Camera RAW
What is an RW2 file?
Updated Jul 2026
RW2 is the raw image format Panasonic cameras use to store photos straight off the sensor, before any in-camera processing is applied. It keeps every bit of detail the sensor captured, which gives photo editors far more room to adjust exposure and color. The tradeoff is a large file that most photo viewers, phones, and websites can't open directly.
- Extension
- .rw2
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Panasonic cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why RW2 exists
RW2 comes from Panasonic's Lumix cameras, including its DSLR-style and Micro Four Thirds models. When you set the camera to shoot raw instead of JPG, it saves the sensor's unprocessed data in this format rather than compressing and finishing the image in-camera.
The idea is to hand you the raw material instead of a finished photo. A JPG has already had its white balance, sharpening, and color baked in by the camera, and some of that original sensor data is thrown away in the process. An RW2 file keeps it all, so you can adjust exposure, recover blown-out highlights, or fix white balance after the fact with much more flexibility than a JPG allows.
That flexibility comes at a cost. RW2 files are much larger than JPGs from the same shot, and general photo software, phones, and most websites don't recognize the format. People typically run into RW2 when they import photos from a Panasonic camera and need to convert them to JPG or another common format before editing further, sharing, or posting them online.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Preserves the full sensor data with no lossy compression
- Gives much more room to fix exposure and white balance after shooting
- Keeps detail in shadows and highlights that a JPG discards
Watch-outs
- Files are much larger than JPG equivalents
- Won't open in most photo viewers, phones, or web browsers
- Needs converting before you can share or post it anywhere
A note on privacy
An RW2 file carries EXIF metadata, including the camera settings and often the GPS location of where the photo was taken. Uploading it to an online converter sends that photo, and everything attached to it, to someone else's server. Converting it on your own computer means the image and its location data never leave your machine.
Questions
How do I open an RW2 file?
Panasonic's own software can open it, and many photo editing programs support RW2 directly. If yours doesn't, converting it to JPG or TIFF first will let you open it almost anywhere.
Is RW2 better than JPG?
For editing, yes: RW2 keeps far more detail and gives you more room to adjust the image afterward. For sharing and everyday viewing, JPG is far more practical since it opens everywhere without conversion.
Why does my camera save photos as RW2?
It only does this if you've set it to shoot in raw mode. Panasonic cameras default to JPG, so RW2 shows up because raw shooting was turned on, usually to get more control when editing later.
Can I convert RW2 without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts RW2 files on your own computer, so the photo and its metadata, including GPS location, never travel over the internet.
Morphjet opens and converts RW2 and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.