IIQ to PFM Converter

IIQ to PFM — convert online in seconds

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High-Resolution Preserved

Phase One IIQ captures can exceed 150MP. Conversion maintains the full resolution and dynamic range of your medium format shots.

Secure Studio Workflow

Phase One IIQ files are deleted after processing. Converted outputs are automatically cleaned up within 24 hours for safety.

No Capture One Needed

Convert IIQ files directly in your browser. No Phase One software or RAW plugins required — just upload and download.

How to convert IIQ to PFM

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose pfm or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your pfm file right afterwards

About formats

IIQ (Intelligent Image Quality) is the proprietary RAW format developed by Phase One, a Danish manufacturer of medium-format digital camera systems and backs, introduced in 2008 with the P65+ digital back. IIQ files capture the unprocessed readout from Phase One's large-area CCD and CMOS sensors — ranging from 40 to 151 megapixels in current systems — at 16 bits per channel, preserving the full dynamic range, color depth, and spatial resolution of the sensor. The format comes in two variants: IIQ Large (IIQ L), which uses lossless compression for zero-quality-loss archival, and IIQ Small (IIQ S), which applies visually lossless compression to reduce file sizes by approximately 40-60% with negligible quality impact. Phase One's sensor calibration data, including per-pixel defect maps, fixed-pattern noise profiles, and factory color calibration, is embedded in the IIQ file, enabling precise correction during RAW development. One advantage is sheer resolving power and tonal depth: IIQ files from Phase One's flagship systems deliver the highest pixel counts and widest dynamic range available in commercial photography, making them the standard format for museum digitization, fine art reproduction, aerial surveying, and commercial advertising where maximum detail is non-negotiable. Tight integration with Capture One is another key strength — Phase One develops both the camera hardware and the RAW processing software, ensuring that IIQ files receive optimized demosaicing, color rendering, and lens correction tuned to each specific camera-lens combination.
Developer: Phase One
Initial release: 2008
PFM (Portable Float Map) is a floating-point raster image format devised by Paul Debevec around 2001, designed to store high-dynamic-range image data with the simplicity of the Netpbm family of formats. PFM extends the PBM/PGM/PPM philosophy — minimal header, raw data, no compression — to 32-bit IEEE floating-point samples, providing direct access to HDR pixel values without the encoding overhead of formats like OpenEXR or the limited range of Radiance HDR's RGBE encoding. The file structure is deliberately minimal: a two-character magic number ('Pf' for grayscale, 'PF' for color), width and height on the next line, a scale/endianness indicator (negative for little-endian, positive for big-endian, with magnitude indicating scale factor), and then the raw 32-bit float data for each pixel. PFM files store one float per pixel for grayscale or three floats (RGB) per pixel for color, with no compression, alpha channel, or metadata support. The format emerged from the HDR imaging research community where Debevec's work on image-based lighting and light stage capture required a simple, unambiguous way to store linear floating-point radiance values that could be easily exchanged between research tools. One advantage is absolute simplicity for HDR data: PFM can be read and written in a few lines of code in any language that supports IEEE floats, with no library dependencies — ideal for research prototyping and quick data exchange between custom tools. The format's widespread adoption in the computer vision and computational photography research community is another practical strength — optical flow benchmarks (Middlebury), depth estimation datasets, and radiance field captures commonly use PFM. The format is supported by ImageMagick, OpenCV, HDR Shop, and Luminance HDR.
Developer: Paul Debevec
Initial release: 2001

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert IIQ to PFM?

IIQ is a professional medium format RAW that few tools outside Capture One support. Converting to PFM makes your photos universally accessible.

What opens PFM?

HDR imaging tools, GIMP, Luminance HDR, and scientific visualization software open PFM files.

Does conversion lose image quality?

Some quality depends on the target format. PFM uses floating point HDR encoding, so results reflect the characteristics of PFM output.

Is IIQ to PFM conversion fast?

Most IIQ to PFM conversions complete in seconds. Upload your image, and the result is ready almost immediately for download.

Is it free to convert IIQ to PFM?

Basic IIQ to PFM conversions are free. Paid plans unlock priority processing and expanded capabilities for heavy users.