database binary column is returned as string type

How can I get a database query reading a varbinary field to return a binary type?

It is currently returning it as a String type, without any casting on my part.

I am using a Database Reader node, reading a varbinary field from a SQL Server with

  select  binary_field from image_table

I have tried adapting the image example, 01_Data_Access/03_Dattabases/03_Read_and_Write_PNG_Images_in_Databases, pointing it to our SQL server, and the Database Table Selector output gives a String.

I'm using the Microsoft JDBC Driver 4.2 for SQL  Server\sqljdbc_4.2\enu\sqljdbc4.jar

David