ARW is Sony's in-camera RAW
ARW is the raw sensor data a Sony camera writes at the moment of capture. It's produced by the camera's own hardware and firmware — software can read it, but nothing can manufacture a genuine ARW from a finished JPG.
Looking to turn a JPG into a ARW file? Here's the honest answer — and what actually works instead.
You can't convert JPG to ARW. ARW is a camera's own RAW format — it only ever comes out of the camera.
ARW is the raw sensor data a Sony camera writes at the moment of capture. It's produced by the camera's own hardware and firmware — software can read it, but nothing can manufacture a genuine ARW from a finished JPG.
Your JPG is a developed, final image. The extra sensor information a ARW carries — wider dynamic range, full color depth, untouched highlights — was discarded when the photo was first saved, and can't be put back.
ARW is proprietary to Sony. Even other RAW formats (NEF, ARW, RAF…) aren't interchangeable with it — there is no universal "save as RAW" that produces a real ARW.
Every real RAW file is one of these camera-maker-specific formats, written by the camera itself:
JPG (JPEG) is a lossy raster format that compresses photographs into small files by discarding detail the eye barely notices — the most widely used photo format on the web and in cameras.
How to open JPG opens in every browser, image viewer and editor with no special software.
Full JPG format guideARW is Sony’s raw photo format, storing unprocessed sensor data from Alpha cameras for full editing latitude.
How to open ARW opens in Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One and Sony Imaging Edge.
Full ARW format guideLossless and uncompressed — ideal for editing, archiving and print.
JPG → TIFFLossless with transparency — perfect for graphics, logos and screenshots.
JPG → PNGA modern format with small files at high quality for the web.
JPG → WEBPConvert your ARW and other camera RAW files to JPG, PNG or TIFF.
Open the converter