SR2 vs WEBP
A detailed comparison of Sony RAW SR2 and WebP Image — file size, quality, compatibility, and which format to choose for your workflow.
Sony RAW SR2
Raster & Vector ImagesSR2 is an older Sony RAW format used in some Sony Alpha cameras. Newer Sony cameras use ARW instead.
About SR2 filesWebP Image
Raster & Vector ImagesWebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior lossless and lossy compression. Files are typically 25-35% smaller than equivalent JPEG or PNG images at the same visual quality.
About WEBP filesStrengths Comparison
SR2 Strengths
- Full Sony Alpha early-era sensor data preserved.
- Supported by major raw processors.
- Metadata includes Konica Minolta pre-Sony era compatibility.
WEBP Strengths
- Smaller file sizes than JPEG, PNG, and GIF at equivalent visual quality.
- Single format for lossy photos, lossless graphics, transparency, and animation.
- Full alpha channel support with smaller files than PNG.
- Now universally supported in all modern browsers.
- Open-source reference implementation (libwebp) by Google.
Limitations
SR2 Limitations
- Transitional format — limited to 2006-2008 bodies.
- Superseded by ARW.
- Proprietary with no public spec.
- Essentially legacy — no new content.
WEBP Limitations
- Some older software and image editors still don't read WebP natively.
- Max dimensions are 16,383 × 16,383 — lower than JPEG or PNG.
- Print workflows rarely support WebP (no CMYK, limited color management).
- Editing tools are less mature than JPEG/PNG; round-tripping can lose quality.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | SR2 | WEBP |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | image/x-sony-sr2 | image/webp |
| Extension | .sr2 | — |
| Container | TIFF/EP with Sony MakerNote | — |
| Successor | .arw (2008+) | — |
| Ancestor | .mrw (Konica Minolta) | — |
| Compression | — | VP8 (lossy) or VP8L (lossless) |
| Color depth | — | 8 bits per channel |
| Max dimensions | — | 16,383 × 16,383 pixels |
| Transparency | — | Full 8-bit alpha channel |
| Animation | — | Supported since WebP 2012 revision |
Typical File Sizes
SR2
- 10 MP SR2 (Alpha 100) 12-18 MB
- 12 MP SR2 (Alpha 700) 15-22 MB
WEBP
- Web photo (vs JPEG equivalent) 25–35% smaller
- Transparent logo (vs PNG) 20–30% smaller
- Animated replacement for GIF 60–80% smaller
- Hero banner (1920×1080) 150–400 KB
Ready to convert?
Convert between SR2 and WEBP online, free, and without installing anything. Encrypted upload, automatic deletion after 60 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
SR2 (Sony RAW SR2) is an image format used to store raster graphics — a two-dimensional grid of pixels describing a picture. It is part of the raster & vector images family and designed around a specific trade-off between file size, visual fidelity, and feature support (transparency, colour depth, compression type). Photographers, web designers, and content creators choose SR2 when its particular strengths match the publishing target.
SR2 (Sony RAW SR2) is an image formato used to store raster graphics — a two-dimensional grid of pixels describing a picture. It is part of the raster & vector images family e designed around a specific trade-off between tamanho do arquivo, visual fidelity, e feature support (transparency, colour depth, compressão type). Photographers, web designers, e content creators choose SR2 when its particular strengths match the publishing target.
Most desktop photo viewers (Windows Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, Affinity Photo) open SR2 natively. On mobile, iOS Photos and Google Photos display SR2 in the gallery when supported by the OS. If the format is rare or new, convert to JPG or PNG first — both are universally readable — using our SR2 to JPG or SR2 to PNG converter.
Most desktop photo viewers (Windows Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, Affinity Photo) abrir SR2 natively. On mobile, iOS Photos e Google Photos display SR2 no gallery when suportado por the OS. If the formato is rare ou new, converter to JPG ou PNG first — both are universally readable — usando our SR2 to JPG ou SR2 to PNG converter.
Upload the SR2 to KaijuConverter and pick a target format (JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, TIFF, BMP, SVG, PDF). The conversion runs in the browser via ImageMagick and returns a download in seconds. No account or installation required; both input and output delete automatically within two hours.
It depends on the task. JPG is the smallest file size for photographs; PNG is lossless with transparency; SR2 has its own niche that may favour colour depth, animation, or encoding efficiency over one or both of those. For the final web publish, test all three and measure file size plus visible quality on real content.