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Image MIME Reference
JPEG-XR-(HEIF)

JPEG XR Image (HEIF Container)

image/jxra
VS

Sony Alpha Raw Image

image/x-sony-arw
Sony-ARW

A complete technical comparison of JPEG XR Image (HEIF Container) and Sony Alpha Raw Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature JPEG-XR-(HEIF) Sony-ARW
Transparency (Alpha) Yes ✕ No
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading Yes ✕ No
HDR Support Yes Yes
EXIF Metadata Yes Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
JPEG XR Image (HEIF Container)
image/jxra
Extension
.jxra
Container HEIF / ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 23008-12 / Annex F of ITU-T T.832)
Compression Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
JPEG XR (Lapped Biorthogonal Transform)
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit (Float)
Developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1 / ITU-T
Released 2019
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 6A 78 72 41
Full JPEG-XR-(HEIF) reference →
Sony Alpha Raw Image
image/x-sony-arw
Extension
.arw
Container TIFF-based (Proprietary)
Compression Uncompressed / Lossless Compressed / Lossy Compressed
Algorithm
NoneSony Proprietary LosslessSony Proprietary Lossy
Color Depth 12-bit (Per Channel), 14-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by Sony Corporation
Released 2006
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00
Full Sony-ARW reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser JPEG-XR-(HEIF) Sony-ARW
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
JPEG-XR-(HEIF)

JPEG-XR-(HEIF) Strengths

  • Combines the deep color (32-bit float) and mathematically lossless compression of JPEG XR with the robust metadata architecture of HEIF
  • Allows grouping multiple images, exposure brackets, or focal stacks into a single file collection
Limitations
  • Practically non-existent software and operating system support compared to standard HEIC or legacy JPEG XR (.jxr)
  • Zero web browser support, rendering it entirely unsuitable for public web deployment
  • Eclipsed by modern standards like AVIF and JPEG XL which offer superior compression with much broader industry backing
Sony-ARW

Sony-ARW Strengths

  • Retains absolute maximum sensor data, enabling massive shadow recovery and highlight protection compared to compressed in-camera JPEGs
  • Embeds high-quality JPEG previews and robust metadata, allowing photographers to match in-camera color science (like Creative Looks) perfectly during raw processing
  • Utilizes the standard TIFF container structure, ensuring broad compatibility with open-source decoding libraries (like LibRaw)
Limitations
  • Proprietary format means it requires constant updates to raw processing engines every time Sony releases a new camera model
  • Sony's historically controversial lossy compression algorithm (often called 'star eater' due to spatial filtering artifacts) was a drawback for astrophotography in older ARW versions, though largely resolved in newer models with uncompressed/lossless options
  • Cannot be directly embedded into web pages or used in standard HTML/CSS contexts

When to choose which format

JPEG-XR-(HEIF)
Use JPEG-XR-(HEIF) when…
  • Specialized Archival
  • Experimental Imaging Workflows
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging
Sony-ARW
Use Sony-ARW when…
  • Professional Digital Photography
  • Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging Archival

More comparisons

JPEG-XR-(HEIF) vs ACES → Sony-ARW vs ACES → JPEG-XR-(HEIF) vs APNG → Sony-ARW vs APNG → JPEG-XR-(HEIF) vs AVCI → Sony-ARW vs AVCI → JPEG-XR-(HEIF) vs AVCS → Sony-ARW vs AVCS → JPEG-XR-(HEIF) vs AVIF → Sony-ARW vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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