What is a CR2 file?

CR2 — Canon RAW

What is it?

CR2 is Canon's RAW format: the raw sensor data, captured exactly as recorded, without the processing the camera normally applies to produce a JPEG.

Technically, a CR2 file builds on the TIFF structure, within which Canon embeds its own data alongside a preview thumbnail — it's this thumbnail that your file browser displays.

History & origin

Canon introduced CR2 in 2004 with the EOS-1D Mark II, replacing the older CRW format. It went on to power the entire DSLR lineup for nearly fifteen years.

Since 2018, with the arrival of the EOS R mirrorless cameras, Canon has shifted to the more compact CR3. CR2 files nonetheless remain widespread across countless photo libraries.

Why it is useful

The full latitude of RAW: highlight recovery, after-the-fact white balance correction, 14-bit depth.

It's fully supported by every serious editing application, including open-source ones.

Limits & drawbacks

Large, proprietary, and unreadable as-is by most consumer applications and websites.

It's a working format, not one meant for sharing: no one wants to receive a CR2 by email.

Practical tips

Process your CR2 files, then export to JPEG for sharing and TIFF for printing. Keep the originals: they hold everything the JPEG discarded.

If you just need to pull a viewable image out of a CR2, converting to JPEG or PNG will do — but you'll lose the ability to fine-tune it further.

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