An ARW file is a raw photo from a Sony camera. The name stands for Alpha Raw, after Sony’s Alpha camera line. Instead of a finished JPEG, the camera saves what its sensor recorded, along with the shooting settings and a small embedded preview. Sony’s older cameras used the related SRF and SR2 extensions.
Which cameras create ARW
- Mirrorless Alpha cameras: the A7, A7R, A7S, A9 and A1 full-frame series, and APS-C models such as the A6000 range and ZV-E10.
- A-mount DSLRs and SLTs such as the A77 and A99.
- RX compact cameras, including the RX100 and RX10 series.
Many Sony cameras offer compressed, lossless compressed and uncompressed ARW. Uncompressed files are the largest; lossless compressed saves space without any loss.
How to open an ARW file
- Windows: the Photos app opens ARW after installing Microsoft’s free Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store.
- Mac: Preview and Photos open ARW from most Sony cameras; very new models need a macOS update.
- Editing software: Sony Imaging Edge (free), Lightroom, Capture One, darktable and RawTherapee.
- Anywhere else: convert the ARW to JPG, which every device and website can open.
Why shoot ARW
- More editing room: 12 or 14 bits per colour, compared with 8 in a JPG, so you can recover highlights and shadows.
- White balance can be changed afterwards without loss.
- No in-camera processing baked in: sharpening, noise reduction and the Creative Look are applied later, your way.
Downsides
- Large files, often 25–60 MB each, which fill cards and drives quickly.
- Not viewable on most phones, websites, social networks and older software.
- Needs developing before it looks like a finished photo.
ARW and other formats
To share or print Sony photos without raw software, convert ARW to JPG. If you want to keep raw data in a more widely supported file, Adobe’s DNG format is an alternative that many editors can export.