Camera RAW
What is a PEF file?
Updated Jul 2026
PEF (Pentax Electronic Format) is the raw image format used by Pentax cameras. It stores everything the sensor captured with no compression that throws away data, plus the shooting metadata, giving you the most editing room possible from a shot. The tradeoff is that PEF files are large and only open properly in software built to handle raw formats.
- Extension
- .pef
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Pentax cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why PEF exists
PEF is Pentax's own raw format, used across its DSLR and mirrorless camera lines. Unlike a JPG, which the camera processes and compresses on the spot, a PEF file holds the raw data straight off the image sensor before any of those decisions are made.
Because nothing is thrown away, a PEF file gives you far more to work with when editing: you can recover blown-out highlights, pull detail out of shadows, and adjust white balance after the fact without the quality loss that comes from re-editing a JPG. That flexibility comes at a cost in file size, since a PEF can run several times larger than a JPG from the same shot.
Most people run into PEF when they try to open a photo somewhere other than their photo editor of choice. Phones, most websites, and many apps expect JPG or PNG and won't display a PEF file at all, so it needs converting before it can be shared, uploaded, or viewed casually.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Keeps the full detail captured by the sensor, with nothing discarded
- Much more room to fix exposure and white balance after the shot
- Carries the original shooting metadata alongside the image data
Watch-outs
- Files are much larger than JPG for the same photo
- Won't open in most photo viewers, phones, or web browsers
- Needs converting to JPG or another common format before sharing
A note on privacy
A PEF file carries full EXIF metadata, including the camera settings and often the GPS location of the shot. Uploading it to an online converter sends that image and its location data to a server you don't control. Converting it on your own computer keeps the photo and everything attached to it on your machine.
Questions
How do I open a PEF file?
You need software that reads raw formats, such as a photo editing app with raw support. Most default photo viewers, phones, and web browsers can't open PEF directly, so many people convert it to JPG for easy viewing.
Is PEF better than JPG?
For editing, yes: PEF keeps all the sensor data, so you have far more room to adjust exposure and color. For sharing and everyday viewing, JPG wins because it opens everywhere without conversion.
Why does my camera save photos as PEF?
If you've set your Pentax camera to shoot raw, it saves PEF instead of or alongside JPG so you keep the full sensor data for editing later. You can usually switch the camera back to JPG-only in its settings.
Can I convert PEF without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts PEF files on your own computer, so the image and its embedded metadata never leave your machine.
Morphjet opens and converts PEF and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.