Image Converter

Convert IIQ to RAW

Looking to turn a IIQ into a RAW file? Here's the honest answer — and what actually works instead.

You can't convert IIQ to RAW — and no tool genuinely can. Here's why.

Why IIQ to RAW isn't possible

1

RAW is sensor data, not a picture

A RAW file is the unprocessed data captured straight off a camera's image sensor the instant you press the shutter. A IIQ is an already-processed, finished image — the original sensor information is long gone and can't be recreated.

2

It's tied to a specific camera

Each RAW format — Canon CR2, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fuji RAF and dozens more — is proprietary to one camera maker and model. There is no single universal "RAW" file to convert into.

3

The detail can't be rebuilt

Converting to RAW can't bring back the extra dynamic range, color depth or highlight recovery that real RAW holds — that data was never in your IIQ. You'd only get a larger file with none of the benefits.

So what are the actual RAW formats?

"RAW" isn't a single format — it's dozens of camera-maker-specific ones. A real RAW file is always one of these, straight from the camera:

Format details

What is a IIQ file?

IIQ is Phase One's raw format from its high-end medium-format backs, prized for enormous resolution and dynamic range.

Full name
Phase One Raw
Developed by
Phase One
Released
2008
Extension
.iiq
MIME type
image/iiq
Transparency
No

How to open IIQ opens in Capture One (its native editor) and Lightroom; convert to DNG/TIFF for other tools.

Full IIQ format guide

What is a RAW file?

A raw file is the unprocessed data straight from a camera’s sensor, keeping maximum detail and dynamic range before it is developed into a JPG or PNG. “RAW” isn’t one format — each maker has its own (CR2, NEF, ARW…).

Full name
Camera Raw
Developed by
Camera manufacturers
Released
Extension
.raw
MIME type
image/x-raw
Transparency
No

How to open RAW files open in Lightroom, Photoshop / Camera Raw, Capture One and each camera maker’s software.

What you can do instead

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert IIQ to RAW?
No. RAW is the unprocessed data a camera's sensor records at the moment of capture — it can't be generated from an already-processed IIQ, or from any finished image. Software converts from RAW, never into it.
What's the difference between RAW and IIQ?
IIQ is a finished, ready-to-view image. A RAW file holds the original sensor data with far more dynamic range and editing latitude — but it only ever comes straight out of a camera, not from a converter.
Is DNG the same as RAW?
DNG (Adobe Digital Negative) is an open RAW container. You can convert a camera's proprietary RAW — CR2, NEF, ARW and so on — into DNG, but you still can't turn a regular IIQ into RAW.
How do I open a RAW file?
RAW files open in Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Camera Raw, Capture One, and each maker's own software — Canon DPP, Nikon NX Studio, Sony Imaging Edge and more.
Can I convert RAW to IIQ or JPG instead?
Yes — that direction works. Use our converter to turn CR2, NEF, ARW, DNG and other RAW files into JPG, PNG or TIFF.
Will converting to RAW improve my image quality?
No. You can't recover detail, dynamic range or color depth that was never captured. Your IIQ already contains all the data it has.