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Image MIME Reference
FITS

Flexible Image Transport System

image/fits
VS

Panasonic RAW Image

image/x-panasonic-raw
Panasonic-RAW-(RW2)

A complete technical comparison of Flexible Image Transport System and Panasonic RAW Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature FITS Panasonic-RAW-(RW2)
Transparency (Alpha) ✕ No ✕ No
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes Yes
EXIF Metadata ✕ No Yes
ICC Color Profile ✕ No Yes
Flexible Image Transport System
image/fits
Extension
.fits.fit.fts
Container FITS
Compression Uncompressed / Tile Compressed (Rice, GZIP)
Algorithm
UncompressedRiceGZIPHcompress
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit (Float/Double)
Developed by IAU FITS Working Group / NASA
Released 1981
Magic Bytes
53 49 4D 50 4C 45 20 20 3D 20
Full FITS reference →
Panasonic RAW Image
image/x-panasonic-raw
Extension
.raw.rw2
Container TIFF-based (Proprietary)
Compression Uncompressed / Panasonic Proprietary Lossless
Algorithm
NoneProprietary Lossless
Color Depth 12-bit (Per Channel), 14-bit (Per Channel), 16-bit (Per Channel - High-res mode)
Developed by Panasonic Corporation
Released 2004
Magic Bytes
Older RAW: 49 49 2A 00 | Newer RW2: 49 49 55 00
Full Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser FITS Panasonic-RAW-(RW2)
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
FITS

FITS Strengths

  • The undisputed global standard for archiving and sharing astronomical data
  • Self-documenting: Headers are written in plain ASCII, ensuring data is readable decades later regardless of software
  • Supports incredibly high dynamic range, N-dimensional arrays, and complex binary tables
Limitations
  • No support in standard consumer software or web browsers
  • Uncompressed raw FITS files from modern telescopes can be excessively large
  • Does not use standard metadata models like EXIF or XMP, requiring specialized parsers
Panasonic-RAW-(RW2)

Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) Strengths

  • Retains maximum sensor data, allowing significant recovery of highlights and shadows compared to in-camera JPEGs
  • Modern RW2 files embed proprietary lens correction profiles (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration) that raw converters can automatically apply
  • The unique 'IIU' signature on RW2 files makes programmatic identification extremely reliable compared to other TIFF-spoofing raw formats
Limitations
  • Proprietary format requires continuous updates to third-party processing engines whenever Panasonic releases a new Lumix camera
  • Produces very large file sizes, particularly when using Panasonic's High-Resolution multi-shot modes
  • Cannot be directly embedded into web pages or used in standard HTML/CSS contexts

When to choose which format

FITS
Use FITS when…
  • Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • Space Telescope Data (Hubble, JWST)
  • Scientific Data Archiving
  • Spectroscopy
Panasonic-RAW-(RW2)
Use Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) when…
  • Professional Digital Photography
  • Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Lumix Archival

More comparisons

FITS vs ACES → Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) vs ACES → FITS vs APNG → Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) vs APNG → FITS vs AVCI → Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) vs AVCI → FITS vs AVCS → Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) vs AVCS → FITS vs AVIF → Panasonic-RAW-(RW2) vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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