RAW to TAR.XZ Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Produce a TAR.XZ for the smallest possible release artifact, or to match the format a build system expects. If your files are still in RAW format, this page is the shortcut: RAW is the unprocessed sensor data from cameras — Canon CR2/CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Adobe DNG and friends. It holds maximum quality, but needs demosaicing before any normal app can show it.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How RAW compares to TAR.XZ
| RAW | TAR.XZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless or lossy, per vendor | XZ / LZMA2 |
| Best for | Photography masters and retouching | Source releases, Linux packages |
How to convert RAW to TAR.XZ
- 1
Select your files
Select your RAW file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR.XZ container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR.XZ archive.
About the RAW format
RAW is not one format but a family: each camera maker packages the sensor's barely-processed readout differently — Canon CR2/CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Panasonic RW2, plus Adobe's open DNG attempt at standardization. Instead of finished pixels you get 12- or 14-bit linear data straight off the sensor, which is why every RAW must be demosaiced and rendered before any ordinary app can show it.
The payoff is latitude. Because white balance, sharpening and tone curve were never baked in, a RAW file tolerates several stops of exposure correction that would destroy a JPG. The cost is workflow: files run 20–100 MB, every vendor's flavor needs its own decoder, and sharing means exporting a finished JPG or PNG.
+Strengths
- ✓Maximum editing latitude — exposure and color can be re-decided later
- ✓12/14-bit depth avoids banding in shadows and skies
- ✓The archival master of digital photography
!Limitations
- −Unviewable without demosaicing — normal apps show nothing
- −Every camera vendor uses a different container
- −Large files (20–100 MB+)
About the TAR.XZ format
TAR.XZ pairs the tar container with XZ (LZMA2) compression — the highest-ratio member of the tar family and the de-facto release format of modern Linux distributions. The same source tree that lands 5% smaller than TAR.BZ2 and 20% smaller than TAR.GZ is why kernel.org and GNU mirrors standardised on it.
The trade is CPU time: XZ compresses slow (dictionary sizes up to 64 MB) but decompresses fast, which makes it ideal for one-time releases that get downloaded millions of times. When you need speed instead, TAR.GZ or TAR.ZSTD are the neighbouring picks.
+Strengths
- ✓Best compression ratio of the tar family
- ✓Standard release artifact of Linux distros
- ✓Fast decompression despite slow compression
!Limitations
- −Compression is CPU-heavy and single-threaded by default
- −Larger toolchain footprint than gzip on tiny systems
Why convert RAW to TAR.XZ?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Unviewable without demosaicing — normal apps show nothing TAR.XZ works differently: Best compression ratio of the tar family If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this RAW to TAR.XZ converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting RAW to TAR.XZ?
No — TAR.XZ is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original RAW file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your RAW files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.
Can I convert several RAW files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.