Camera RAW conversion
Convert ARW to PNG
Updated Jul 2026
ARW is the raw file format Sony cameras save straight off the sensor, largely unprocessed and full of editing latitude. PNG is a lossless image format every browser, app, and device can open. Converting develops the raw data into a finished picture, and doing it on your own computer keeps the shot off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .arw
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Sony cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .png
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Screenshots, logos, UI assets
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert ARW to PNG on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert ARW to PNG
- Open Morphjet and drag in the ARW file, or a whole folder of them straight off your memory card.
- Choose PNG as the output format.
- Convert. The PNGs are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
ARW vs PNG: what actually changes
| ARW | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | No, needs raw-capable software | Yes, universal support |
| File size | Large, often tens of MB per shot | Smaller, though still a sizeable lossless file |
| Quality | Full sensor data, nothing baked in yet | Lossless, but the raw development choices are now permanent |
| Editability | Wide latitude, exposure and white balance can shift after the fact | Baked in, adjustments are locked once exported |
| Transparency | No | Yes, though not used when exporting a photo |
| Keeps camera and location data (EXIF) | Yes, extensive | Carried over in part, depending on export settings |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert ARW to PNG when you want to view or share a shot somewhere raw files aren't supported, like a website, a document, or an app that only opens standard images.
Keep the ARW original if you still plan to adjust exposure, white balance, or recover highlight and shadow detail, since a PNG has already thrown away that editing latitude.
Why not just use an online converter?
ARW files from Sony cameras carry extensive EXIF data, including camera settings, serial number, and often the GPS location where the photo was taken. Hand that file to an online converter and all of it travels to a server you don't control. Converting on your own computer means the shot, and everything attached to it, stays on your machine.
Questions
Does converting ARW to PNG lose quality?
PNG itself is lossless, so once the raw file is developed into a picture, exporting to PNG doesn't compress or throw away pixels. What you do lose is the raw file's editing latitude, since a PNG is a finished image, not adjustable sensor data.
Will the PNG keep the photo's metadata?
Some of it. Basic EXIF like date and camera model usually carries over, but how much survives depends on the converter, and GPS location is often the first thing that gets dropped or kept depending on settings.
Why won't my computer open an ARW file directly?
ARW is Sony's own raw format, and it needs software that understands raw sensor data to decode it. Most photo viewers, browsers, and basic image tools expect a standard format like PNG instead.
Can I convert ARW to PNG without uploading my photos?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet reads the ARW file and writes the PNG right there on your computer, so the photo never has to leave your machine or touch the internet.
Should I convert my Sony RAW photos to PNG or JPG?
PNG is lossless and larger, which suits further editing or anything needing transparency. JPG is smaller and usually the better choice for sharing a finished photo, since a small amount of compression won't be noticeable.
Morphjet converts ARW, PNG, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.