Sony-SRF

Sony SRF Raw Image

image/x-sony-srf Released 2003 · by Sony Corporation

The image/x-sony-srf MIME type represents the Sony SRF format, the very first proprietary raw image format developed by Sony for its early prosumer digital cameras. Introduced in the early 2000s with flagship Cyber-shot models like the DSC-F828, the SRF format predates both the transitional SR2 format and today's modern ARW standard. Built on a standard TIFF container specification, an SRF file stores uncompressed pixel data exactly as it was captured by the camera's CCD image sensor. While it is completely obsolete and no longer used in modern Sony hardware, the format remains broadly supported by professional raw processing engines for archival and restorative purposes.

Photography & Raw Imaging ✦ HDR Production Ready

Technical Specifications

MIME Type

image/x-sony-srf

Extensions

.srf

Container

TIFF-based (Proprietary)

Compression

Uncompressed

Algorithms

None

Color Depth

12-bit (Per Channel)

Metadata

EXIF XMP ICC

Capabilities

Transparency

Animation

Progressive Loading

Alpha Channel

HDR Support

Official Specification

Aliases: image/srf

Magic Bytes & HTTP Headers

File Signature (Magic Bytes)

49 49 2A 00

ASCII: II*\x00

HTTP Headers

Content-Type: image/x-sony-srf

HTML Accept Attribute

accept="image/x-sony-srf, .srf"

Browser Support Matrix

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

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages

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

Developer Code Snippets

import magic
# Libmagic will identify SRF files as standard TIFFs due to the shared 49 49 2A 00 header
print(magic.from_file('vintage.srf', mime=True)) # Outputs 'image/tiff'

const FileType = require('file-type');
const type = await FileType.fromFile('vintage.srf');
console.log(type?.mime); // Usually resolves to 'image/tiff'. You must rely on the .srf extension for precise routing.

import (
    "bytes"
    "net/http"
    "strings"
)
// Native Go HTTP detection reads the TIFF magic bytes and returns 'image/tiff'.
// You must explicitly check the filename extension to infer Sony SRF intent.
// isSRF := strings.HasSuffix(strings.ToLower(filename), ".srf")

$mime = mime_content_type('vintage.srf');
echo $mime; // Standard PHP setups will resolve this to 'image/tiff' based on the file header.

File Detection Steps

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

1 SRF files are built on the standard TIFF specification and therefore typically begin with the standard little-endian (49 49 2A 00) magic bytes.
2 Because they share this exact header with standard TIFF files and many other raw formats, MIME sniffers will almost universally misidentify SRF files as 'image/tiff'.
3 To definitively detect an SRF file programmatically, developers must parse the TIFF header directories and examine the EXIF MakerNote to confirm the Sony manufacturer signature and legacy camera model.

Software Support

S

Sony Imaging Edge Desktop

A

Adobe Lightroom Classic / CC

R

RawTherapee

C

Capture One

Conversion Tools

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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/sony-srf.json Open JSON

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Use from any domain

Cached 24h

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Sony SRF file?

An SRF file is the original, legacy proprietary raw image format developed by Sony. It was utilized primarily in early 2000s high-end Cyber-shot cameras, such as the 8-megapixel DSC-F828, to store unprocessed sensor data.

What is the difference between Sony SRF, SR2, and ARW?

They represent the chronological evolution of Sony's raw formats. SRF was the first generation (early 2000s). SR2 was a brief transitional format used in the mid-2000s. ARW (Alpha Raw) is the modern, current format used across all contemporary Sony mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

How do I open an SRF file today?

Standard web browsers and basic OS image viewers cannot render SRF files natively. However, they can still be opened and edited using modern raw processors like Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, RawTherapee, or Sony's Imaging Edge software.