Файл SRF

The .srf file extension is used by RAW image files generated by Sony digital cameras. Introduced in January 2004 with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828, .srf is Sony's earliest camera raw format. The file stores data in uncompressed, unprocessed form exactly as it was captured by the camera's CMOS image sensor, wrapped in a little-endian TIFF container.

Image editing features

RAW images can be seen as digital counterparts to photo negatives and can be edited after having been saved into a file. Users can modify image parameters and save the finished photo as, for example, a JPEG or PNG image. Elements of an .srf image which can be edited include:

• contrast,
• saturation,
• sharpness,
• exposure,
• color temperature,
• white balance.

High-quality image

.srf files store high-quality, high-fidelity images because all information captured by the sensor is saved directly as raw image data - at 14 bits per pixel, yielding richer tonal detail than 8-bit processed formats. An .srf file from the DSC-F828 also embeds a full-resolution JPEG preview for quick display. One notable quirk is that part of the embedded metadata (the Sony MakerNote) is obfuscated with a proprietary encryption scheme; decoding tools such as ExifTool and LibRaw handle this transparently.

.srf is effectively a one-camera format: Sony moved on quickly, releasing .sr2 in 2005 and then the current .arw (Alpha RAW) format from 2006 onward. New Sony cameras no longer produce .srf files, but the format remains supported by most major raw converters through LibRaw-based decoding.