X3F to AVI Converter

How to Convert X3F to AVI Online

1. Upload Your X3F Files: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select your Sigma Foveon RAW captures. Add as many as you like — they will become the frames of your AVI slideshow.
2. Pick Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Default is "Merge images" (one AVI containing every frame in upload order) with 5 seconds per frame. Switch to "Video per image" if you want a separate AVI per X3F. Image Duration accepts presets from 1/60 second up to 10 seconds — short values turn a burst of frames into a time-lapse, longer values produce a viewable portfolio slideshow.
3. Set Resolution and Background Color (Optional): Resolution defaults to original sensor dimensions; pick a Fixed Resolution (1920x1080, 1280x720, 3840x2160) or Preset Resolution (1080p, 720p, 4K UHD) to standardize playback size. Background Color (default Black) fills the letterbox area when the X3F aspect ratio doesn't match the chosen frame. File Compression offers Quality Preset (Lowest through Highest) under Constant Quality or Constraint Quality modes.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert". X3F files are demosaiced from the Foveon X3 stacked-layer data, then stitched into an AVI in your browser session — no upload to a third party, no watermark, no sign-up.

Why Convert X3F to AVI?

X3F is the proprietary RAW format Sigma has used since the Sigma SD9 launched in 2002, storing the per-pixel red/green/blue stacks from Foveon X3 sensors. Each file holds 3.4 to 15.36 million three-color photosites depending on body (SD9 through SD1 Merrill), plus a JPEG preview and EXIF metadata. AVI, introduced by Microsoft on November 10, 1992 as part of Video for Windows, is the legacy container that still ships with native playback on every Windows release and most TV media players. Converting a sequence of X3F captures to AVI gives you a single playable file for archival, client review, or local TV viewing without installing a RAW codec.

• Portfolio slideshows for client review — A wedding or product shoot delivered as 200 X3F frames at 5 seconds each becomes a ~17-minute AVI playable on any Windows laptop, Sigma Photo Pro not required.
• Time-lapse from burst captures — Set Image Duration to 1/24 or 1/30 second to turn a bracketed sequence into smooth real-time playback at cinematic or NTSC frame rates.
• Archival on legacy hardware — DVD players, older smart TVs, and Windows XP/7 media stations all play AVI with the bundled codec; X3F requires Sigma Photo Pro or a RAW-aware plugin and won't play directly anywhere.
• Editing into a longer cut — Most non-linear editors (Premiere, Resolve, Vegas) ingest AVI faster than RAW image sequences and don't choke on Foveon demosaicing during scrubbing.
• Sharing without losing frame order — Uploading 50 X3F files to a colleague risks reordering and missing previews; one AVI preserves intent and is universally previewable.
• Cross-platform compatibility — AVI plays in VLC, MPC-HC, Windows Media Player, and most hardware media boxes; X3F support outside Sigma Photo Pro and a handful of third-party tools (X3Fuse, libopenraw, Iridient Developer) is patchy.

X3F vs AVI — Format Comparison

Video Codec Quick Guide (for AVI output)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I turn RAW X3F photos into a video at all?

The most common reasons are time-lapse and slideshow delivery. Burst sequences from a Sigma SD1 Merrill or DP2 Merrill, captured for HDR bracketing or focus stacking, become a smooth time-lapse when each X3F is held for 1/24 second. For client review, a single AVI is easier to deliver than a folder of RAW files that only opens in Sigma Photo Pro.

Does the converter actually demosaic the Foveon X3 stacked-layer data, or does it just use the embedded preview?

The tool decodes the per-layer Foveon data rather than reusing the embedded JPEG preview, so your output frames carry the color depth and detail Foveon sensors are known for. If you only need quick proxy frames you can pre-render small JPEGs via X3F to JPG and assemble those into AVI separately.

What duration per image should I pick?

For a portfolio slideshow that viewers will sit through, 3-5 seconds per image is the comfortable read time. For documentary or behind-the-scenes pacing, 1-2 seconds keeps tempo up. For time-lapse where the X3Fs are sequential frames of the same scene, drop to 1/24 second (24 fps cinematic) or 1/30 second (NTSC).

Will the AVI play on my old Windows machine or DVD player?

If the output codec is Xvid, DivX, or MJPEG, yes — those have been standard in Windows Media Player since the late 1990s/early 2000s and most DivX-certified DVD/Blu-ray players. Plain Windows 10/11 also plays AVI natively. The U.S. National Archives uses AVI as its preservation wrapper, which is a good signal of long-term playability.

Why is the AVI file so much bigger than the source X3F files combined?

X3F stores compressed Foveon data once per frame; AVI stores fully decoded RGB pixels for every frame at your chosen duration. A 5-second hold at 30 fps from one X3F becomes 150 video frames of pixel data. To shrink the output, pick a stronger codec preset (Xvid at Medium quality), reduce resolution to 1080p or 720p, or shorten Image Duration.

Can I mix X3F files from different Sigma bodies in the same AVI?

Yes, but the converter has to normalize to a single frame size, so an SD1 Merrill file (4800x3200) and an SD9 file (2268x1512) will both be scaled into whichever Resolution preset you pick. The Background Color setting (default Black) fills any aspect-ratio mismatch with a solid color so nothing is cropped unexpectedly.

Should I pick AVI or MP4 for a slideshow today?

AVI is the right answer when you need maximum compatibility with older Windows machines, DVD players, or workflows that already require AVI. For sharing on phones, web, or modern smart TVs, MP4 with H.264/H.265 is more universal and produces smaller files — try X3F to MP4 instead. You can also down-convert later via AVI to MP4.

Is there an audio track in the resulting AVI?

By default the converter outputs silent video — X3F files contain no audio. If your editor expects an audio track for proper container handling, you can add silent or music audio in post using any NLE. Sigma DSLRs and DP-series cameras never recorded audio with stills, so there is no track to preserve from the source.

Why convert at all instead of using Sigma Photo Pro to make a slideshow?

Sigma Photo Pro exports stills but has no built-in slideshow-to-video function. The usual workflow is to export X3F to TIFF or JPEG via Sigma Photo Pro, then assemble in a separate video tool. Converting X3F directly to AVI in one step skips that round-trip and keeps Foveon color decoding inside a single pipeline. If you do prefer the two-step route, render frames with X3F to TIFF or X3F to PNG first.

My AVI is huge. How do I shrink it without re-rendering from X3F?

Run the output through Compress AVI to cut bitrate, drop resolution, or switch codec without going back to the original RAW sequence — useful when you only need a smaller preview to email or upload.