CR2 to MP4 Converter
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Supports: CR2
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Need help?Convert CR2 to MP4
A CR2 is a Canon RAW still — undeveloped sensor data, not a finished picture — while MP4 is a video container that plays on almost any device. This converter demosaics your CR2 into a viewable frame and wraps it in an MP4: one photo held on screen as a static clip, or a whole folder of CR2s merged into a single slideshow or timelapse. It renders the frame as-shot and does not fabricate camera motion or recover RAW latitude, so treat the MP4 as a delivery copy and keep the original CR2 for editing.
CR2 Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Canon Raw version 2 (.cr2) |
| Basis | TIFF structure with lossless JPEG (ITU-T81) raw payload |
| Introduced | 2005 |
| Used by | Canon EOS DSLR and mirrorless bodies, ~2005 until CR3 in 2018 |
| Type | RAW still — sensor data awaiting demosaic, not a viewable image |
| Bit depth | 12- or 14-bit per channel |
| Also contains | Embedded JPEG previews and EXIF metadata |
| Successor | CR3 (Canon Raw v3, .cr3, ISO-base-media container, 2018) |
| Plays as video | No — must be developed first |
MP4 Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Part 14 (.mp4) |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 14496-14, first published 2003 |
| Type | Video container |
| Default video codec here | H.264 (AVC) |
| Bit depth | 8-bit per channel (H.264 High profile default) |
| Audio | None — image-to-video output is silent |
| Motion | Only what you build (hold a still, or sequence frames) |
| Native playback | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari 14.1+, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Slideshows, timelapses, and delivering a photo to video-only platforms |
How to Convert CR2 to MP4
- Upload Your CR2 Files: Drag and drop your
.cr2onto the page or click "+ Add Files." Queue a single photo, or a whole sequence for a slideshow or timelapse. - Choose a Merge Strategy: "Merge images" combines every uploaded CR2 into one video; "Video per image" outputs a separate clip for each file.
- Set Duration and Background Color: "Duration" (default 5 seconds per frame) sets how long each photo holds — short values like 1/24s build a timelapse, several seconds make a slideshow; "Background Color" (default White) fills any letterbox bars.
- Pick Quality Preset and Convert: Choose a "Quality Preset" (default Very High) and click Convert. No sign-up, no watermark; files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a CR2 file the same as a CR3 file?
No. CR2 (Canon Raw v2) is the TIFF-based RAW format Canon shipped from about 2005 until 2018; CR3 (Canon Raw v3, .cr3) replaced it on newer bodies and uses a different ISO-base-media container with Canon's "crx" codec. This tool reads CR2. If your camera writes .cr3 instead, use CR3 to MP4 — check the file extension if you're unsure which one you have.
Why does my CR2-to-MP4 video look frozen instead of moving?
Because a single CR2 is one still photograph, and the converter holds that frame on screen for the duration you set (5 seconds by default) rather than inventing motion. That is expected for a one-file conversion. To get movement, upload a sequence of CR2 frames and pick "Merge images," or add pan-and-zoom in a video editor after export.
Can I turn a sequence of CR2 photos into a timelapse or slideshow?
Yes — this is the main multi-file use case. Upload your CR2 sequence, choose "Merge images," and use "Duration" to control pacing: a fraction like 1/24s per frame produces a smooth 24 fps timelapse, while 3-5 seconds per frame gives a slideshow. Because 24 frames held at 1/24s each equals one second of footage, 240 sequential CR2s at 1/24s render to roughly a 10-second clip.
Will converting to MP4 keep my Canon RAW editing latitude?
No. A CR2 carries 12- or 14-bit sensor data with wide room to recover highlights, shadows, and white balance. Wrapping it into an MP4 demosaics and bakes the image to 8-bit under the H.264 codec, so that headroom is gone in the output. Grade the shot first, or keep the CR2 and treat the MP4 purely as a delivery file.
Does the MP4 use the photo's as-shot colors, or can I recover exposure and white balance here?
It renders the frame as-shot — the converter develops the CR2 to a viewable image using its recorded settings and does not expose exposure, white-balance, or tone controls. This matches how our other RAW tools (DNG, ARW) behave: honest development, no hidden grading. If you need to adjust the look, do it in a RAW editor before converting, or export a still with CR2 to JPG and edit that.
What resolution and aspect ratio should I pick for a Canon photo?
Most Canon full-frame and APS-C stills are 3:2, while 1920x1080 video is 16:9, so a full photo dropped into a 1080p frame gains letterbox bars filled with your chosen Background Color. In our testing, a 3:2 Canon still forced to 1920x1080 gained thin letterbox bars top and bottom; choosing "Keep original" resolution — or scaling by width with aspect ratio locked — kept the frame edge to edge.
Does the output MP4 have any audio?
No. This is an image-to-video conversion, so there is no source audio and the MP4 is rendered silent; the audio-codec option stays hidden for this path. If you want music or narration over a slideshow, add the audio track in a video editor after downloading, or mux a separate audio file in afterward.
Is the conversion private, and is there a file size limit?
Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared or made public. CR2 files are large (often 20-40 MB each), so for a long sequence the practical limit you hit is total upload size and connection speed rather than any per-image dimension.