What is RAF?

Fujifilm Raw Format (RAF) contains raw sensor data from Fujifilm X-Series and GFX cameras with unique X-Trans sensor processing.

What is IIQ?

Phase One IIQ is a professional medium-format raw format used by Phase One digital backs, delivering exceptional image quality for commercial photography.

When Should You Use RAF vs IIQ?

RAF vs IIQ: Key Differences

• •RAF uses lossless compression while IIQ uses lossless compression — both take the same approach to file size management.
• •Since both RAF and IIQ use lossless compression, the quality characteristics are comparable — differences in file size come down to how efficiently each format implements compression.
• •Transparency: N/A
• •Storage footprint: 20-50MB per photo for RAF vs 50-150MB per image from medium-format backs for IIQ.
• •RAF is optimized for fujifilm photography, film simulation processing while IIQ is designed for professional studio photography, digital back capture — choose based on your specific workflow needs

Advantages of RAF

• ✓RAF compresses data using lossless methods, keeping file sizes manageable for Fujifilm photography, film simulation processing.
• ✓Industry-wide support means RAF files open anywhere — from legacy systems to the latest devices.
• ✓Lossless quality makes RAF the gold standard for archival and master copies.
• ✓From Adobe Photoshop to open-source alternatives, RAF works out of the box.

Advantages of IIQ

• ✓At its core, IIQ relies on lossless encoding — a design choice that makes it perfect for Professional studio photography, digital back capture.
• ✓You won't run into compatibility issues with IIQ — it's a universal standard across platforms.
• ✓File size management with IIQ: larger files guaranteed to match the original exactly.
• ✓Every major application in the Professional studio photography, digital back capture space supports IIQ natively.

Common Use Cases for RAF to IIQ Conversion

• E-commerce product images
• Email marketing campaigns
• Presentation graphics
• Blog and article illustrations
• Mobile app UI assets
• Product photography for marketplaces

Industry Applications

Best Practices for RAF to IIQ Conversion

• →When converting RAF to IIQ, check whether IIQ supports transparency — if not, your transparent areas will be filled with a solid color
• →Use IIQ for maximum quality archival and RAF for lossless workflows
• →Optimize images for web to reduce page load times — tools like our converter let you adjust quality settings before conversion
• →Maintain original aspect ratio to avoid distortion during conversion
• →Always keep a backup of your original files before converting
• →Choose the appropriate quality settings for your specific use case

Related Article

Troubleshooting RAF to IIQ Conversion

• !IIQ shows visible compression artifacts → lower the compression level or switch to a lossless variant
• !The converted IIQ image looks washed out → the source RAF likely uses a wider color space than IIQ supports
• !IIQ file is much larger than expected → check if the conversion preserved an unnecessarily high resolution
• !Text in the converted IIQ looks fuzzy → text-heavy images benefit from higher quality settings or a different output format

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