PEF to MOV Converter

PEF to MOV Converter

PEF is Pentax's proprietary raw photo format — the unprocessed sensor data from a Pentax or Ricoh DSLR. MOV is Apple's QuickTime video container. This tool renders your raw PEF still and holds it on screen for a duration you choose, wrapping it in a QuickTime MOV file. The result is a still-image clip: one motionless frame, no motion and no audio, ready to drop onto a Final Cut Pro or iMovie timeline as a title card, intro plate, or hold shot.

Because a single photo has no timeline of its own, you set how long it should stay on screen. Pick anything from a single frame up to ten seconds per image, and choose H.264 (the default for MOV) so the clip plays in QuickTime, Final Cut, and Safari without a separate decoder.

PEF Format at a Glance

MOV Format at a Glance

How to Convert PEF to MOV

1. Upload Your PEF File: Drag and drop your .PEF file onto the page or click "+ Add Files." Add several at once to build a slideshow.
2. Set the Duration: Use the Duration control to choose how long the rendered still is held on screen — anything from a single frame to 10 seconds per image (the default is 5 seconds).
3. Pick Background Color and Quality Preset: Choose a Background Color (default black) to fill any letterboxing if the frame doesn't match the output aspect ratio, and leave the Quality Preset on Very High, or open Show All Options to switch the Video Codec from H.264.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your MOV. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the MOV have any motion or audio?

No. A PEF is a single photograph, so the output is one motionless frame held for the duration you set, with no audio track. Think of it as a still-image clip — a freeze frame you can place on a video timeline — rather than a moving video.

How long can each PEF stay on screen in the MOV?

You control this with the Duration setting. The shortest options are sub-second single frames (1/60s, 1/30s, 1/24s), and the longest is 10 seconds per image. The default is 5 seconds per frame, which reads comfortably as an intro plate or title card.

Can I combine several PEF files into one MOV slideshow?

Yes. Upload multiple files and choose "Merge images" to combine them into a single MOV, where each photo is held for the Duration you set. Choose "Video per image" instead to get a separate MOV for every PEF.

Does the MOV keep the full 14-bit raw detail of the PEF?

No, and that is expected. PEF stores roughly 14-bit-per-channel raw sensor data, but H.264 video in a MOV is 8-bit. The raw is rendered to a standard video frame during conversion, so you keep the look of the processed image but not the full editing latitude of the original raw. Keep your .PEF if you still need to grade it.

Why not just convert the PEF to JPG first?

You can — that is the usual path for sharing a photo. Convert directly to MOV instead when your destination is a video timeline: dropping a ready-made clip onto a Final Cut or iMovie track saves you the step of importing a still and manually setting its on-screen duration. For a plain photo, convert PEF to JPG is the simpler choice.

Which codec should I leave selected for MOV?

H.264 (AVC) is the default and the safest pick — it plays in QuickTime, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and Safari without extra software. In our testing, a single PEF rendered to a 5-second 1080p H.264 MOV came out as a small clip of a few megabytes, since one repeated frame compresses very efficiently. If you need a different container, convert PEF to MP4 produces a more universally playable file.

How are my files handled, and how long are they kept?

Your PEF is uploaded over an encrypted connection, rendered into a MOV on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared or made public.