Convert Pentax PEF RAW photos from K-series DSLRs to JPG that opens on any device. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Drag & Drop your PEF file here
PEF files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,826,856+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Upload your PEF files
Drag in PEF photos from your Pentax's SD card or a photo backup. You can add a whole shoot at once.
02
Convert to JPG
Start the conversion. Each RAW file is developed with LibRaw, an open-source RAW decoder used by many photo apps, and saved as JPG.
03
Download the JPG files
Download each JPG as it finishes or the whole set as one ZIP. Your original PEF files stay untouched on your device.
PEF
PEF is Pentax's own RAW format, used by K-series DSLRs alongside the option to shoot DNG.
JPG
JPG is the most widely supported photo format, with lossy compression that keeps files small.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
Pentax Electronic File is the native RAW format of Pentax DSLRs such as the K-1, K-3, K-5 and KP, and of some Ricoh models. Many Pentax bodies let you choose PEF or DNG in the menu. PEF keeps the sensor data and the camera's settings, but Custom Image styles are applied only in the camera's JPEG.
TARGET
The format every phone, browser, printer kiosk and social site accepts. JPG compresses photos by discarding detail the eye is unlikely to notice, so a 24 MP picture fits in a few megabytes. It has no transparency and only 8 bits per color channel, and every re-save loses a little more quality.
| Feature | PEF | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Pentax (Ricoh) | Joint Photographic Experts Group |
| File extension | .pef | .jpg, .jpeg |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Color depth | 12 or 14-bit sensor data | 8-bit per channel |
| Best for | Editing with full exposure and color latitude | Photos for sharing, web and print |
| Opens in browsers and phones | No, needs RAW software | Yes, everywhere |
USE CASES
When a JPG works better than the original RAW file.
Share Pentax shots without extra software
Send JPGs from a K-70, KP or K-1 shoot without Digital Camera Utility.
Turn a RAW-only shoot into viewable files
Convert PEF files when the camera wasn't set to RAW+.
Post landscape and astro photos
Pentax bodies are popular for landscapes and Astrotracer shots. Share them as JPG.
Open an older K-series archive
PEF files from a K10D or K-5 become JPGs every device opens.
Print at a lab or kiosk
Labs need JPG. Convert just the frames you're printing.
Upload to forums and photo communities
Most photo communities, from Flickr groups to forums, take JPG uploads.
Preview without installing software
Look through a shoot on any computer, even one where you can't install apps.
Send photos to family
JPGs open in email, WhatsApp and phone galleries.
Add photos to a website
Upload JPGs to a portfolio, blog or online shop.
Make prints from Pixel Shift shots
Pentax Pixel Shift captures are stored as PEF too. Upload one and check how the merge looks in the JPG.
SUPPORTED FILES
PEF files from Pentax and some Ricoh cameras are supported.
K-1, K-1 II, K-3, K-3 II, K-5, K-7, K-30, K-50, K-70 and KP files convert directly. The K-3 Mark III may need the DNG workaround below.
*ist and K10D / K20D era PEF files convert too.
Many Pentax bodies can save DNG instead of PEF. Use our DNG to JPG converter for those.
Pixel Shift captures are stored as PEF. Upload them like any other file.
Add every PEF from a shoot and download the JPGs together as a ZIP.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Most differences come from how RAW files are developed.
01
The camera screen shows a JPEG made with your Custom Image setting. The JPG is developed without it, so tweak color and contrast in any photo editor if you want that look back.
02
RAW files are developed with neutral contrast so no highlight or shadow detail is thrown away. Add contrast or brightness in an editor, or edit the PEF in a RAW editor if you need precise control.
03
Edits live in your editor's catalog or an .xmp sidecar file, not in the PEF. Export from that editor to get the edited version.
04
Each new camera model tweaks its RAW data, and decoders need an update to read it. If a PEF from a very recent body fails, convert it to DNG with the free Adobe DNG Converter and use our DNG to JPG tool.
05
This usually means the PEF was cut off while copying from the card. Copy it again from the original card or backup. A file that opens as a tiny preview in other apps is often incomplete too.
06
Pixel Shift merges four exposures, so anything that moved during the shot can show artifacts. Pentax's own software can apply motion correction to those files.
Lightroom, Capture One, darktable and your camera maker's software are built for editing RAW photos one at a time. dragdropdo is built for turning PEF files into JPG quickly, from any device.
| What matters | dragdropdo | Desktop RAW Editors |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Usually a large download, plus importing photos into a catalog. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~Mostly desktop. Lightroom Mobile is the main exception. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Yes, through export presets once the photos are imported. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Free (darktable, RawTherapee, camera makers' tools) or paid (Lightroom subscription, Capture One). |
| Adjusting exposure and white balance | ✓Not in the converter. Each PEF is developed with standard settings. | ~Yes. Full control over every adjustment. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
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WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert PEF to JPG in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's PEF to JPG converter.
