I’ve been working as a sports photographer for years now, primarily covering basketball games. A few months ago, I purchased a state-of-the-art Sony A1, which was designed for capturing high-paced action.
Since photography is my career, I usually only enhance RAW files as it’s the highest quality image format, which provides more data, simplifying in-depth retouching.
However, I encountered a problem: not all my software was able to open Sony’s first-party ARW format, which started me on my search to find the ARW to JPG converter.
I tried over 50 converters, including comprehensive photo editing software for PC, Mac, and Linux, tools created by Sony or specifically for Sony ARW images, and web-based solutions.
When making my selection, I prioritized such aspects as conversion quality and speed, user-friendliness, batch processing support, platform availability, range of export settings, price, and extra tools.
OS: Windows and Mac
Adobe Camera Raw entered the market in 2003 and has been continuously expanding the number of supported camera models to this day. I was happy to find out that it’s compatible with most Sony cameras, including my brand-new A1 as well as its two proprietary formats: ARW and SRF.
Adobe Camera Raw acts as a plugin that adds RAW conversion to Adobe software. I consider it the best ARW to JPG converter out there and it’s my go-to pick when I need to edit my photos in Photoshop and Lightroom. This software also supports custom Camera RAW presets.
Adobe Camera Raw provides me full control over the look of my photos while delivering high-speed conversions and handy image management tools. Another reason why I love this software so much is that I can download Adobe Camera RAW free since I already have an Adobe subscription.
Pricing: Free for Adobe subscribers, from $9.99/month for new users
OS: Windows and Mac
Adobe Lightroom is the favorite image editing tool of most photographers and I’m no exception.
I was happy to learn that it’s also a RAW converter that is compatible with a wide range of modern Canon and Nikon cameras. After doing a bit of research, I learned that it’s compatible with my model as well and can convert the ARW photos taken with my A1.
I adore Lightroom for its image management functionality, support of free Adobe software, and single-click adjustments that can enhance my sports photos in just a few seconds. All my files are stored in the cloud, ensuring I always have a reliable backup and convenient accessibility.
However, if you’re interested in finding a free converter, then you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Pricing: from $9.99/month
OS: Windows and Mac
Movavi Video Converter is the optimal ARW to JPG converter for beginners. It offers an intuitive interface while the provided conversion presets significantly speed up the process. Additionally, I managed to use this tool to convert dozens of ARW images to JPG simultaneously, which is handy when I need to enhance hundreds of photos after a basketball match.
The superfast conversion speeds ensure the process is finished within seconds. The converted photos preserve their high visual quality without suffering from compression artifacts. I was happy with the exported photos, which maintained their rich colors and high clarity even if they depicted dynamic shots.
While I was lucky to learn that my camera model is supported by this free video converter, I was a bit sad to learn that not all Sony camera owners can use it. Another drawback is the absence of any advanced photo retouching tools.
Pricing: from $21.95/annually
OS: Windows and Mac
DxO PhotoLab is another fantastic ARW to JPG converter that I tested, and I was more than happy with the quality of the exported images. It’s compatible with over 400 different cameras, including 70+ Sony models, which is a lot more than you can find in most DxO PhotoLab alternatives. The most impressive feature for me was how well-suited it is for matching Sony systems and providing relevant color correction and enhancement tools.
It provides robust photo processing technology, noise minimization, lens corrections, and user-friendly editing features. Moreover, it comes with a cutting-edge denoiser tool that is great for high-ISO images and has helped me enhance many of my basketball photos.
Even though this solution offers impeccable image quality for the converted files as well as high processing speeds, DxO PhotoLab might not be the best option for beginners since its interface is a bit too difficult to learn for them.
Pricing: from $179
OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux
RawTherapee is a superfast, user-friendly editing tool that allows me to convert and enhance the photos taken with my Sony camera. After thoroughly testing this software, I was pleasantly surprised by how many Sony cameras it’s compatible with, including Pixel Shift, which is missing in most converters. Moreover, this Linux photo editor is completely free.
RawTherapee runs great on modern hardware, offers color management and ICC presets, allows working with film and monochrome cameras, and lets me rate my basketball photos and tweak metadata, which is very convenient when I’m working on hundreds of images after a match and need to pick the best ones for further editing.
However, this open source photo editor might prove to be too complex for beginners, and the range of available retouching tools could also be bigger.
Pricing: free
OS: Windows and Mac
Capture One Pro (for Sony) is a RAW photo editor that is compatible with most Sony image formats, including ARW and SR2. I was happy to find such an advanced image editing tool created specifically for Sony gear. It offers handy image management and retouching features, a personalized UI, and high conversion speeds.
Capture One has impressed me with its highly precise color profiles and the natural colors of the converted JPG photos. It’s fine-tuned to process Sony RAW files and is compatible with over 70 different cameras. This tool also provides layer and masking support, lens presets, and the ability to take pictures straight from my laptop or PC.
However, this ARW to JPG converter has proven to be rather difficult to use, which is why I don’t think it’s suitable for beginners. Besides, you’re going to need a powerful PC since Capture One Pro is very resource-demanding.
Pricing: from $17,90/mo
OS: Windows and Mac
After testing RAW Viewer, I think it's the perfect option for users interested in performing simple conversions without investing in expensive software since this is a free image converter created by Sony for viewing its proprietary RAW/X-OCN images.
RAW Viewer allowed me to open photos and videos, adjust the metadata, flip pictures, view histograms, adjust the exposure and color balance, and pick a variety of export formats, which makes this tool irreplaceable for basic management tasks tied to the photos taken with your Sony camera.
The UI of this solution is also pleasantly minimalistic, as even complete beginners shouldn’t have any trouble finding all the necessary features. That said, if you’re interested in a more feature-heavy option that allows you to enhance your photos, consider picking a different tool.
Pricing: free
OS: Windows and Mac
Imaging Edge is a free file converter software developed by Sony that makes the process of converting ARW files to JPG as simple as possible. My testing showed fantastic conversion speeds and great performance even on budget PCs. I also like the fact that I can employ shortcuts to enhance my Sony photos more efficiently.
Imaging Edge transformed my ARW files into professional-grade JPG photos while maintaining their details and natural colors. Moreover, it’s compatible with nearly all other Sony cameras while providing batch conversion functionality that can significantly speed up your photo processing workflow.
I was also surprised to see that this ARW to JPG converter can apply identical in-camera parameters and processing as my Sony camera, creating JPG photos that nearly match the camera's output. The downside of this option is the lack of robust photo editing tools, meaning it’s primarily aimed at beginners interested in a basic conversion utility.
Pricing: free
Platforms: any (web-based)
If you’re looking for a fast and simple ARW to JPG converter, I recommend CloudConvert since it's supported on nearly all devices with a web browser. It offers a very simplistic interface, and a wide range of supported formats, including RAW files produced by Sony cameras, audio, video, document, and archive formats, while also enabling you to process several files simultaneously.
I wasn’t expecting much from an online tool, but this converter impressed me with its settings that allowed me to change the resolution, quality, and size of my photos. My basketball photos looked just as good after the conversion, preserving their quality, clarity, and rich colors.
However, the free plan is limited to just 25 daily conversions and the paid subscription can be difficult to navigate because of its credit-based system. Additionally, the conversion speeds aren’t as high as the ones offered by specialized software.
Pricing: free plan, from $9/month
Platforms: any (web-based)
Another converter that I like to use is FreeConvert, as it’s very intuitive and can easily handle ARW files. I enjoyed the provided ability to choose the compression level for the RAW files as well as the batch processing feature available for files below 1GB.
The quality of the converted images is solid, as I didn’t notice any visible artifacts or color distortions. However, it still falls short compared to most competitors, particularly when choosing higher compression values. I was also disappointed to see that FreeConvert doesn’t allow importing files from cloud storage platforms.
Pricing: free plan, from $12,99/month
An ARW file is a RAW picture format employed by Sony cameras. It contains a maximum amount of image data captured by the sensor, providing more image editing flexibility.
ARW images usually take up more space than JPG files. After converting your RAW photos, you can noticeably lower the file size, which is great for storing, sharing, and uploading images to different platforms and sites. Additionally, JPEG is often considered the better format for storing images long-term, as it can be opened using nearly any software possible.
Even though you can’t fully preserve the quality of an ARW photo, you can still pick the best quality parameter offered by your image editing software. This way, you’ll maintain as much detail as possible while reducing possible artifacts.
Yes, most tools come with some editing features. Software like Adobe Lightroom, DxO PhotoLab, RawTherapee, and Photoshop is equipped with a wide range of image retouching tools that allow you to enhance your ARW photos before converting them to JPG.
For instance, Adobe Lightroom and Movavi Video Converter provide an intuitive UI with straightforward controls that are easy to learn even if you’re a complete beginner. These tools allow you to establish a convenient workflow for performing image conversions, while also leveraging the available editing functionality to improve the quality of your photos.
Yes, the market provides several free tools for you to choose from. Software like RawTherapee, RAW Viewer, and Imaging Edge provide free editions capable of performing ARW to JPG conversions. Moreover, a lot of web-based solutions like CloudConvert and FreeConvert offer free services, even if they can impose restrictions on the image size or batch conversions.
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