ICO vs SR2
A detailed comparison of ICO Icon and Sony RAW SR2 — file size, quality, compatibility, and which format to choose for your workflow.
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Choosing between ICO (ICO Icon, image/x-icon) and SR2 (Sony RAW SR2, image/x-sony-sr2) depends on your target workflow, compression efficiency, and device support. Below is our side-by-side technical benchmark and instant bidirectional converter.
ICO vs SR2 at a glance
ICO vs SR2| Dimension | .ICO | .SR2 |
|---|---|---|
| Format Name | ICO Icon (.ico) | Sony RAW SR2 (.sr2) |
| Format Family | Raster & Vector Images | Raster & Vector Images |
| Primary MIME | image/x-icon | image/x-sony-sr2 |
| Developer / Year | Microsoft (Windows 1.0) (1985) | Sony / Konica Minolta (2005) |
| Pipeline Role | Read & Write | Source Input |
When should you use ICO vs SR2?
.ICO Use when…
Use ICO (ICO Icon) when your pipeline requires native image/x-icon compatibility, predictable rendering, or specialized Raster & Vector Images editing support.
.SR2 Use when…
Use SR2 (Sony RAW SR2) when you need image/x-sony-sr2 delivery, cross-platform Raster & Vector Images distribution, or streamlined storage.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | .ICO | .SR2 |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | image/vnd.microsoft.icon | image/x-sony-sr2 |
| Max resolutions per file | 65 535 images | — |
| Max single image size | 256×256 px | — |
| Color depths | 1, 4, 8, 24, 32 bits per pixel | — |
| Compression | Uncompressed bitmap or embedded PNG (Vista+) | — |
| Extension | — | .sr2 |
| Container | — | TIFF/EP with Sony MakerNote |
| Successor | — | .arw (2008+) |
| Ancestor | — | .mrw (Konica Minolta) |
Strengths Comparison
.ICO Strengths
- Multi-resolution: one file, many sizes, OS picks the right one.
- Universal favicon support in every browser since IE5.
- Supports transparency (1-bit since 1985, full alpha since XP).
- Tiny file size — an entire favicon pack typically fits in under 15 KB.
- No licensing or patent concerns — fully in the public domain spec-wise.
.SR2 Strengths
- Full Sony Alpha early-era sensor data preserved.
- Supported by major raw processors.
- Metadata includes Konica Minolta pre-Sony era compatibility.
Limitations
.ICO — Limitations
- Cannot compress continuous-tone images efficiently — use PNG or WebP for photos.
- Format is essentially frozen in 1999 — no HDR, no wide gamut, no modern features.
- Maximum image dimension is 256×256 px (inside an ICO container).
- Editing requires specialized tools — most image editors treat it as a curiosity.
.SR2 — Limitations
- Transitional format — limited to 2006-2008 bodies.
- Superseded by ARW.
- Proprietary with no public spec.
- Essentially legacy — no new content.
Technical deep dive: ICO vs SR2
Both ICO and SR2 serve distinct roles in modern digital pipelines. With KaijuConverter you can transcode between .ico and .sr2 in seconds while preserving metadata and structural fidelity.
Frequently Asked Questions
ICO (ICO Icon) uses MIME type image/x-icon in the Raster & Vector Images family, whereas SR2 (Sony RAW SR2) uses image/x-sony-sr2 in the Raster & Vector Images family. Each optimizes for different trade-offs in file size, fidelity, and software compatibility.
Yes. KaijuConverter uses tuned encoding profiles to preserve maximum visual, audio, or document fidelity when converting between ICO and SR2.
ICO (Icon) is Microsoft's 1985 multi-resolution icon format, originally shipped with Windows 1.0. A single .ico file holds multiple sizes (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 256×256) so the OS can pick the best one for the current display context. Since 1999, every website uses a favicon.ico to show its icon in browser tabs.
On Windows, ICO files open natively in File Explorer and Photos. On macOS, Preview handles basic display. For editing, use GIMP (free), Photoshop with a plugin, or dedicated icon editors like IcoFX.
Use the PNG-to-ICO converter on KaijuConverter — upload a PNG (ideally square, at least 256×256) and download a multi-resolution ICO with all standard favicon sizes embedded.
A complete favicon pack includes 16×16, 32×32, 48×48, and 256×256 px variants all in one ICO file. The total file size is typically 5-15 KB. Browsers automatically pick the right size for tabs, bookmarks, and desktop shortcuts.
ICO for /favicon.ico (every browser requests this URL automatically). PNG for everywhere else — social media profile images, in-page icons, app logos. Modern favicon best practice includes both an .ico at the root and multiple .png sizes referenced via <link> tags in HTML.
Yes. Every browser still requests /favicon.ico on every domain as its first icon fallback. Modern sites typically provide both favicon.ico and higher-quality SVG or PNG icons via <link rel="icon"> tags — browsers pick the best match.
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