Image MIME Reference
FST-Image
FAST Search & Transfer Image
image/vnd.fst
VS
Kodak K25 Raw Image
image/x-kodak-k25
Kodak-K25
A complete technical comparison of FAST Search & Transfer Image and Kodak K25 Raw Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | FST-Image | Kodak-K25 |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | ✕ No |
FAST Search & Transfer Image
image/vnd.fst
Extension
.fst
Container
Proprietary FAST Container
Compression
Proprietary
Algorithm
Unknown (Proprietary FAST encoding)
Color Depth
Unknown
Developed by
FAST Search & Transfer ASA (Arild Fuldseth)
Released
2000
Magic Bytes
Unknown (Proprietary)
Kodak K25 Raw Image
image/x-kodak-k25
Extension
.k25
Container
Proprietary Kodak Raw (TIFF-based variant)
Compression
Uncompressed / Proprietary Lossless
Algorithm
Proprietary Kodak Compression
Color Depth
10-bit, 12-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Eastman Kodak Company
Released
1996
Magic Bytes
Varies (Often resembles TIFF header 49 49 2A 00 or requires proprietary parsing)
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | FST-Image | Kodak-K25 |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
FST-Image
FST-Image Strengths
- Historically served as an optimized, compressed format for FAST's early multimedia and live streaming engines over constrained late-1990s bandwidth
Limitations
- Completely obsolete and non-functional in modern software ecosystems
- Undocumented, closed-source binary structure with zero support in modern image processing libraries
- Shares its file extension with several other distinct file types (such as FL Studio state files or FAST Search dictionaries), leading to easy misidentification
Kodak-K25
Kodak-K25 Strengths
- Historically significant format tied to the first digital camera to adopt CompactFlash memory
- Preserves original raw sensor data, allowing modern demosaicing algorithms (via LibRaw) to extract much better image quality than 1996-era software could
Limitations
- Completely obsolete and deeply proprietary, lacking modern raw format features found in DNG
- Cannot be natively viewed in web browsers or standard operating system image viewers without specialized decoders
- Subject to misidentification by automated MIME detection libraries due to structural similarities with standard TIFFs
When to choose which format
FST-Image
Use FST-Image when…
- Historical FAST Enterprise Search Indexing
- Legacy Proprietary Multimedia Streaming (late 1990s)
- Internal Media Transmission
Kodak-K25
Use Kodak-K25 when…
- Vintage Digital Photography Archival
- Kodak DC25 Camera Restorations
- Historical Imaging Research