Reference

RAF (Fujifilm RAW)

RAF is Fujifilm’s RAW image format, storing the unprocessed sensor data from Fujifilm cameras. Files are large (often 25–60 MB) and need Fujifilm’s software, Lightroom/Adobe Camera Raw, or conversion to DNG or JPEG to edit and share.

Files & formatsGeneral

RAF (Fujifilm RAW)

Also known as: Fujifilm RAW, Fuji RAW, RAF file, how to open RAF

Fujifilm’s RAW format
Large unprocessed sensor files, often 25–60 MB
Opens in Lightroom, Camera Raw, or X RAW Studio

What a RAF file is

RAF is the proprietary RAW format Fujifilm cameras produce when shooting RAW. It holds the raw sensor readings, an embedded preview, and EXIF metadata, so exposure and color remain fully editable after capture — including Fujifilm’s film-simulation looks.

Fujifilm’s higher-resolution sensors make RAF files large, so a day of RAW shooting takes up many gigabytes much faster than the same shots saved as JPEG.

How to open and convert RAF

RAF opens in Adobe Lightroom and Camera Raw, Fujifilm’s X RAW Studio, Capture One, Apple Photos/Preview on recent macOS, and most professional editors. Lightweight viewers often cannot display it.

Export to JPEG for sharing, or convert RAF to DNG to keep RAW data in a portable, widely supported container. Delete the original RAW only when you no longer need to re-edit it.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Files & formatsCamera RAW (CR2, NEF, ARW)Camera RAW is the umbrella for manufacturer-specific files that store unprocessed data straight off the camera sensor — Canon CR2/CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, and others. They keep maximum editing flexibility, which makes them far larger than the JPEG or HEIC the same shot would produce.General Files & formatsDNG (digital negative)DNG (Digital Negative) is an open raw image format created by Adobe. Like other raw files, it stores the unprocessed sensor data from a camera for maximum editing flexibility — and like all raw files, it takes far more storage than a JPEG or HEIC.GeneraliOS Files & formatsRAW imageA RAW image is the unprocessed data straight from a camera sensor, before any in-camera compression or color processing. It preserves maximum editing flexibility but produces very large files — many times bigger than a JPEG or HEIC of the same shot.GeneraliOS Files & formatsJPEGJPEG (.jpg) is the most widely supported photo format. It uses lossy compression to shrink photographs dramatically, trading a small amount of detail for much smaller files. It has no transparency and is larger than newer formats like HEIC or WebP at the same quality.General

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