About CR2 (Canon RAW v2)
CR2 is the RAW format Canon used in its EOS cameras from roughly 2004 to 2018 — DSLRs like the 5D series, the 7D, the 80D, and the Rebel line all produce it. The format is built on the TIFF container and stores the sensor's raw readout at 12 or 14 bits per channel, before white balance, sharpening, or color processing gets baked in.
That unprocessed data is the whole point: a CR2 gives you enormous flexibility when editing exposure and color. It is also why the files are big and why almost nothing outside of photo software can open them. If you need to email a shot, post it, or view it on a device without RAW support, you convert it first.
This site converts CR2 to standard formats in your browser — nothing is uploaded, and it is free. It does not write CR2, since only a Canon sensor can genuinely produce one. Conversion uses a neutral rendering, so the output may look flatter or slightly different in color than what Canon's own software would give you.
Strengths
- Lossless — nothing the sensor captured is thrown away
- Full 12- or 14-bit data with far more editing headroom than JPEG
- Extensively supported by photo editors and RAW processors after two decades in circulation
Limitations
- Large files — often 20-40 MB per shot from later cameras
- Cannot be displayed by most browsers, phones, or messaging apps without conversion
- Convert-from only: this site reads CR2 but cannot create it
- The neutral rendering here may not match the colors Canon's Digital Photo Professional produces