A RAW file is the unprocessed data from a camera's sensor. It is what photographers edit, but almost nothing else understands it: websites, marketplaces, email, chat apps and most phones want a JPG. If you shot in RAW only, or someone sent you RAW files, you need to develop them into JPGs before you can use them.
This converter develops one RAW photo at a time on our server into a full-resolution JPG. Below: which camera formats it reads, how the result compares with your camera's own JPGs, and when a free desktop RAW editor is the better choice.
How to convert RAW to JPG
- Drop the RAW file onto the box, or click to choose it. The note underneath names the format, for example Canon CR3.
- Click Convert to JPG. RAW files are large, so the upload may take a moment on a slow connection.
- The JPG downloads on its own, and a preview with its pixel size appears.
- For the next photo, click Convert another file.
Supported camera formats
| Extension | Cameras |
|---|---|
| CR2 | Canon DSLRs and compacts up to about 2018 |
| CR3 | Canon cameras since 2018, including the EOS R mirrorless series |
| NEF | Nikon DSLRs and Z mirrorless cameras |
| ARW | Sony Alpha cameras |
| DNG | Adobe's open RAW format, used by Leica, Pentax, Ricoh and phone RAW modes such as Apple ProRAW and Samsung Expert RAW |
| ORF | Olympus and OM System cameras |
| RAF | Fujifilm cameras |
| RW2 | Panasonic Lumix cameras |
Other RAW formats, such as Pentax PEF, Hasselblad 3FR or Sigma X3F, are not accepted. Adobe's free DNG Converter can turn most of them into DNG, which you can then convert here. Very new camera models can also fail until the RAW decoding library on our server learns their format; if a brand new camera's files fail, try again in a few weeks or use the camera maker's own software.
RAW and JPG in one minute
A JPG is a finished photo: the camera has already chosen the colors, brightness and sharpness, and thrown away the data it did not use, to keep the file small. A RAW file keeps everything the sensor recorded, typically 12 or 14 bits per color instead of a JPG's 8, which is why a RAW file can be 25 to 60 MB while the camera's JPG is a few megabytes.
That extra data is what lets an editor pull detail out of shadows or recover a bright sky. It is also why RAW files need to be developed before anyone else can view them. Developing turns the sensor data into a normal 8-bit image, and the JPG you get here is exactly that: a developed copy you can share, while the RAW stays your untouched original.
How the JPG compares with your camera's JPG
When a camera saves a JPG, it applies its own recipe: a picture style or film simulation, contrast and saturation curves, lens corrections, noise reduction and sharpening. A RAW file stores the data before all of that. This converter develops it neutrally:
- White balance: as your camera recorded it when you took the shot.
- Size: full resolution. A 24 megapixel camera gives a JPG of about 6,000 x 4,000 pixels.
- Quality: JPG quality 92, which keeps fine detail with a sensible file size, usually a few megabytes.
- No picture style: Fujifilm film simulations, Canon Picture Styles and Nikon Picture Controls are not applied, so the image can look flatter or differently colored than the camera's preview.
- No editing: exposure, shadows, highlights and crop stay as shot.
Tip: If you want the exact look your camera produces, shoot RAW plus JPG next time. You keep the camera's JPG for quick sharing and the RAW for editing.
When a RAW editor is the better choice
The point of RAW is that you can rescue a dark shadow or a blown sky later. A one-click converter does not do that. If the photo matters, use an editor; several good ones cost nothing:
| Tool | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Your camera maker's software (Canon Digital Photo Professional, Nikon NX Studio, Sony Imaging Edge, Fujifilm X RAW Studio) | Free | Applies the same picture styles the camera uses |
| darktable, RawTherapee | Free, open source | Full RAW editing on Windows, Mac and Linux |
| Apple Photos and Preview | Free on a Mac | Open most RAW formats and export JPG |
| Windows Photos with the Raw Image Extension | Free from the Microsoft Store | View and export common RAW formats |
| Adobe Lightroom, Capture One | Paid | Professional editing and batch export |
This converter fits the moments in between: one or two photos, a computer without your usual software, a phone, or a file someone sent you that you just need to see and share. Keep the RAW file either way: the JPG is a copy for sharing, and the RAW is the original you can always develop again with more care.
Product photos for marketplaces
Many sellers shoot their products in RAW for the extra room to fix lighting. For a quick listing, converting straight to JPG works; for your main images, edit first, then export. Marketplace minimums are easy to meet with any modern camera: eBay asks for at least 500 pixels on the longest side and recommends 1,600 pixels, as of October 2026, and a 24 megapixel JPG has 6,000. eBay also caps each photo at 12 MB, which a full-size JPG usually fits but a 45 megapixel one may not. Resize the JPG with the image resizer to around 1,600 to 2,000 pixels so it uploads quickly, and remove a distracting background with the background remover.
Before you shoot a new product at all, it helps to know it sells. AM Jarvis eBay Research shows units sold, sell-through and best sellers from real listings, so you photograph products with proven demand.
RAW from phones
Recent phones can shoot RAW too, and they all use DNG. Apple ProRAW on iPhone Pro models, Samsung's Expert RAW app and the RAW option in Google Pixel cameras save DNG files that this tool accepts. Phone RAW files are often larger than you expect, because many store the result of several combined exposures. To convert one, transfer the original file rather than a shared copy: messaging apps and some cloud uploads turn photos into compressed JPGs or HEICs on the way, and the RAW data is lost.
Example: one photo from a borrowed camera
You borrowed a friend's Sony camera for a family event and shot in RAW without noticing. The memory card holds ARW files that your laptop does not open.
- Copy one ARW file to your laptop and drop it into the box. The note says Sony ARW.
- Convert it. The preview shows the photo at 6,000 x 4,000 pixels.
- If it looks a little flat compared with what you saw on the camera screen, that is the missing picture style. Add contrast in any photo editor or your phone's editing tools.
- For the whole card, install the camera maker's free software or Windows Photos with the Raw Image Extension, which handle many files at once.
What happens to your photo
The RAW file is sent over HTTPS to our server, developed into a JPG and deleted: the upload as soon as the job ends, the JPG 30 minutes after it is ready. One file is converted at a time, a daily number of free conversions applies, and the largest accepted file size is shown in the box. Need to convert iPhone photos instead? HEIC is not RAW; use HEIC to JPG, which runs in your browser.