Canon RAW (CR2)
.cr2 · image/x-canon-cr2 · 2004 · Canon
Canon DSLR RAW files. Convert to JPEG to share, keep the RAW as your negative. Below is what CR2 is best at, where it falls short, and how it compares — plus free, in-browser tools to convert CR2 to and from other formats, with nothing uploaded.
CR2 is the RAW format of Canon DSLRs (2004–2018 era; newer bodies use CR3). It stores unprocessed 14-bit sensor data — the digital negative. Browsers, offices and most apps cannot open it. EditItAll develops CR2 files in your browser and exports JPEG, PNG or WebP for sharing. For serious editing, use a RAW developer; for "I just need this photo as a JPEG", this does it without installing anything.
Compression
Lossless
Transparency
No
Animation
No
Browser display
None
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- Full 14-bit sensor data for editing latitude
- The archival original from your camera
Limitations
- Unviewable in normal software
- Huge files (20–40 MB)
- Requires development to look right
Best used for
- Canon DSLR originals
- Professional photo editing
Tools for CR2
Frequently asked questions
Is CR2 lossy or lossless?+
CR2 is lossless: it preserves every pixel exactly, with no quality loss.
Does CR2 support transparency?+
No — CR2 has no alpha channel, so transparent areas are flattened onto a solid background. It is a still-image format (no animation).
Can browsers open CR2 files directly?+
No — browsers can't display CR2 in a page. Convert it to JPG or PNG first, which you can do here with nothing uploaded.
How do I open or convert a CR2 file for free?+
Drop your CR2 file into the EditItAll converter and choose an output format — it decodes and re-encodes entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded, no account and no watermark. (There is no in-browser CR2 encoder, so you can convert CR2 to other formats but not save back to CR2.)