X3F to MP4 Converter

How to Convert X3F to MP4 Online

1. Upload Your X3F Files: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select Sigma Foveon X3F RAW files from cameras like the SD9, SD10, SD14, SD15, SD1 / SD1 Merrill, DP / DP Merrill, dp Quattro, or sd Quattro series. Batch upload is supported — drop a whole folder to build a single slideshow.
2. Pick Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Set "Merge strategy" to Merge images to stitch every X3F into one MP4 slideshow, or Video per image to render each frame as its own clip. Pick Image Duration (1/60s up to 10s per frame — 3-5s is typical for photo slideshows, 1/24s mimics 24 fps cinema). Set Background Color (default black) to letterbox photos that don't match the output aspect ratio.
3. Set Quality and Resolution (Optional): Choose Constant Quality (visually consistent, variable file size — pick a preset from Very Low → Very High; Very High is recommended for archival) or Constraint Quality (cap final file size). Under Video resolution, keep original X3F dimensions or pick a preset (1080p, 1440p, 2160p / 4K, 720p, etc.) — aspect ratio is preserved automatically.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files render in your browser session and download as an MP4 (H.264 video in an MP4/ISO base-media container, per ISO/IEC 14496-14) playable on every modern phone, browser, TV, and editor — no sign-up, no watermark.

Why Convert X3F to MP4?

X3F is Sigma's proprietary Foveon RAW format introduced with the SD9 in 2002. Each X3F holds three stacked layers of photodiode data (one per RGB channel at every pixel) which gives Foveon its distinctive color fidelity but also makes the file unreadable outside a narrow band of software. Apple Finder, Windows Photos, Google Photos, iCloud, web browsers, and almost every video editor reject X3F natively. MP4 is the universal answer: every modern device plays it, every social platform accepts it, every NLE imports it. Converting X3F → MP4 turns a portfolio of unreadable Sigma RAWs into a shareable, archival, playable video.

• Share a Sigma photo shoot without sending RAWs — Family, clients, and Instagram won't open X3F. An MP4 slideshow lets anyone hit play on a phone, smart TV, or browser. No SIGMA Photo Pro install required, no DNG conversion step.
• Create review reels for clients or art prints — Wedding, landscape, and product photographers shooting on dp Quattro or sd Quattro can render the day's selects as a paced MP4 for client preview before retouching. 5 seconds per frame at 1080p hits ~3-5 MB per minute — easy to email or upload.
• Archive a defunct format into a future-proof container — Sigma stopped making Foveon cameras after the DP series was discontinued in 2022 and no current Sigma body uses the sensor as of 2026. Wrapping legacy X3F shoots into MP4 ensures the imagery stays viewable even if Foveon decoders eventually bit-rot.
• Embed in YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, or Reels — Social video platforms require MP4 / MOV uploads. A Foveon photographer who wants a "behind the lens" video must convert to MP4 first; X3F upload is impossible everywhere.
• Render time-lapses and stop-motion from Sigma stills — Burst-captured X3Fs from SD1 Merrill or sd Quattro H sequences become smooth time-lapse MP4s by setting frame duration to 1/24 or 1/30 second.
• Drop into Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, or CapCut — None of these editors import X3F directly. Converting to MP4 produces a clip that any timeline accepts without proxy generation or RAW plugin licensing.

X3F vs MP4 — Format Comparison

Quality Preset and Resolution Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I open X3F files in Photos or Preview?

Apple does not provide native RAW support for Sigma cameras, so macOS Finder shows no thumbnails, Quick Look returns blank, and Preview won't open them. Windows Photos and the Microsoft RAW Image Extension also lack X3F support. The format is only natively decoded by SIGMA Photo Pro, the SIGMA X3F Plug-in for Photoshop (Quattro / Merrill / SD1 only), and a few open-source projects (libopenraw, partial darktable / RawTherapee). MP4 sidesteps all of this — every device on the planet plays it.

Do all my X3F files convert, or only certain Sigma camera models?

XConvert decodes X3F from the full Sigma Foveon lineage — SD9, SD10, SD14, SD15, SD1, SD1 Merrill, DP / DP Merrill series, dp Quattro series, and sd Quattro / sd Quattro H. Note that the official Sigma Photoshop plug-in only supports Quattro, Merrill, and SD1 files; older SD9/SD10/SD14/SD15 and original DP1/DP2 files need SIGMA Photo Pro or third-party tools. The browser converter handles all of them.

What does "Merge images" vs "Video per image" do?

Merge images stitches every uploaded X3F into a single MP4 slideshow — each photo appears for the duration you set, in upload / filename order. Video per image renders one MP4 per X3F (each clip is one still held for the chosen duration). Use Merge for a slideshow, Video-per-image for batch single-photo clips (e.g., for separate social posts).

Will the Foveon color science survive the conversion?

Most of it. The X3F decoder reads all three Foveon photodiode layers and renders to standard 8-bit RGB before H.264 encoding. You'll keep the characteristic Foveon contrast, color separation, and microcontrast that draws people to the format. What you lose is the 12-14-bit linear RAW headroom — once it's MP4 you can't recover blown highlights or push shadows the way you could in SIGMA Photo Pro. For archival edits, keep the X3F masters; export MP4 for sharing.

How long should each photo display in the slideshow?

3-5 seconds per frame is the typical "viewer comfort" range for a photo slideshow with no narration. Drop to 1-2 seconds for a fast scroll-style reel. For time-lapse, set 1/24 second (24 fps cinema) or 1/30 second (NTSC video) to play back at smooth motion speed. The Image Duration dropdown goes from 1/60 second up to 10 seconds.

What MP4 codec does the output use, and will it play on my TV?

The MP4 is H.264 (AVC) video in the ISO/IEC 14496-14 container — the most universally supported video format on Earth. Every smart TV, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, gaming console, iPhone, Android, browser, and editor plays it. No transcoding needed at the receiving end.

What if my X3F files are different aspect ratios or dimensions?

Pick a single output resolution preset (e.g., 1080p) and the converter will fit each frame inside it using the Background Color you chose (default black) for any letterboxing or pillarboxing. Or pick "Keep original" to retain native pixel dimensions per frame — useful when all your X3Fs come from the same camera body. Mixing aspect ratios in "Keep original" mode will produce a video with varying frame sizes, which some players don't handle gracefully — a fixed resolution preset is safer.

Can I add background music or a narration track?

This converter renders silent MP4 (no audio track). To add music, run the resulting MP4 through a video editor (CapCut, Resolve, Premiere, iMovie) or use a dedicated slideshow tool that takes audio + photos as a single bundle. Alternatively, convert your X3Fs to JPG first with X3F to JPG or X3F to PNG, then feed those into an editor with a music track.

What if I just want still images instead of a video?

Use X3F to JPG for compressed sharing-ready stills, X3F to PNG for lossless, or X3F to GIF for an animated thumbnail loop. For PDF photo books, see Merge images to PDF. For other video containers, X3F to MOV targets Final Cut / QuickTime and X3F to WebM targets web embeds where MP4 isn't preferred.