JPEG preview. Samsung's own raw-conversion software (bundled utilities tied to the NX line) is no longer maintained, so ongoing support depends entirely on third parties such as Adobe and the open-source libraw project. This makes SRW one of the more clearly at-risk formats in this list from a pure DAM-longevity standpoint.

How to open it

Windows / macOS Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom Classic, via Adobe's camera raw plugin update for supported NX models
Cross-platform, open source RawTherapee or darktable, both decoding SRW through libraw
Batch conversion Adobe DNG Converter, useful for normalizing SRW libraries since Samsung's own software is discontinued
Legacy Samsung native Samsung's bundled NX-series raw converter, still usable but unsupported and unmaintained

For archives

SRW should be treated as a priority conversion candidate for any DAM. Samsung discontinued its NX camera line and exited the standalone camera market, so there is no active vendor maintaining raw-decoder compatibility going forward; converting SRW masters to DNG now, while Adobe and libraw still support current camera models, avoids relying on aging third-party decoders indefinitely.

Samsung introduced SRW alongside the NX10, its first NX-series mirrorless camera, which launched in January 2010 with a 15-megapixel APS-C sensor and the new Samsung NX lens mount. SRW files use a TIFF/EXIF-based structure typical of raw formats from that era, storing the camera’s raw Bayer sensor output together with an embedded JPEG preview and Samsung-specific metadata fields.

What sets SRW apart from the other manufacturer raw formats in this reference series is that Samsung is no longer an active camera manufacturer: the company wound down its NX camera line and exited the standalone camera business in the mid-2010s. That leaves SRW support permanently in the hands of third parties — Adobe’s Camera Raw team and the open-source libraw project — with no vendor left to fix decoding issues on new discoveries about older camera models.

That orphaned status is exactly the scenario DNG was designed to protect against, and it is the clearest practical argument in this whole set of formats for proactive conversion: a DAM holding SRW assets from discontinued Samsung NX cameras gains real insurance by converting to DNG now, rather than waiting for a future software update that may never come.

Frequently asked

Why is SRW flagged as a priority conversion candidate for a DAM?

Samsung discontinued its NX camera line and exited the standalone camera market, so there is no active vendor maintaining raw-decoder compatibility going forward, making SRW one of the more clearly at-risk formats for long-term DAM support.

Is Samsung's own SRW conversion software still maintained?

No. Samsung's bundled utilities tied to the NX line are no longer maintained, so ongoing support depends entirely on third parties such as Adobe and the open-source libraw project.

What should a DAM do with SRW masters now?

Convert them to DNG now, while Adobe and libraw still support current camera models, rather than waiting and relying on aging third-party decoders indefinitely.

What does SRW's container structure look like?

A TIFF/EXIF-based container storing unprocessed Bayer sensor data plus Samsung maker-note metadata and an embedded JPEG preview.

When was SRW introduced?

2010, with the Samsung NX10 mirrorless camera.

What tools currently decode SRW?

Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom Classic via Adobe's camera raw plugin update for supported NX models, and RawTherapee or darktable through libraw.

Is Samsung's legacy NX-series raw converter usable today?

Yes, but only as a legacy option; it's still usable but unsupported and unmaintained, so it shouldn't be relied on for ongoing DAM workflows.

What's the practical batch-conversion path for a SRW-heavy legacy collection?

Adobe DNG Converter, useful for normalizing SRW libraries since Samsung's own software is discontinued.

Sources