Hasselblad 3FR MIME Type
image/x-hasselblad-3fr identifies, how Hasselblad 3FR raw photos work, which applications open them, and how Poly supports them. MIME type details for image/x-hasselblad-3fr
In active use| MIME type | image/x-hasselblad-3fr |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .3fr |
| Magic number | 49 49 2A 00 |
| First standardized | 2006 |
| Created by | Hasselblad |
| Browser support | |
| Example applications | Hasselblad Phocus, Adobe Camera Raw |
| Poly support | Yes. Poly organizes Hasselblad 3FR photos with thumbnails, previews, available camera metadata, visual search, and agent understanding. |
| Indexed by Poly | Yes. 3FR photos are searchable by name, available camera metadata, color, and visual similarity. |
| Preview in Poly | Yes. 3FR photos open in Poly's image viewer, with fast thumbnails throughout the app. |
| Poly agent | Yes. The Poly agent can view and reason about the photo's visible content. |
What does image/x-hasselblad-3fr mean?
The image/x-hasselblad-3fr media type identifies Hasselblad 3FR raw photographs, normally stored with the .3fr extension. A 3FR preserves the camera's raw image data and technical information so raw-processing software can decide how to render color, white balance, exposure, noise reduction, sharpening, and lens corrections. Hasselblad describes 3FR as the native raw file made by its cameras.1
image/x-hasselblad-3fr is a conventional identifier, not an IANA-registered media type. It does not appear in IANA's current image registry.2 The x- name is useful for local classification and software dispatch, but it does not point to a published Internet standard.
How is a 3FR file identified?
3FR is based on the little-endian TIFF structure. Files commonly start with these four bytes:
49 49 2A 00
That header is not unique to 3FR. Ordinary little-endian TIFF files and several other camera-raw formats begin the same way. The UK National Archives' PRONOM signature therefore also checks for a TIFF camera-make tag followed by the ASCII text Hasselblad; a second identifying byte sequence may occur within the first 2,048 bytes.3
A 3FR can also contain camera-generated previews and Exif-style metadata alongside the raw sensor payload. This explains why a file browser may show the photograph quickly without performing a full raw development. The preview is a finished interpretation of the capture, while a raw processor uses the sensor data and camera-specific information to make a new rendering.
49 49 2A 00 alone. Check the .3fr extension and Hasselblad metadata too. Renaming a TIFF or JPEG does not turn it into a raw capture.When did Hasselblad introduce 3FR?
Hasselblad documented 3FR with the H2D generation by 2006. Its H2, CFH, and H2D manual says the H2D produces both 3F and 3FR raw files.4 The format remains active: current Hasselblad cameras and software continue to work with .3fr captures.5
Hasselblad's two similar names describe different workflow stages:
| Format | Usual extension | Role in the classic Phocus workflow |
|---|---|---|
| 3FR | .3fr | Native raw capture written by the camera |
| 3F / FFF | .fff | Processed Hasselblad raw file that can retain Phocus adjustments and metadata |
Historically, importing a 3FR into Phocus produced a 3F file after camera-specific corrections. Current Phocus can also edit 3FR directly and can preserve 3FR as the raw import format.15 The formats are related, but changing .3fr to .fff does not perform that processing.
How to open a .3fr file
Use a raw editor that supports the exact camera model:
- Hasselblad Phocus is the manufacturer's free raw-processing application and offers direct 3FR editing.5
- Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom support a long list of Hasselblad cameras that write 3FR. Adobe publishes the minimum plug-in and application version for each model.6
- Apple Photos and Preview-based workflows can use system raw processing for the Hasselblad models listed by Apple.7
- Capture One added native 3FR development for selected 100-megapixel Hasselblad models in 2026. Check the supported-model list rather than assuming every 3FR is covered.8
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Safari do not natively develop 3FR as a web image. MDN's browser image-format guide does not include 3FR among supported web formats.9 For a website, export a JPEG, WebP, AVIF, or PNG derivative and keep the 3FR as a downloadable master.
Support in Poly
Poly makes 3FR captures useful alongside the rest of a photo library:
- Thumbnails and an in-app image preview make the photograph easy to browse.
- Filename, available camera metadata, color, and visual similarity make it easier to find.
- The Poly agent can inspect and reason about the visible photograph.
The preview is intended for browsing and visual understanding. Use Phocus or another compatible raw editor when you need to develop the sensor data, recover highlights, choose white balance, or apply Hasselblad-specific color and lens corrections. Words photographed inside a 3FR are not indexed as text.
Converting 3FR for sharing or editing
Raw conversion renders one interpretation of the capture. Choose the destination according to what happens next:
| Destination | Best for | Important tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Email, galleries, and broad compatibility | Lossy and usually 8-bit; much of the raw editing latitude is gone |
| TIFF | High-quality interchange and further editing | Large; stores a rendered image rather than the original sensor workflow |
| DNG | A raw-oriented workflow in compatible software | Changes the container, so camera-specific behavior should be tested |
| PNG | Lossless sharing of a finished rendering | Does not preserve the original raw-development flexibility |
Hasselblad Phocus can export developed files to common formats, including JPEG and TIFF.1 Keep the original 3FR after export. A rendered derivative cannot recreate all of the original sensor measurements or benefit from future raw-processing improvements.
3FR files may contain capture time, camera and lens details, serial identifiers, copyright information, and other metadata. Review both the original and exported file before public sharing because an export may preserve more metadata than expected.
Is 3FR the same as DNG?
No. Both can carry raw image data, but 3FR is Hasselblad's camera-native format while DNG is Adobe's documented raw container.
| Property | 3FR | DNG |
|---|---|---|
| Usual extension | .3fr | .dng |
| Format owner | Hasselblad | Adobe |
| Typical source | Hasselblad camera capture | Camera capture or converted raw file |
| Browser display | Requires application support or conversion | Requires application support or conversion |
| Best archival practice | Keep the camera original | Keep the source 3FR too if converted |
Converting to DNG may improve compatibility in a particular workflow, but it is not merely a rename. Validate a representative set of files and preserve the 3FR masters before adopting a bulk conversion.
Footnotes
- Hasselblad. Phocus User Guide. Describes 3FR as the camera-native raw file, distinguishes it from 3F, and documents common export formats. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
- Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Media Types Registry. The image registry contains no
image/x-hasselblad-3frentry. ↩ - The National Archives (UK). PRONOM: Hasselblad 3FR Raw Image, fmt/1062. Documents the TIFF-based identifying byte sequences and
.3frextension. ↩ - Hasselblad. H2, CFH, and H2D User Manual. The 2006 manual identifies 3F and 3FR as H2D raw formats. ↩
- Hasselblad. Phocus for PC/Mac. Documents direct 3FR editing and the choice of FFF or 3FR during raw import. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
- Adobe. Cameras Supported by Camera Raw. Lists 3FR camera models and minimum Camera Raw and Lightroom versions. ↩
- Apple Support. Digital Camera RAW Formats Supported by Apple Operating Systems. Lists currently supported Hasselblad camera models. ↩
- Hasselblad. Hasselblad and Capture One Partner to Bring Native Hasselblad RAW Support. Lists the initially supported models and software versions. ↩
- MDN Web Docs. Image File Type and Format Guide. ↩