How to convert CR2 to JPG
Add your CR2 file
Drag it onto the box above, or tap Choose RAW file and pick it from your device. The converter looks inside the file for the JPG your camera saved.
Check the picture
The camera JPG appears at once, with its size in pixels. Switch to Develop RAW data if you want to process the sensor data yourself.
Download
Press Download JPG. The file is saved with your RAW file's name, ready to share or edit.
About CR2 files and this converter
CR2 is the RAW format of Canon's EOS DSLRs and many Canon compacts from before the switch to CR3. Each file holds the sensor data and a JPG preview rendered by the camera.
In our test with a 22-megapixel Canon 5D Mark III file, the embedded JPG was the full 5760 × 3840 pixels, so converting CR2 to JPG here gives you a full-resolution picture with Canon's own colours. CR2 files that use the standard lossless compression can also be developed from the sensor data. The smaller sRAW and mRAW variants can't be developed here, but their camera JPG still works.
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Camera JPG | Extracted without recompression, usually large. |
| Develop RAW data | Works for full-size lossless CR2; sRAW and mRAW use the camera JPG. |
| Colour | Camera JPG: Canon's colours. Developed: neutral, flatter. |
| Metadata | The extracted JPG keeps the camera's own EXIF. |
Camera JPG or Develop RAW data?
Camera JPG is the quickest route and keeps the colours your camera chose. It is extracted exactly as it was stored, so there is no extra quality loss. Develop RAW data processes the sensor data from scratch with neutral settings: as-shot white balance, no camera look and no sharpening. The result is flatter, with more room to brighten, and it is the right choice when the camera JPG is smaller than you need.
For real editing of a RAW file, with curves, masks and layers, open it in PhotoRiya. Other conversions: the PSD to PNG converter and the RGB to CMYK converter.
Questions people ask
How do I convert a CR2 file to JPG?
Drop your CR2 file onto the converter above. It finds the full-size JPG your camera saved inside the file and shows it straight away. Press Download JPG to save it. No Lightroom, Photoshop or camera software is needed.
Is my CR2 file uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read and converted inside your browser tab, on your own device, and nothing is sent anywhere. That makes it safe for client shoots and unreleased work, and it works on large files without waiting for an upload.
Can I develop a CR2 file instead of using the camera JPG?
Yes, if it uses the standard full-size format. Choose Develop RAW data. If your file is an sRAW or mRAW, the converter tells you and shows the camera JPG instead.
Which Canon cameras use CR2?
Most Canon EOS DSLRs and many compact cameras made before the CR3 format. Newer mirrorless cameras use CR3, which has its own CR3 to JPG converter.
Why is the JPG smaller than my camera's resolution?
The size of the JPG inside a RAW file depends on the camera and its settings. Many cameras store a full-size JPG, others only a medium one. The converter always uses the largest JPG it finds in the file and tells you its size before you download.
What's the difference between Camera JPG and Develop RAW data?
Camera JPG is the picture your camera itself rendered, with its colours, white balance and sharpening, saved exactly as stored. Develop RAW data processes the sensor data from scratch with neutral settings, which gives you a flatter picture you can brighten with the Exposure slider. It only works for RAW variants that can be developed here.
Does converting CR2 to JPG lose quality?
The camera JPG is extracted without recompressing it, so it's exactly the JPG the camera made. A JPG holds 8 bits per colour instead of the 12 to 14 bits in a RAW file, so keep your original RAW file if you may want to edit the exposure and colour later.
What is the largest CR2 file I can convert?
Files up to 400 MB. A browser tab has limited memory, so very large files work best on a computer rather than a phone.
More free tools
- CR3 to JPG converter for Canon RAW photosConvert Canon CR3 RAW photos to JPG without Canon software.
- RAW to JPG converter for every cameraConvert RAW photos (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, RAF and more) to JPG without Lightroom.
- DNG to JPG converter with calibrated colourConvert DNG RAW files to JPG, PNG or WebP, with calibrated colour when developed.