Image MIME Reference
BTIF
Bank Telecommunications Image Format
image/prs.btif
VS
Sony SRF Raw Image
image/x-sony-srf
Sony-SRF
A complete technical comparison of Bank Telecommunications Image Format and Sony SRF Raw Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | BTIF | Sony-SRF |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | Yes |
Bank Telecommunications Image Format
image/prs.btif
Extension
.btif.btf
Container
Proprietary Check Image Container
Compression
Lossy (JPEG-based) / Lossless (TIFF-based)
Algorithm
JPEGTIFF-variant
Color Depth
1-bit (B&W), 8-bit (Grayscale)
Developed by
NationsBank (Bank of America) / Ben Simon
Released
1998
Magic Bytes
Unknown (Proprietary container)
Sony SRF Raw Image
image/x-sony-srf
Extension
.srf
Container
TIFF-based (Proprietary)
Compression
Uncompressed
Algorithm
None
Color Depth
12-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Sony Corporation
Released
2003
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | BTIF | Sony-SRF |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
BTIF
BTIF Strengths
- Allowed early digital archiving and web-based transmission of cleared bank checks
- Encapsulated both image data and ASCII transaction metadata in a single file
Limitations
- Completely proprietary and obsolete format
- Lacks native support in modern operating systems and image viewers
- Requires legacy plugins or specialized bio-format readers (like ImageC) to decode
Sony-SRF
Sony-SRF Strengths
- Retains perfectly raw, unprocessed sensor data from legacy early-2000s cameras, allowing modern raw processors to extract much better dynamic range and color than the camera's original internal JPEG engine could
- Utilizes a standard TIFF container structure, ensuring broad compatibility with community-maintained open-source decoding libraries like LibRaw
Limitations
- Completely obsolete format that has long been abandoned in favor of ARW
- MIME detection via magic bytes is unreliable due to TIFF header spoofing, requiring deeper EXIF inspection for accurate routing
- Cannot be natively viewed in web browsers or standard operating system image viewers without specialized decoders
When to choose which format
BTIF
Use BTIF when…
- Bank Check Archiving (Legacy)
- Financial Transaction Records
Sony-SRF
Use Sony-SRF when…
- Legacy Sony Cyber-shot Photography
- Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
- Early 2000s Raw Imaging Archival