RW2 Converter
RW2 is Panasonic's raw format, spanning the Micro Four Thirds Lumix G bodies, the full-frame S series and the premium travel compacts. That range means RW2 file sizes vary more between Panasonic cameras than most makers' raw files do across their whole line-up.
RW2 at a glance
| Full name | Panasonic RAW version 2 |
|---|---|
| Extension | .rw2 |
| MIME type | image/x-panasonic-rw2 |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Transparency | No |
| Animation | No |
| Colours | 12–14-bit per channel |
| Browser support | None — RAW editors only |
| Typical use | Panasonic Lumix cameras, Micro Four Thirds and full-frame |
| Introduced | 2008 |
Convert RW2 to another format
RW2 questions
How do I open an RW2 file?
Panasonic ships SILKYPIX Developer Studio SE with its cameras, and Lightroom, Camera Raw, Capture One, darktable and RawTherapee all read RW2. Windows Explorer previews need the Raw Image Extension installed first.
Why do RW2 file sizes vary so much between Lumix cameras?
Because the range spans very different sensors: a Micro Four Thirds GH5 writes a much smaller raw than a full-frame S1R, and the TZ and ZS travel compacts smaller again. All of them use the RW2 extension, so file size is not a reliable guide to which body produced it.
Which Panasonic cameras write RW2 files?
The Lumix line: the Micro Four Thirds G and GH bodies, the full-frame S series, and the premium TZ and ZS compacts. Panasonic replaced the older RAW extension with RW2 and has used it since.
Does converting RW2 apply the camera's lens corrections?
The corrections are stored as metadata rather than applied to the pixels, and whether they are used depends on the software reading the file. Expect slight differences in distortion and corner brightness between a converted RW2 and the camera's own JPG.