.ARW · 2013 · 36 MP full-frame

Sony A7R RAW Files: Open, Cull & Edit .ARW Free

Sony's first high-resolution mirrorless body, adopted quickly by landscape and studio photographers for its detail over the standard A7. Slower buffer clearing at this resolution meant shooters were deliberate about frame count rather than bursting. Even so, bracketed exposures for dynamic range are common and worth culling before processing the full-resolution files.

Sony A7R RAW at a glance

RAW formatARW — Sony Alpha RAW (.ARW)
Sensor36 MP full-frame
Resolution36 megapixels
Typical RAW sizeabout 28-34 MB
Released2013
RAW options14-bit ARW RAW, compressed by default; the resolution-focused sibling of the original A7.

Editing A7R files with imagic

imagic opens .ARW files from the Sony A7R natively on Windows and macOS. Point it at a card or shoot folder and it builds previews, scores every frame for sharpness, closed eyes, and composition, and groups near-duplicate bursts — so a full shoot collapses to its keepers before you edit anything.

Processing runs through the bundled RawTherapee engine, entirely on your machine: batch-apply one look across the keepers and export JPEGs in a single pass. Nothing uploads, which matters at about 28-34 MB per frame. The 7-day trial is full-featured and needs no card; licenses are one-time, from €19.

Frequently asked questions

What RAW format does the Sony A7R use?

The Sony A7R writes ARW files with the .ARW extension. 14-bit ARW RAW, compressed by default; the resolution-focused sibling of the original A7.

How big are Sony A7R RAW files?

Expect about 28-34 MB per frame from the 36 MP full-frame sensor, depending on compression settings and scene detail. A full shoot adds up quickly, which is why culling before editing matters on this body.

How can I open Sony A7R .ARW files for free?

imagic opens ARW files from the Sony A7R natively on Windows and macOS — the 7-day trial needs no card. It culls the shoot with AI quality scoring, groups duplicates, and batch-processes keepers locally through its RawTherapee engine.

More about ARW

The A7R's .ARW files share their structure with every Sony body using ARW — the full ARW guide covers compression variants, free openers, and conversion options in depth.

Other Sony bodies

Sony A9 II Sony A7S III Sony A7C Sony A1 Sony A7 IV Sony A7R V Sony A7C II Sony A7C R

Cull a A7R shoot before your coffee cools

AI quality scoring, duplicate grouping, and local batch processing for .ARW — free for 7 days, no card required.