BMP vs RAF
A detailed comparison of BMP Image and Fujifilm RAW — file size, quality, compatibility, and which format to choose for your workflow.
BMP Image
Raster & Vector ImagesBMP is an uncompressed raster image format native to Windows. Files are large but preserve exact pixel data with no compression artifacts. Rarely used on the web due to file size.
About BMP filesFujifilm RAW
Raster & Vector ImagesRAF is the RAW image format used by Fujifilm cameras, containing unprocessed sensor data with Fujifilm color science.
About RAF filesStrengths Comparison
BMP Strengths
- Dead-simple format — trivially easy to read and write.
- Lossless and uncompressed — perfect bit-exact pixel storage.
- Universally supported in Windows applications since 1985.
- Supports 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32-bit color depths.
RAF Strengths
- Full 14-bit (most bodies) or 16-bit (GFX) sensor data.
- Film simulation recipe stored in metadata.
- X-Trans sensor produces distinctive moiré-free rendering.
- Supports every classic Fuji film-simulation look.
Limitations
BMP Limitations
- Enormous file sizes — no meaningful compression in typical use.
- Not a web format — browsers support it but nobody serves BMPs over HTTP.
- No metadata support (no EXIF, no ICC profile in practice).
- Multiple header versions mean "a BMP" is ambiguous — parsers must handle several variants.
RAF Limitations
- X-Trans demosaicing is the hardest raw problem to solve cleanly.
- Third-party tools rarely match Fuji's own rendering.
- Proprietary with no official spec.
- GFX RAF files are massive (150+ MB per shot).
Technical Specifications
| Specification | BMP | RAF |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | image/bmp | image/x-fuji-raf |
| Extensions | .bmp, .dib | — |
| Compression | None (typical); RLE 4/8 bit (rare) | — |
| Color depths | 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 bits per pixel | — |
| Byte order | Little-endian | — |
| Extension | — | .raf |
| Container | — | Fujifilm proprietary TIFF-like |
| Sensor arrays | — | X-Trans (APS-C), Bayer (GFX medium-format) |
| Bit depth | — | 14-bit (X-series); 16-bit (GFX) |
Typical File Sizes
BMP
- Small icon (32×32) 4 KB
- Screenshot (1920×1080) ~6 MB
- 4K image (3840×2160) ~25 MB
- Scanned A4 at 300 dpi ~25 MB
RAF
- 26 MP RAF (X-T4, X-T5) 40-55 MB
- 40 MP RAF (X-H2, X-T5 40MP) 60-80 MB
- 102 MP RAF (GFX 100 II) 150-220 MB
Ready to convert?
Convert between BMP and RAF online, free, and without installing anything. Encrypted upload, automatic deletion after 60 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
BMP (Bitmap) is a raster image format developed by Microsoft for Windows. It stores images with no compression by default, resulting in large file sizes but pixel-perfect quality. It has been part of Windows since version 1.0.
BMP (Bitmap) is a raster image formato developed by Microsoft para Windows. It stores images com no compressão by default, resulting in large tamanho do arquivos mas pixel-perfect quality. It has been part of Windows since version 1.0.
BMP files open in Windows Paint, Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, and virtually any image viewer. All Windows applications support BMP natively.
BMP arquivos abrir in Windows Paint, Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, e virtually any image viewer. All Windows aplicativos support BMP natively.
PNG is better than BMP in almost every scenario since it provides lossless compression (smaller files), transparency support, and wider cross-platform use. BMP is mainly relevant for legacy Windows applications.
PNG is melhor que BMP in almost every scenario since it fornece sem perdas compressão (smaller files), transparência support, e wider cross-platform use. BMP is mainly relevant para legacy Windows aplicativos.