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Image Format

CR2

Canon RAW Version 2

CR2 is Canon's proprietary RAW format used by Canon DSLR cameras from the EOS Rebel to the professional EOS 5D series. Like all RAW formats, CR2 captures the full unprocessed data from the camera sensor — giving photographers far more editing latitude than an in-camera JPEG would allow. To share or upload CR2 photos, you need to convert them to JPG, PNG, or another web-compatible format.

What is CR2?

CR2 stands for Canon RAW Version 2. Canon introduced CR2 in 2004 alongside the EOS-1D Mark II, replacing the earlier CR1/CRW formats used on older Canon cameras. It became the standard RAW format for the entire Canon DSLR line — from entry-level Rebels to the professional 5D, 7D, and 1D series — and remained in use until approximately 2018, when Canon introduced CR3 alongside the EOS R mirrorless line. Technically, CR2 is built on the TIFF 6.0 container format with Canon-proprietary extensions for sensor metadata, lens correction profiles, and camera-specific processing parameters. The file stores the raw 14-bit output from the camera sensor, which represents 16,384 tonal steps per colour channel — compared to just 256 steps in an 8-bit JPEG. This difference is what allows photographers to recover detail from blown highlights and crushed shadows in post-processing: the data is there in the RAW file, even if the in-camera JPEG would show it as pure white or pure black. A typical CR2 file from a 20 megapixel Canon DSLR is 20–30 MB. A continuous burst of 10 frames fills roughly 250 MB of memory card — which is why photographers shooting sport and news often shoot JPEG for the card space and buffer speed, reserving RAW for situations where image quality and editing flexibility matter more than speed. Canon's own free software for CR2 is Digital Photo Professional (DPP), which is bundled with all Canon cameras and available as a free download. DPP applies Canon's own colour science and lens profiles, which sometimes produces better results for Canon files than third-party RAW editors. Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, and darktable all support CR2 from virtually all Canon DSLR models. In 2018, Canon introduced CR3 — a new RAW format based on ISOBMFF (the same container format as MP4) — for the EOS R mirrorless camera. Newer Canon cameras (EOS R5, R6, R3, and recent DSLRs) use CR3 instead of CR2. If you have a Canon camera from 2018 or later, check whether your files are .cr2 or .cr3 — they require different software versions to open. Browser support: Chrome, Edge, and Safari can decode CR2 natively on Windows and macOS. Firefox does not support CR2 — it will show a broken image placeholder.

CR2 pros and cons

Advantages

  • Full sensor data — maximum editing latitude for Canon DSLR photography
  • 14-bit colour depth — 16,384 tonal steps vs 256 in JPEG
  • Non-destructive — all edits are stored as instructions; original CR2 is never modified
  • Supported by Canon DPP (free), Lightroom, Capture One, and darktable
  • Consistent format across Canon DSLR line — same structure from Rebel to 5D

Limitations

  • Large files — 20–30 MB each, roughly 5–8× larger than in-camera JPEG
  • Cannot be shared or uploaded directly — must be exported to JPG or PNG first
  • Requires software to open — no native viewer on Windows without additional codec
  • Firefox does not decode CR2 natively — browser preview is broken in Firefox
  • CR2 is deprecated — newer Canon mirrorless cameras use CR3 instead

When should you convert CR2 files?

Convert CR2 to JPG when you need to share, upload, email, or print photos without a RAW editor. For maximum quality output, open in Lightroom or Canon DPP, apply your edits, then export to JPG. For quick conversion without editing, FormatDrop converts CR2 to JPG or PNG in your browser using Chrome or Safari — no software installation needed.

Convert CR2 files

CR2→JPG
CR2→PNG

All FormatDrop conversions run entirely in your browser — no file upload, no server processing. Your files stay on your device.

CR2 FAQ

What's the difference between CR2 and CR3?
CR2 is Canon's TIFF-based RAW format, used in Canon DSLRs from 2004 to approximately 2018. CR3 is Canon's newer RAW format, based on ISOBMFF (ISO Base Media File Format — the same container as MP4), introduced with the EOS R mirrorless line in 2018. CR3 files are not backward-compatible with CR2 software: older versions of Lightroom and Capture One that support CR2 may not support CR3 from newer cameras. If your files are .cr3, make sure your software is updated to a version that supports your specific camera model.
How do I open CR2 files on Windows?
Several options: (1) Install the 'Raw Image Extension' from the Microsoft Store (free) — adds CR2 thumbnail previews in File Explorer and viewing support in the Photos app. (2) Download Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) from Canon's support site — free, designed for Canon RAW files, applies Canon colour profiles. (3) Use Adobe Lightroom (paid) for professional editing. (4) darktable (free, open-source) supports CR2 from virtually all Canon cameras. For quick conversion to JPG without any software, use FormatDrop in Chrome or Edge.
Is it better to shoot CR2 or JPEG on my Canon camera?
CR2 for any shot you care about editing later — portraits, landscapes, important events. You get full editing latitude for exposure, colour, and detail recovery. JPEG for high-speed continuous shooting (sports, wildlife) where you need the faster buffer and smaller file sizes, or when you need images ready to share immediately. Many Canon cameras support RAW+JPEG — saving both simultaneously — giving you an edit-ready CR2 and an immediately shareable JPEG in one burst.
Why does my CR2 file look different in different apps?
CR2 files contain the raw sensor data without any applied processing. Different RAW editors apply different colour profiles, sharpening, noise reduction, and lens corrections when rendering the file to a preview. Canon DPP uses Canon's own colour science, which matches the camera's in-body JPEG most closely. Lightroom and Capture One use their own colour profiles, which many photographers prefer for editing. The underlying image data is identical — only the rendering differs.

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HEICWebPAVIFEPUBWebMOpusMP3WAVM4AFLACAACMP4AVIMKVMOVJPGPNGGIFSVGTIFFICOBMPEPSARWDNGJFIFWMAAIFFOGGWMVPPTXPagesPDFDOCXRAWHEVCH.264M4V3GPRTFPSDOGVTSFLVAIXLSXCSVZIPAPNGMIDIJPEG XLMPG/MPEGVOBM2TSAC3ALACDTSJP2HEIFAPECBZ3G2SRTDOCPPTXLSODTODSM3URAR7ZM4BAMRTXTMOBITARGZJSONXMLYAMLKEYMTSNEFMXFTGACAFASSVTTDSFRMF4VWVASFRMVBORFRW2EAC-3TTAISODMGXZDjVuFB2AUM4RAZW3MKAEXRVCFICSAAXPRCMP2SPXXSPFM3U8