Free online PEF to WEBP converter

What the PEF format is

PEF means Pentax Electronic File and is a proprietary camera raw format used by many Pentax DSLR and mirrorless cameras. It stores sensor data with substantially more exposure and color information than a finished image, so it requires raw-processing software before it becomes a viewable standard image.

PEF files are created when a Pentax camera is set to a raw or raw-plus-JPEG capture mode. Applications such as darktable, RawTherapee, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Camera Raw can open them, although support depends on the camera model and software version.

What the WEBP format is

WEBP is an image format designed for efficient web delivery. It supports lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and metadata, and commonly produces smaller files than JPEG or PNG at comparable visual quality.

Choose WEBP for websites, browser-based applications, online galleries, and sharing where file size matters. It is not a raw format: the camera sensor data and most raw-editing flexibility are discarded when the PEF is rendered and exported.

How to convert PEF to WEBP

Using the 101convert online converter

1. Open the PEF-to-WEBP converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select or drag the .pef file into the upload area.
3. Choose WEBP as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting .webp file when processing finishes.

This option requires no installed software and is suitable when the PEF already contains a supported camera model. Keep the original PEF because the exported WEBP cannot restore raw exposure data or the original sensor information.

Using darktable on a computer

1. Install a current version of darktable and open the PEF in the lighttable or darkroom view.
2. Adjust exposure, white balance, sharpening, and other raw-processing settings as needed.
3. Open the export controls, set the file format to WebP, and choose an output folder.
4. Set a quality value for lossy output, or select lossless WebP when preserving pixel data is more important than file size.
5. Export the image.

The exact control labels can vary by darktable version, but the export panel is the relevant location; do not simply rename .pef to .webp, because changing an extension does not convert the encoded data.

Quality and compatibility

PEF conversion involves two operations: demosaicing the raw sensor data and encoding the rendered image as WEBP. Exposure, white balance, color profile, and sharpening settings therefore affect the result before WEBP compression is applied.

Use lossy WEBP for web images and previews; a quality setting around 80–90 is a practical starting point, but inspect fine detail and artifacts at the intended display size. Use lossless WEBP for graphics or archival derivatives where pixel preservation matters, but retain the original PEF as the actual archival master.

Modern browsers generally support WEBP, but older applications may not. If a recipient cannot open WEBP, export JPEG instead. Very large PEF files may take longer to upload and process, and private or sensitive photographs should only be uploaded when the service's handling and retention terms are acceptable.