X3F to XviD Converter

How to Convert X3F to Xvid Online

1. Upload Your X3F Files: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select X3F RAW images from your Sigma SD9/SD14/SD15, SD1 Merrill, DP/dp Quattro, or SD Quattro. Batch upload is supported — pick the frames in shot order for the slideshow.
2. Choose Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Pick "Merge images" to build one combined Xvid clip from all uploaded X3F files, or "Video per image" for one Xvid file per RAW. Set "Image Duration" to 1/24-second through 10 seconds per frame (default is 5 seconds) and pick a "Background Color" for letterbox bars when aspect ratios don't match.
3. Set Quality Preset and Resolution (Optional): Under File Compression, leave "Quality Preset" on "Very High (Recommended)" for the cleanest Xvid output, or pick High/Medium/Low to shrink the AVI. Under Video resolution choose Keep original, a Preset (4K/1080p/720p/480p), or set custom Width x Height; for legacy DVD/USB-stick playback 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) is the safe target.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Each X3F is demosaiced from Foveon data, scaled, then encoded with libxvid (MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP) inside an AVI container. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.

Why Convert X3F to Xvid?

X3F is Sigma's proprietary RAW format from the Foveon X3 sensor, which stacks red, green, and blue photodiodes vertically at every pixel site instead of using the Bayer mosaic pattern. Only Sigma Photo Pro, Iridient Developer, and a few others read X3F natively, and individual files easily run 30-60 MB — far too large to share, and impossible to play in any video tool. Xvid (the open-source GPL implementation of MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile, version 1.3.7, last released Dec 28 2019) wraps your demosaiced frames in an AVI that virtually every legacy player — set-top DVD/DivX boxes, car head units, older Smart TVs, Windows Media Player — will recognise.

• Burn a Foveon slideshow to DVD or USB for an old set-top player — Xvid-in-AVI is the canonical format the "DivX Certified" logo refers to; cheap DVD players from 2005-2015 reliably read 720x480 NTSC or 720x576 PAL AVI files from a USB stick or burned disc, while they can't decode MP4/H.264 or any RAW.
• Send a one-file preview to a non-Sigma photographer or client — they almost certainly can't open X3F (Lightroom support has been spotty for years, and Capture One never added it), but VLC, MX Player, and most desktop players play Xvid natively without installing a codec pack.
• Archive a shoot as a quick proof reel — instead of shipping a folder of 40 MB Foveon raws, encode them at 5 seconds per frame as a single 1080p AVI that anyone can scrub through, while keeping the original X3F files for editing.
• Recycle dp Quattro studio frames for an analog-style intro card — Xvid's heavy quantisation and macroblocking at low bitrates produces the early-2000s DVD-rip aesthetic some YouTubers and indie filmmakers chase intentionally.
• Re-encode for a 2010s DVR, security NVR, or industrial display — these systems often whitelist MPEG-4 ASP/AVI and refuse modern containers; Xvid is the only path that doesn't require firmware updates.
• Build a behind-the-scenes reel for a workshop — instructors with Sigma kit can mix RAW captures into a single legacy-compatible video that runs on the venue's projector laptop without codec drama.

X3F vs Xvid (AVI) — Format Comparison

Xvid Quality Preset Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I convert a Sigma RAW photo to a video codec from 2001?

The X3F-to-Xvid pipeline is almost always a slideshow workflow: you have a folder of Foveon frames and want a single playable file that runs on hardware too old or too locked-down for MP4/H.264. Xvid-in-AVI is the format that DivX-certified DVD players, 2010s in-car entertainment systems, and legacy industrial displays universally accept. If your target device is a modern phone, TV, or browser, convert X3F to MP4 instead — H.264 is half the file size at the same visual quality.

Will the Foveon color advantage survive the conversion?

Partially. The Foveon X3 sensor captures full RGB at every pixel without demosaicing, which gives X3F files exceptionally clean color transitions and per-pixel detail. Xvid encodes in 8-bit Y'CbCr 4:2:0, so chroma is subsampled to half-resolution horizontally and vertically — the per-pixel color purity is flattened. The luminance detail and the distinctive Foveon micro-contrast survive at Very High preset; subtle skin-tone gradations may posterise at Medium/Low.

What resolution should I pick for an old DVD player?

Use 720x480 if you're in NTSC territory (US, Canada, Japan) or 720x576 for PAL (most of Europe, Australia, much of Asia/Africa) — these match the active-pixel resolution of DVD-Video and are the safest bet for "DivX Certified" set-top boxes. Going higher (1080p or 4K) is fine for Smart TVs and PCs, but many 2005-2015 hardware players refuse anything above 720x576 even though their HDMI output is 1080p.

Why is my output AVI so much larger than a comparable MP4?

Xvid (MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP) is roughly 1.5-2x less efficient than H.264 and 3-4x less efficient than H.265 for the same perceptual quality. The codec was finalised in the early 2000s and never received the entropy-coding and intra-prediction improvements that came with AVC. If file size matters more than legacy compatibility, MP4/H.264 is the better choice; pick Xvid only when the playback device demands it.

Can I include audio with my X3F slideshow?

This converter produces video-only Xvid output from your image inputs — the source X3F files contain no audio track. To add a soundtrack you'd typically build the silent AVI here and then mux audio in a desktop editor like Avidemux, Shotcut, or FFmpeg (e.g. ffmpeg -i slideshow.avi -i music.mp3 -c:v copy -c:a mp3 -shortest out.avi). MP3 or AC-3 are the safest audio codecs for legacy AVI playback.

Does Xvid still play on modern devices without installing a codec?

On desktop yes — VLC, MX Player, mpv, PotPlayer, Kodi, and SMPlayer all bundle libavcodec, which decodes Xvid out of the box on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. iOS and tvOS native players do not decode Xvid/AVI; iPhone/iPad users need a third-party player like VLC for iOS or Infuse. Modern web browsers do not play Xvid in AVI at all — that's the trade-off for legacy hardware compatibility.

Is Xvid the same thing as DivX?

They're sibling codecs that both implement MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP, but they're not the same. Xvid is GPL-licensed open-source software; DivX is proprietary (DivX, LLC). Most files encoded by one will play in the other, with caveats — Xvid's optional features (multiple B-frames, custom quantisation matrices, GMC with three warp points) can confuse strict DivX-certified hardware. If your target player has the DivX logo, stick to the "Very High" or "High" preset and avoid the most aggressive options. See also convert X3F to DivX if you specifically need a DivX-fourcc'd file.

Should I just convert my X3F to JPG instead?

For sharing individual frames, yes — convert X3F to JPG is faster, produces tiny files, and works everywhere. Use the X3F-to-Xvid workflow when you specifically need a single playable video file (proof reel, slideshow, DVD/USB for legacy hardware) rather than a folder of stills.

Why does Xvid still exist in 2026 if no one updates it?

The Xvid project hasn't shipped a new version since 1.3.7 on December 28, 2019, but the codec doesn't need updates — MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP is a frozen standard, and millions of files encoded over the past two decades aren't going away. Older DVD players, security DVRs from the 2010s, in-dash car entertainment, and some industrial displays were certified against that exact codec and have no migration path to H.264 or beyond. Xvid is "feature complete" rather than abandoned.