Camera RAW
What is an SR2 file?
Updated Jul 2026
SR2 (Sony RAW 2) is a raw image format used by some Sony digital cameras. It stores the sensor data straight off the chip, uncompressed and untouched, along with the full shooting metadata. That makes it excellent for editing, but the files are large and only a limited set of software can open them without converting first.
- Extension
- .sr2
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Sony cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why SR2 exists
SR2 was Sony's raw format for a run of its early digital cameras, before the company moved most newer models over to ARW. You'll mostly find SR2 files coming off older Sony DSLRs and some Cyber-shot cameras from the mid to late 2000s.
Because it's a raw format, an SR2 file holds the sensor's data essentially as captured, before the camera applies sharpening, white balance, or compression the way a JPG does. That gives a photographer far more room to adjust exposure, color, and detail after the fact without losing quality.
The tradeoff is size and support. SR2 files run many times larger than a JPG from the same shot, and because the format is older and camera-specific, fewer apps and websites can open one directly. People usually run into needing a converted copy, often JPG or TIFF, when they want to share a photo, upload it somewhere, or open it in software that doesn't recognize SR2.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Preserves full sensor detail with no compression loss
- Gives much more flexibility for exposure and color edits
- Keeps the original shooting metadata intact
Watch-outs
- Files are much larger than JPG or TIFF equivalents
- Not viewable on most phones, websites, or photo apps
- Older, camera-specific format with narrowing software support
A note on privacy
An SR2 file carries the camera's full EXIF data, including settings, timestamps, and sometimes GPS location if the camera recorded it. Uploading it to an online converter sends all of that along with the image to someone else's server. Converting it on your own computer keeps the photo and its metadata on your machine the whole time.
Questions
How do I open an SR2 file?
You'll generally need photo editing software that supports Sony's raw formats, or you can convert it to JPG or TIFF so it opens in ordinary photo viewers and apps.
Is SR2 better than JPG?
For editing flexibility, yes: SR2 keeps far more detail and tonal range to work with. For sharing and everyday viewing, no: JPG is smaller and opens practically everywhere, while SR2 does not.
Why does my Sony camera save SR2 files?
Older Sony DSLRs and some Cyber-shot models used SR2 as their native raw format to capture uncompressed sensor data for later editing. Newer Sony cameras mostly use ARW instead.
Can I convert SR2 without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts SR2 files on your own computer, so the image and its embedded metadata never leave your machine.
Morphjet opens and converts SR2 and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.