Free webp to jpg
Minolta-MRW

Minolta Raw Image

image/x-minolta-mrw Released 2001 · by Minolta (later Konica Minolta)

The image/x-minolta-mrw MIME type represents the Minolta Raw (MRW) image format. Developed by Minolta (which later merged with Konica to form Konica Minolta), this proprietary raw format was utilized in their early DiMAGE series bridge cameras and Maxxum/Dynax digital SLRs during the early to mid-2000s. An MRW file contains unprocessed, uncompressed or losslessly compressed raw pixel data directly from the camera's sensor, alongside camera settings, EXIF metadata, and an embedded JPEG thumbnail. Following Sony's acquisition of Konica Minolta's camera division in 2006, the MRW format was retired and directly succeeded by Sony's ARW format.

Photography & Raw Imaging ✦ HDR Production Ready

Technical Specifications

MIME Type
image/x-minolta-mrw
Extensions
.mrw
Container
Proprietary MRW Container
Compression
Uncompressed & Proprietary Lossless
Algorithms
NoneProprietary Lossless
Color Depth
12-bit (Per Channel)
Metadata
EXIF XMP ICC
Capabilities
Transparency
Animation
Progressive Loading
Alpha Channel
HDR Support
Official Specification
Aliases: image/mrw

Magic Bytes & HTTP Headers

File Signature (Magic Bytes)
00 4D 52 4D
ASCII: \x00MRM
HTTP Headers
Content-Type: image/x-minolta-mrw
HTML Accept Attribute
accept="image/x-minolta-mrw, .mrw"

Browser Support Matrix

Browser Status Min Version
Chrome Chrome
Not Supported
Firefox Firefox
Not Supported
Safari Safari
Not Supported
Edge Edge
Not Supported
Internet Explorer Internet Explorer
Not Supported Legacy

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages
  • Retains full, unadulterated sensor data from early CCD digital cameras, allowing modern demosaicing algorithms to extract far superior image quality than what was possible when the cameras were released
  • Possesses a very distinct, unambiguous magic header (\x00MRM), making programmatic identification completely foolproof
Limitations
  • Completely obsolete proprietary format that has not seen a new camera release since 2006
  • Cannot be natively viewed in web browsers or standard operating system image viewers without specialized decoders
  • Relies entirely on open-source reverse engineering (like LibRaw) for continued modern software compatibility

Developer Code Snippets

import magic
# Libmagic will reliably detect the '\x00MRM' signature
print(magic.from_file('vintage.mrw', mime=True)) # Outputs 'image/x-minolta-mrw'
const fs = require('fs');
// Manually detecting the 4-byte MRW magic signature
const buffer = Buffer.alloc(4);
const fd = fs.openSync('vintage.mrw', 'r');
fs.readSync(fd, buffer, 0, 4, 0);
fs.closeSync(fd);
const isMRW = buffer[0] === 0x00 && buffer[1] === 0x4D && buffer[2] === 0x52 && buffer[3] === 0x4D; // \x00, M, R, M
console.log('Is Minolta MRW:', isMRW);
import (
    "bytes"
    "net/http"
)
// Native Go HTTP detection will likely return application/octet-stream.
// Check directly for the explicit 4-byte signature:
// isMRW := bytes.HasPrefix(buf, []byte{0x00, 0x4D, 0x52, 0x4D})
$mime = mime_content_type('vintage.mrw');
echo $mime; // Standard PHP setups with updated magic definitions will return 'image/x-minolta-mrw'

File Detection Steps

How to programmatically detect a image/x-minolta-mrw file by reading its raw bytes:

  1. 1 Unlike many raw formats that piggyback on the TIFF specification, MRW files have a highly distinct proprietary header.
  2. 2 Check the first 4 bytes for the signature: a null byte followed by the ASCII string 'MRM' (Hex: 00 4D 52 4D).
  3. 3 This is a highly reliable identifier that prevents MRW files from being accidentally spoofed or misidentified as standard TIFF files.

Software Support

A
Adobe Lightroom Classic / CC
D
Darktable
R
RawTherapee
ImageMagick ImageMagick

Conversion Tools

Share & Embed

Markdown Badge
Minolta-MRW Format Badge
[![Minolta-MRW Format](https://freewebptojpg.com/mime/image/minolta-mrw/badge.svg)](https://freewebptojpg.com/mime/image/minolta-mrw)
Interactive iframe Widget
<iframe src="https://freewebptojpg.com/mime/image/minolta-mrw/embed" width="100%" height="280" style="border:1px solid #cbd5e1;border-radius:8px;" title="Minolta-MRW Specs"></iframe>

JSON API

All data on this page is available as a free, open JSON API. Use it in your project, documentation, or tooling.

GET https://freewebptojpg.com/mime/image/minolta-mrw.json Open JSON
Free to use
No auth required
CORS enabled
Use from any domain
Cached 24h
Cache-Control headers set

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Minolta MRW file?

An MRW file is a legacy raw image format created by Minolta and Konica Minolta for their digital cameras in the early 2000s. It stores unprocessed sensor data, allowing for high-quality post-processing of exposure and color.

Is the MRW format still being used?

No. Konica Minolta exited the camera business in 2006 and sold its assets to Sony. Sony replaced the MRW format with their own ARW (Alpha Raw) format. MRW is now purely an archival format.

How do I open an MRW file today?

Standard web browsers and operating system viewers cannot open MRW files natively. You must use specialized raw processing software such as Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, RawTherapee, or Darktable to decode and export the files to JPEG or TIFF.

Related Formats

Share this format