3FR to PDF Converter
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Supports: 3FR
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Need help?3FR to PDF Converter
A 3FR is a Hasselblad RAW capture — the unprocessed sensor data from a medium-format camera, which almost nothing outside dedicated photo software can open. Converting to PDF renders that RAW into a standard image laid out on a page, so a client, lab, or reviewer can open the shot in any PDF viewer without Hasselblad's Phocus or a RAW-aware editor. This is for sharing, printing, and proofing — not for RAW editing. The conversion is one-way: a PDF holds a flat, demosaiced rendering, not the editable sensor data, so keep the original 3FR if you still need to grade or recover highlights.
3FR Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hasselblad 3F RAW |
| Type | Proprietary camera RAW |
| Introduced | 2006, with the Hasselblad H2D |
| Based on | TIFF container |
| Payload | Demosaiced-on-export sensor data (CCD/CMOS), high bit depth |
| Compression | Lossless on older bodies; uncompressed on several newer ones |
| Color | Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) |
| Typical size | Large — tens to ~150 MB per frame on high-MP medium-format bodies |
| Opens in | Hasselblad Phocus (free), Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop, Apple Photos & Preview, Microsoft Photos |
| Best for | Capture and editing master; not for sharing or web |
PDF Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Portable Document Format |
| Standard | ISO 32000-1:2008; PDF 2.0 is ISO 32000-2 (2017, revised 2020) |
| Origin | Adobe, 1993; open ISO standard since 2008 |
| Payload here | A single rasterized image placed on a page |
| Page control | Paper size, margin, portrait/landscape, image fit and alignment |
| Native support | Every desktop and mobile OS, plus all major browsers |
| Best for | Sharing, printing, and proofing a fixed-layout image |
| Not suited for | RAW editing — pixel data is flattened, not recoverable sensor data |
How to Convert 3FR to PDF
- Upload Your 3FR File: Drag and drop your
.3frfiles or click "+ Add Files". Add several at once to build a multi-page contact sheet or one PDF per shot. - Choose Paper Size and Layout: Pick a "Paper size" (A4, Letter, A3, or "Original" to match the frame) and set "Page layout" to Portrait or Landscape so the orientation suits the image.
- Set Image Placement and Quality: Use "Image placement" — "Contained" keeps the whole frame visible, "Cover" fills the page — then "Image alignment" and the "Image Compression" quality slider to balance sharpness against file size.
- Convert and Download: Under "Combine?", keep "Single PDF" for one document or "Individual PDFs" for separate files, then click Convert. No sign-up, no watermark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the PDF keep my 3FR's RAW editing data?
No. A 3FR holds unprocessed sensor data with wide latitude for exposure and white-balance changes; the PDF stores a flat, already-demosaiced image. You cannot recover highlights, push shadows, or re-balance color from the PDF the way you can from the RAW. Always keep the original 3FR as your master file.
Which Hasselblad cameras produce the 3FR files this accepts?
The converter accepts the .3fr extension regardless of body. Hasselblad introduced 3FR in 2006 with the H2D, and it has been used across the H, CFV, X1D, and X2D lines since. Files from any of these open the same way because 3FR is a TIFF-based container.
What resolution and color will the rendered image be?
The page renders the 3FR at its native pixel dimensions, then fits it to the chosen paper size; large medium-format frames stay highly detailed at print sizes. Color is converted to a standard profile for universal viewing, so the result will look close to a normal export rather than the HNCS-tagged RAW.
Should I convert to PDF, JPG, or TIFF?
PDF is best when you want a page you can print or hand off — fixed paper size, margins, and multiple frames in one file. For a single web-friendly image, use 3FR to JPG. For a lossless, full-bit-depth raster to archive or edit further, use 3FR to TIFF. PDF flattens to a placed image, so pick it for delivery rather than further editing.
Why is my 3FR so large, and will the PDF be smaller?
Medium-format sensors capture huge amounts of data, so a single 3FR can run from tens of megabytes to around 150 MB. The PDF is usually much smaller because the image is rendered and compressed to the chosen quality. If you still need a lighter file, lower the "Image Compression" quality or run the result through Compress PDF.
Can I put several 3FR shots into one PDF?
Yes. Upload multiple .3fr files and leave "Combine?" on "Single PDF" to get a multi-page document — useful as a proofing sheet or a delivery set. Switch to "Individual PDFs" if a client needs each frame as its own file.
How large can the uploaded 3FR file be, and is it private?
The practical limit is upload size and time rather than anything on your machine, so very large medium-format frames may take a moment over a slower connection. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared or made public.
How does the rendered image quality compare to a Phocus export?
In our testing, a 3FR rendered at the top of the "Image Compression" range produced a clean, full-resolution image suitable for proofing and most print work. Hasselblad's Phocus applies the camera's own HNCS color and lens corrections, so for a final fine-art print or critical color you should still finish from the RAW in Phocus or Camera Raw and export from there.