Camera RAW
What is a CAP file?
Updated Jul 2026
CAP is the raw image format used by Phase One medium format cameras and digital backs. It stores everything the sensor captured, unprocessed and lossless, giving photographers full control when editing. The tradeoff is that only a narrow set of professional tools can open it, so most people convert it before sharing or archiving.
- Extension
- .cap
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Phase One
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why CAP exists
CAP files come from Phase One, a Danish company that builds high end medium format cameras aimed at professional and studio photography. When a Phase One back captures a shot, it writes the raw sensor data straight to a CAP file rather than processing it into a finished picture in camera.
Because nothing is baked in, a CAP file holds far more information than a JPG. White balance, exposure, and color can all be adjusted after the fact with much more room to work than a compressed image would allow. That flexibility is why studios and commercial photographers shoot raw in the first place.
The tradeoff is compatibility. CAP is a proprietary format tied to Phase One's own ecosystem, so general photo viewers, most editing software, and pretty much anything outside a professional workflow won't open it. People usually run into this when they need to hand a shoot off to a client, post images online, or just look at a photo on a normal computer without specialized software installed.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Captures the full, unprocessed sensor data for maximum editing flexibility
- Lossless, so no image quality is thrown away at capture time
- Keeps rich metadata about the shot alongside the image
Watch-outs
- Very large files compared to JPG or TIFF
- Only opens in a small set of professional tools
- Not viewable in ordinary photo apps, browsers, or most editing software
- Needs converting before a client or website can use it
A note on privacy
A CAP file carries metadata about the shot, including camera settings and often location data if it was recorded. Uploading a raw file to an online converter to get a usable JPG or TIFF sends that metadata, along with the full quality image, to someone else's server. Converting it on your own computer keeps both the image and its metadata off the internet entirely.
Questions
How do I open a CAP file?
You generally need Phase One's own raw processing software, or one of the handful of professional editing tools that specifically support Phase One raw formats. Most everyday photo viewers won't recognize it.
Is CAP better than JPG?
For editing control, yes: CAP keeps all the sensor data so you can adjust exposure and color with far more headroom. For sharing and everyday viewing, no: JPG opens everywhere, while CAP requires specific software and a much bigger file.
Why does my camera save CAP files?
If you're shooting on a Phase One medium format back, it records raw data as CAP by default so you keep full editing latitude. Most Phase One systems let you also record a JPG alongside it, but the raw CAP file is meant to be the master.
Can I convert CAP without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts CAP files to JPG or TIFF right on your own computer, so the full resolution image and its metadata never leave your machine.
Why does a CAP file take up so much space?
It holds the unprocessed data straight off the sensor with nothing compressed away, which is exactly what gives it so much editing flexibility, but it also means files can run into the hundreds of megabytes.
Morphjet opens and converts CAP and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.