.ARW · 2015 · 12 MP full-frame

Sony A7S II RAW Files: Open, Cull & Edit .ARW Free

A low-light and video specialist body used by event and documentary shooters who needed usable stills in near-dark conditions. Stills output is typically a smaller side product of a primarily video-driven shoot. Small file sizes and modest frame counts keep this camera's editing workload light relative to Sony's higher-resolution bodies.

Sony A7S II RAW at a glance

RAW formatARW — Sony Alpha RAW (.ARW)
Sensor12 MP full-frame
Resolution12 megapixels
Typical RAW sizeabout 10-13 MB
Released2015
RAW options14-bit ARW RAW, compressed by default; low resolution keeps files small.

Editing A7S II files with imagic

imagic opens .ARW files from the Sony A7S II 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 10-13 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 A7S II use?

The Sony A7S II writes ARW files with the .ARW extension. 14-bit ARW RAW, compressed by default; low resolution keeps files small.

How big are Sony A7S II RAW files?

Expect about 10-13 MB per frame from the 12 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 A7S II .ARW files for free?

imagic opens ARW files from the Sony A7S II 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 A7S II'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 A7 IV Sony A7R V Sony A7C II Sony A7C R Sony A9 III Sony A1 II Sony A6000 Sony A6300

Cull a A7S II shoot before your coffee cools

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