File format · RAW

.CR2 — Canon CR2

Canon's TIFF-based RAW format used by EOS DSLRs from 2004 to 2018.

.cr2
File extension
RAW
Type
12–14-bit
Bit depth
2004
Introduced
R/W
ExifTool support (R/W/C)

What is a .cr2 file?#

Canon's TIFF-based RAW format used by EOS DSLRs from 2004 to 2018.

Made by: Canon.

Advantages#

  • Universally supported

Drawbacks#

  • Large files

How to open and convert it#

Open & edit: Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, darktable and RawTherapee (free), or the manufacturer's own free software. Windows and macOS preview most RAW formats natively after updates.

Convert: Adobe DNG Converter (free) turns proprietary RAW into DNG; any RAW editor exports JPEG or 16-bit TIFF.

See all Canon cameras.

Read metadata: exiftool file.cr2 — see the EXIF tag reference.

Best for: Canon DSLRs.

Other RAW formats#

.3fr.arq.arw.cr3.crm.cs1.czi.dcr.dng.erf.fff.gpr.iiq.k25.kdc.mef.mos.mrw.nef.nrw.pef.r3d.raf.raw

Frequently asked questions#

What opens .cr2 files?

Open & edit: Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, darktable and RawTherapee (free), or the manufacturer's own free software. Windows and macOS preview most RAW formats natively after updates.

Convert: Adobe DNG Converter (free) turns proprietary RAW into DNG; any RAW editor exports JPEG or 16-bit TIFF.

See all Canon cameras.

Is .cr2 a RAW file?

Yes — it stores minimally processed sensor data from Canon cameras.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources