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ARW at a glance
ARW
As Sony expanded from consumer electronics into serious camera bodies and sensors, ARW became part of the broader shift that put Sony raw support on the critical path for many photo applications.
PFM at a glance
PFM
These formats persist in engineering, compression research, and conversion-tool contexts where simple sample storage or adjunct technical representation is useful.
Format comparison
| Feature | ARW | PFM |
|---|---|---|
| File type | Image | Image |
| Extensions |
|
|
| MIME type |
|
|
| Compression / quality | raw | depends |
| File size characteristics | large | medium |
| Compatibility | limited | broad |
| Editability | high | moderate |
| Created year | 2006 | 1995 |
| Inventor | Sony | Paul Debevec |
| Status | proprietary | active |
| Transparency | Not supported | Not supported |
| Animation | Not supported | Not supported |
| Primary use cases |
|
|
| Common software |
|
|
| Archival suitability | strong | moderate |
| Metadata handling | rich | moderate |
| Delivery profile | limited | strong |
| Workflow fit | source | delivery |
| Layer support | Not supported | Not supported |
| Vector scaling | Not supported | Not supported |
| Camera raw data | Supported | Not supported |
| HDR support | Not supported | Supported |
| Streaming ready | Not supported | Not supported |
When to use each format
When to use ARW
- capture ingest
- editing
- web or print delivery
- Preserve capture-stage sensor information.
When to use PFM
- capture ingest
- editing
- web or print delivery
- Useful for technical sample interchange and tooling.
FAQs
Why convert ARW to PFM?
Choose PFM as target when high-precision floating-point image data must survive for rendering, HDR processing, or technical analysis.
What changes when converting ARW to PFM?
Convert to PFM when high-precision floating-point image data must survive for rendering, HDR processing, or technical analysis. It is useful as a working format in graphics and research pipelines.
What should I review after converting ARW to PFM?
After conversion, review these destination checks: Open converted output in codec tooling and verify behavior on real samples; Compare output against the expected depends quality profile; Not intended for mainstream publishing or editing.
How can I keep quality stable in ARW to PFM conversion?
Run representative samples, keep settings deterministic, and monitor these risks: Sparse everyday application support; Not intended for mainstream publishing or editing; Validate destination compatibility before large-batch conversion.