Convert PEF to JPG

What is PEF?

PEF stands for Pentax Electronic File. It is the native RAW format of Ricoh Pentax DSLRs. Like other TIFF-based RAW formats, a PEF holds the sensor data, the EXIF metadata, a small thumbnail and a JPEG preview. Most Pentax DSLRs can also shoot DNG instead, and DNG to JPG handles those files.

Which Pentax cameras shoot PEF?

Pentax K series DSLRs write PEF when RAW is set to the PEF format: the K-1 and K-1 Mark II, K-3, K-3 II and K-3 III, KP, K-70, KF, K-S1 and K-S2, and the older K-5, K-7 and K-r. The 645D and 645Z medium format cameras use PEF too.

Full-size previews

Pentax embeds a large preview. On the K-1 and K-3 II files we tested, it matched the full sensor resolution: 7360 × 4912 and 6016 × 4000 pixels. So a PEF usually becomes a JPG with the same dimensions as the photo, rendered with the Custom Image and white balance you shot with.

How the PEF to JPG conversion works

PEF files carry a JPEG preview made by the camera. It is the image you see on the camera screen after you take the shot. This tool finds the largest embedded JPEG, decodes it and saves it again at the quality you choose, from 1 to 100 with 85 as the default. There is no RAW development step, so even a large batch converts fast. Your original PEF files are not changed.

What the JPG will look like

The preview uses the settings from when the photo was taken, such as white balance and Custom Image. So the JPG looks like an in-camera JPEG, not a flat RAW rendering. Its pixel size matches the embedded preview. EXIF metadata such as capture date, exposure settings and GPS location is not copied. For exposure, colour or white balance edits, develop the RAW in Pentax Digital Camera Utility, Lightroom or RawTherapee.

How to convert PEF to JPG on Windows and Mac

Other ways to turn PEF files into JPEGs:

• In any browser: drop the PEF files above, press Convert all, then download the JPGs or a ZIP.
• In the camera: Pentax bodies have a RAW development option in playback that saves a JPEG to the card.
• Pentax Digital Camera Utility, free: open the files and develop them to JPEG.
• Mac: open the PEF in Preview, choose File > Export, set Format to JPEG and save.
• Lightroom Classic or RawTherapee: export the photos as JPEG.

Before you start

Input: PEF. Output: JPG. The settings appear before anything runs, so you can check them first. Your original file is never changed.

Local AI tools may download a model before the first run and can use a lot of memory. The output can contain mistakes or gaps, so review it before you rely on it.

Keep the original until you have opened and checked the result. The work happens in this browser tab, so the size you can handle depends on your device's memory, your browser and the file itself.

How to convert PEF to JPG

1. Drop your PEF files into the box above, or browse to select them.
2. Set the JPG quality if you want. The default of 85 suits most photos.
3. Press Convert all. The conversion runs in your browser.
4. Download each JPG, or all of them as a ZIP.