.ARW File Extension

ARW is a raw camera image format proprietary to Sony Alpha digital cameras. Other proprietary camera raw formats include the Canon Raw 3 Image format ( .CR3 ) and the Nikon Electronic Format ( .NEF ).

Professional photographers and camera hobbyists utilizing Sony Alpha digital cameras will most likely encounter ARW camera raw files. The files store more image data than compressed images, such as .JPG or .PNG , which allows photographers to capture higher-quality images and edit them more accurately.

The sensor on one Sony camera model may differ from the sensor on another camera. Also, some Sony camera models store RAW images with the .arw file extension but in different formats. Therefore, you should check the documentation of your photo editing software before assuming that it supports a specific camera model.

NOTE: To ensure that your Sony Alpha camera captures images as ARW files, verify that the image quality section in the camera menu is set to "RAW."

To open a .arw file, you need compatible software that supports this file format.