Camera RAW
What is a 3FR file?
Updated Jul 2026
3FR is the RAW file format used by Hasselblad medium format digital cameras. It stores the full, unprocessed data straight off the sensor, so photographers can adjust exposure, color, and detail later without losing quality. The tradeoff is that almost nothing outside specialized photo software can open it, and the files are large.
- Extension
- .3fr
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Hasselblad cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why 3FR exists
3FR comes from Hasselblad, the Swedish camera maker known for medium format bodies used in studio, fashion, and landscape photography. Every Hasselblad digital camera saves its images as 3FR by default, since that's the only way to capture the sensor's full range of tonal and color data.
In plain terms, a RAW file like 3FR is a digital negative. Nothing is baked in yet, no white balance, no sharpening, no compression that throws away information. That's why it holds up so well under heavy editing, but also why it's not something you can just open and view like a photo.
People run into 3FR when they try to share, preview, or archive images straight from a Hasselblad. Most photo viewers, phones, and websites have no idea what to do with it, so the usual fix is converting it to a TIFF or JPG that anything can display.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Captures the full detail and dynamic range of a Hasselblad sensor
- Nothing is lost to compression, so edits stay flexible
- Keeps camera and lens metadata alongside the image data
Watch-outs
- Only opens in software built to support Hasselblad RAW files
- Files are large and slow to work with
- Can't be viewed, shared, or uploaded most places without converting first
A note on privacy
A 3FR file carries the same kind of metadata as any RAW image, including camera settings, timestamps, and sometimes GPS location if the camera recorded it. Uploading it to an online converter to get a viewable TIFF or JPG hands that data to someone else's server. Converting it on your own computer keeps the original file and everything attached to it on your machine.
Questions
How do I open a 3FR file?
You need software that specifically supports Hasselblad RAW files, or you can convert it to a TIFF or JPG first, which opens in almost anything.
Is 3FR better than JPG?
For editing, yes: 3FR keeps all the sensor data so you have far more room to adjust exposure and color. For viewing and sharing, no: JPG opens everywhere, while 3FR needs specific software or a conversion first.
Why does my Hasselblad save photos as 3FR?
It's the camera's native RAW format, and it's the only way to capture the sensor's full detail. There isn't a JPG-only shooting mode on most Hasselblad bodies, so converting after the fact is the normal workflow.
Can I convert 3FR without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts 3FR to TIFF or JPG on your own computer, so the RAW file and its metadata never leave your machine.
Morphjet opens and converts 3FR and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.