ORF to PCX Converter
Convert ORF to PCX 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 run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB. 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 PCX
- 1
Add your ORF files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the PCX 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 .pcx files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for orf to pcx
Where the PCX goes next
PCX opens in GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools.
PCX next to ORF
The PCX 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 PCX 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 PCX
What changes from ORF to PCX
Encoding: the ORF uses losslessly compressed sensor data, with a preview and thumbnail; PCX uses byte-wise run-length encoding, and the download is a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB.
Bit depth: 12 bits per channel in the ORF; PCX allows 1, 2, 4 or 8 bits per pixel with a palette, or 24-bit as three 8-bit planes, and the PCX written here has 8-bit indexed or 24-bit RGB. 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; PCX supports a 16 or 256-colour palette, or 24-bit RGB, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the ORF can carry EXIF and Olympus maker notes, which also contain the preview; PCX can carry only a 128-byte header with the resolution, 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 PCX
PCX is the image format of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush, the standard for DOS paint programs, scanners and games before GIF and BMP took over. It compresses with a simple run-length scheme.
A PCX file has a 128-byte header (the byte 0x0A, version, encoding, bits per pixel, image window, DPI, a 16-colour palette and the number of colour planes), then RLE-compressed scanlines; 256-colour files end with the byte 0x0C and a 768-byte palette.
When converting ORF to PCX makes sense
PCX is the better choice for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools, while ORF suits editing Olympus and OM System photos in a raw developer.
PCX strengths: Read by most legacy and modern viewers; Simple, lossless run-length compression. Drawbacks to weigh: Poor compression for photographs; No transparency; Obsolete outside retro software.
Limitations
- High Res Shot files combine several exposures in camera; the preview shows the combined result at its stored size.
- PCX's run-length compression suits flat-colour art; photographs barely shrink.
- Transparency is flattened onto the background colour, since PCX has no alpha channel.
More conversions
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting ORF to PCX lose quality?
PCX 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.
Which apps open PCX files?
GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools. 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.