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Need help?3FR to MPG Converter
3FR is Hasselblad's 3F Raw photo format — a single, very-high-resolution still saved straight off a medium-format Hasselblad sensor, with no in-camera processing baked in. MPG is the legacy MPEG program-stream video container. This converter renders one 3FR photo into a short, silent MPG clip that holds the still on screen for a set duration. It is a genuinely niche conversion: if you only want a viewable picture, convert the 3FR to a still image instead — MPG makes sense only when a player, kiosk, or DVD-authoring workflow specifically needs a video file.
3FR Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hasselblad 3F Raw Image |
| Introduced | Early-to-mid 2000s, with Hasselblad H-system digital cameras |
| Based on | TIFF structure, conforms to the EXIF standard |
| Holds | A single still photo — unprocessed medium-format sensor data, not video |
| Compression | Lossless in-camera compression (no detail discarded) |
| Editing latitude | High: white balance, exposure, and highlights can be re-developed |
| Editor support | Hasselblad Phocus, Adobe Camera Raw / Lightroom, Apple Photos, Capture One |
| Best for | Editing and archiving Hasselblad captures before exporting a finished image |
MPG Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG program stream (the .mpg container) |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 11172 (MPEG-1, 1993) and ISO/IEC 13818 (MPEG-2) |
| Video codec here | MPEG-2 by default on this converter |
| Audio | MPEG-1 Audio Layer II (MP2) when present — but a photo source produces a silent clip |
| Bit depth | 8 bits per channel |
| Best for | DVD-era authoring, set-top boxes, and legacy players that predate H.264 |
| Modern alternative | H.264 in MP4 — smaller, sharper, far more compatible |
How to Convert 3FR to MPG
- Upload Your 3FR File: Drag and drop your
.3frphoto onto the page or click "+ Add Files" to browse. You can queue several Hasselblad 3F Raw files at once, and the "Merge strategy" control lets you combine them into one clip or render a separate video per image. - Set the Duration: Under "Image Duration" → "Duration", choose how long the still is held on screen — the dropdown defaults to "5 seconds per frame" and ranges from a single frame (1/60s) up to 10 seconds. This sets the length of the resulting clip.
- Set Resolution, Preset, and Background Color: Leave "Video resolution" on "Keep original" or pick a Fixed Resolution; keep the "Preset" on "Very High (Recommended)" under File Compression; and set a "Background Color" (White by default) to fill any letterbox bars left when the photo's aspect ratio doesn't match the frame.
- Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your MPG. No sign-up, no watermark.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does converting a 3FR photo to MPG actually produce?
A short, silent video that shows your single 3FR photo as a still frame for the duration you set. There is no motion and no sound — the converter demosaics and tone-maps the Hasselblad RAW into one ordinary video frame and holds it. If your goal is a picture you can view, print, or post, this is the wrong format; convert to 3FR to JPG or 3FR to TIFF instead. Choose MPG only when something downstream genuinely needs a .mpg file.
Why is the MPG clip silent?
A 3FR holds a photo, and a photo carries no sound, so this image-to-video conversion writes no audio track rather than padding the clip with silence. The MPG is silent in every case. If you need a soundtrack, open the clip in a video editor afterward and add music or narration.
Does the MPG keep my 3FR photo's full resolution and bit depth?
No. A 3FR stores high-bit-depth, medium-format sensor data with wide editing latitude. To make a video frame, that data is demosaiced and tone-mapped down to an ordinary 8-bit MPEG-2 frame, and the large Hasselblad image is scaled to fit the chosen resolution. The video is a rendered, baked-in interpretation — it does not preserve the highlight recovery or the medium-format detail of the original RAW. Keep the .3fr as your master.
Should I use MPG or MP4 for a 3FR-derived clip?
MP4 (H.264) for almost everything. The .mpg output here carries MPEG-2, a 1990s codec built for DVDs and set-top boxes — larger files, softer image, and patchy support on modern phones and browsers. Choose 3FR to MP4 for sharing, editing, or web use, and reserve MPG for a player or DVD-authoring tool that specifically requires that container.
What if I just want to view or edit the 3FR, not make a video?
Then skip the video wrapper entirely. Convert to 3FR to JPG for a small, universally openable image, or to 3FR to TIFF for a high-fidelity, print-ready master that keeps more detail. 3FR itself opens in Hasselblad Phocus and recent Lightroom and Camera Raw releases — the video route is only for the rare case where you genuinely need an .mpg file.
Why is the converted clip larger than the original photo, and what can I do about it?
MPEG-2 is an older, low-efficiency codec, and holding a still for several seconds at video bitrates can produce a file bigger than the source photo. In our testing, a single 3FR held for 5 seconds and encoded as MPG produced a short standard-definition clip noticeably heavier than the same image saved as a high-quality JPG. Shorten the "Duration", or if the file needs to be smaller still, run the result through the video compressor.
Can I combine several 3FR photos into one MPG slideshow?
Yes. Add all the photos to the queue, then use the "Merge strategy" control: the merge option renders them into a single .mpg, each held on screen for the "Image Duration" you set, while the per-file option outputs a separate clip for every photo instead.
The result is a plain sequence of stills, not a produced slideshow — there are no transitions, pans, or music. For anything more polished, export the images and assemble them in a video editor.
How are my files handled, and how long are they kept?
Your 3FR is uploaded over an encrypted connection, rendered on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — no sign-up, no watermark, and your photos are never shared or made public.