Convert ARW to APNG Online

Convert ARW to APNG Online

Combine a sequence of Sony ARW RAW photos into one animated PNG: upload your frames in order, set a frame rate, and download a single looping APNG. Each ARW is demosaiced and rendered to an 8-bit sRGB frame, and unlike GIF, APNG keeps full 24-bit color — so a bracketed timelapse or burst stays smooth instead of being crushed to a 256-color palette. Upload one ARW and you get a clean one-frame APNG; upload several and each becomes a frame in the animation.

How to Convert ARW to APNG

1. Upload Your ARW Files: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to add your Sony Alpha RAW photos. They become frames in the order you add them, so arrange the sequence before converting.
2. Set the Frame Rate: Pick a value from the FRAMERATE dropdown — 10 FPS (Recommended) for a typical loop, or a lower rate for a slow timelapse up to 50 FPS for fast motion. The frame rate controls how long each ARW frame is shown.
3. Adjust Image Quality, Resolution, or Colors (Optional): Use Image quality (%) to trade detail for a smaller file, set a Preset Resolution or Width x Height to resize every frame, or use Colors to keep ORIGINAL color or apply color reduction with dithering.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert and save your APNG. Files upload over an encrypted connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours. No sign-up, no watermark.

APNG vs GIF for ARW Photo Frames

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I combine multiple ARW files into one animated APNG?

Add every ARW you want as a frame before you convert — the upload order is the playback order. Each Sony RAW file becomes one frame, and the FRAMERATE setting controls how long each frame is shown. A single uploaded ARW produces a valid one-frame (static) APNG, which is handy if you just want a lossless 24-bit still from the RAW.

What is a Sony ARW file, and how is it turned into APNG frames?

ARW (Sony Alpha Raw) is Sony's proprietary RAW format, introduced in 2006 with the Alpha DSLR-A100 and used across Sony's Alpha mirrorless and DSLR bodies. It stores 12- to 14-bit Bayer-pattern sensor data with no in-camera rendering. To build an APNG, each ARW is demosaiced and tone-mapped down to an 8-bit sRGB frame — the wide RAW dynamic range is fit into a standard displayable image, then stitched into the animation.

Why pick APNG over GIF for RAW photos?

RAW-rendered photos are full-color, and GIF caps every frame at 256 colors, which adds visible banding to skies, skin tones, and gradients. APNG stores full 24-bit color losslessly, so the frames look like the rendered originals. In our testing, a 5-frame ARW timelapse rendered to 1080p produced an APNG with smooth sky gradients, where the GIF version showed posterization and dithering across those same areas.

Will my APNG have transparent areas?

No. A photo rendered from ARW is fully opaque — there is no alpha channel in the RAW capture, so there is nothing transparent to carry over. APNG's 8-bit alpha only helps when a source already has transparency. If you need transparent frames, start from PNG instead with PNG to APNG.

Should I just convert one ARW to a still instead?

If you only have a single RAW and want a static image, an APNG works but is heavier than a standard still. For a single lossless 24-bit picture use ARW to PNG, or ARW to JPG for a smaller, web-friendly file. APNG earns its place when you have a sequence — a burst, a bracket, or a timelapse — that you want to play as one looping animation.

Which browsers and apps play APNG files?

Chrome 59+, Firefox 3+, Safari 8+, Edge 79+, and current Opera play APNG natively — about 94.7% of users worldwide per caniuse. In an app or old browser that does not support it (such as Internet Explorer), the file falls back to showing its first frame as a normal still PNG, so viewers always see something.