Camera RAW conversion
Convert ARW to TIFF
Updated Jul 2026
ARW is the raw file format Sony cameras save straight off the sensor, and TIFF is a lossless image format built for print, scanning, and archiving. To convert, open the ARW in a raw-capable converter, apply any adjustments, then export as TIFF. Doing this on your own computer keeps the photo off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .arw
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Sony cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .tiff
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Scans, print, archival
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert ARW to TIFF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert ARW to TIFF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the ARW file, or a whole folder of them, from your card or camera roll.
- Choose TIFF as the output format.
- Convert. The TIFFs are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
ARW vs TIFF: what actually changes
| ARW | TIFF | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Moderate, compressed raw sensor data | Large, usually stored uncompressed |
| Quality | Lossless, full raw sensor data | Lossless, but exposure and white balance are now fixed |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs raw-capable software | Yes, supported by nearly all image, print, and archival software |
| Editable after the fact | Yes, exposure, white balance, and highlights can still be adjusted | No, those decisions are baked into the pixels |
| Keeps date and location (EXIF) | Yes | Yes, unless you strip it |
| Good for | Editing a raw capture | Printing, scanning, and long-term archiving |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert ARW to TIFF once you're done editing and need a finished, lossless file for print, a scanning workflow, or long-term archiving that doesn't depend on raw software to open.
Keep the ARW original if you still plan to adjust exposure, white balance, or pull back highlight and shadow detail, because once it's a TIFF those decisions are locked in.
Why not just use an online converter?
ARW files from Sony cameras carry EXIF data, including camera settings and, if location services were on, the GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken. Uploading that file to an online converter to get a TIFF sends all of that to someone else's server along with the image itself. Converting on your own computer keeps the photo and its metadata on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting ARW to TIFF lose quality?
No, TIFF is a lossless format, so the pixel data itself isn't degraded on export. What does change is that any raw adjustments become permanent, since a TIFF is a finished, rendered image rather than raw sensor data you can still reprocess.
Will the TIFF keep my photo's date and location?
Yes. The capture date, camera settings, and GPS location stored in the ARW carry over to the TIFF unless you deliberately remove them.
Why convert to TIFF instead of JPG?
TIFF stays lossless, which matters for printing, scanning workflows, and archiving, while JPG re-compresses the image and loses a little detail with every save. The trade-off is a larger file.
Can I still edit the photo after converting to TIFF?
You can, but you're editing a finished image rather than raw sensor data, so things like recovering blown highlights or shifting the white balance don't work the way they do with the ARW.
Can I convert ARW to TIFF without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet processes the raw file on your own computer, so it never has to leave your machine or pass through anyone else's server.
Morphjet converts ARW, TIFF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.