ORF to HDR Converter
Convert ORF to HDR in your browser. The preview inside the maker notes is found by scanning the whole file, and that preview is what gets converted. No raw development happens here. You get a Radiance RGBE (.hdr) file, with the 8-bit sRGB values converted to linear light. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
RAW expected · other image formats also work
How to use ORF to HDR
- 1
Add your ORF files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the HDR is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .hdr files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for orf to hdr
Where the HDR goes next
HDR opens in Blender, Photoshop, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Unity and Affinity Photo.
HDR next to ORF
The HDR holds the camera preview's pixels with lossless compression: usually smaller than a 12 to 30 MB raw file, though far larger than a JPEG of the same photo.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the ORF is a camera JPEG; the HDR stores its decoded pixels losslessly, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
ORF vs HDR
What changes from ORF to HDR
Encoding: the ORF uses losslessly compressed sensor data, with a preview and thumbnail; HDR uses run-length encoded RGBE scanlines, and the download is a Radiance RGBE (.hdr) file, with the 8-bit sRGB values converted to linear light.
Bit depth: 12 bits per channel in the ORF; HDR allows an 8-bit mantissa per channel sharing an 8-bit exponent (RGBE), 32 bits per pixel, and the HDR written here has RGBE, 32 bits per pixel. The sensor's 12 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.
Colour: camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic in the ORF; HDR supports linear RGB (or XYZ in the XYZE variant), written here as linear-light RGB.
Metadata: the ORF can carry EXIF and Olympus maker notes, which also contain the preview; HDR can carry a text header with FORMAT, EXPOSURE and optional comments, but nothing is copied across.
About ORF
ORF is the raw format of Olympus and OM System cameras, built around Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds sensors. It stores 12-bit sensor data with a JPEG preview kept inside Olympus's maker notes.
ORF looks like TIFF but replaces the version number 42 with the letters 'RO', so a little-endian file starts 'IIRO' and generic TIFF readers reject it. Its JPEG preview is not in the main image directory but inside the camera-settings block of Olympus's maker notes.
ORF files usually come from Olympus E-series DSLRs, OM-D and PEN mirrorless cameras and OM System bodies.
About HDR
Radiance .hdr stores high dynamic range light values, widely used for 3D environment maps and HDRI lighting.
A Radiance file starts with '#?RADIANCE' (or '#?RGBE'), text lines such as FORMAT=32-bit_rle_rgbe and EXPOSURE, a blank line, a resolution line like '-Y 2048 +X 4096', then the scanlines.
When converting ORF to HDR makes sense
HDR is the better choice for 3D lighting and environment maps, while ORF suits editing Olympus and OM System photos in a raw developer.
HDR strengths: True high dynamic range; Standard for HDRI environment maps. Drawbacks to weigh: Needs tone mapping to view on normal screens.
Limitations
- High Res Shot files combine several exposures in camera; the preview shows the combined result at its stored size.
- No range is added: the HDR holds the 8-bit picture in linear light, and nothing in it is brighter than the original white.
- 3D software treats the file as linear light, so an ordinary photo used as an environment map may need its exposure raised to light a scene well.
More conversions
Related tools
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting ORF to HDR lose quality?
HDR is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Those pixels come from the camera's JPEG preview, so its compression stays, but nothing new is lost. The sensor's 12 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.
Does saving as HDR make a real HDRI?
No. A real HDRI is merged from several exposures. This file holds an 8-bit image in linear light, so 3D software reads it correctly, but it has no more range than the source.
Which apps open HDR files?
Blender, Photoshop, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Unity and Affinity Photo. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.