CR2 to PNG Converter

Convert CR2 to PNG Online

CR2 is Canon's RAW format — unprocessed 14-bit sensor data that most software can't open without Canon's tools or a RAW editor. Converting to PNG demosaics that sensor data into a standard, lossless image that opens in any browser, viewer, or editor, with full transparency support and no JPG compression artifacts. One honest caveat up front: PNG stores the rendered photo losslessly, but it cannot carry the RAW's recoverable highlight and shadow latitude — so make your exposure and white-balance edits on the CR2 first, then export to PNG as the finished result.

How to Convert CR2 to PNG

1. Upload Your CR2 File: Drag and drop your .cr2 files onto the page or click "Add Files." You can queue several Canon shots at once.
2. Set the Image Resolution: Leave "Keep original" for full sensor resolution, or use "Preset Resolutions" / "Width x Height" to scale a 24+ megapixel RAW down to a manageable size before download.
3. Tune Colors (Optional): PNG is lossless by default; for a smaller file you can reduce the palette under "Colors," though full-color photos should keep the default for true 24-bit output.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and save your PNG. No sign-up, no watermark.

CR2 vs PNG — What Changes in the Conversion

If you want a smaller shareable file and don't need transparency, CR2 to JPG is the lighter option; if you need a 16-bit editable archive, CR2 to TIFF preserves more headroom than PNG at a larger size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will converting CR2 to PNG lose image quality?

The PNG itself is lossless — it stores the demosaiced image with no compression artifacts, unlike JPG. What you lose is RAW editing latitude: the conversion interprets the 14-bit sensor data into a fixed RGB image, so you can no longer recover blown highlights or lift deep shadows the way you could on the original CR2. Edit the RAW first in a tool like RawTherapee or darktable (both free and open source), then export to PNG.

Should I output 8-bit or 16-bit PNG?

PNG supports both 8 and 16 bits per channel. 8-bit (24-bit color) is correct for sharing, web use, and anything that will be viewed as-is — it's smaller and universally compatible. Choose 16-bit only if you plan to do further tonal editing in an app like Photoshop or GIMP and want to minimize banding; the file will be noticeably larger.

Why is my PNG so much bigger than a JPG of the same photo?

Because PNG is lossless. A demosaiced 24-megapixel Canon photo holds an enormous amount of unique detail, and lossless compression can only do so much with that — expect tens of megabytes. JPG discards perceptually invisible data to shrink the same image to a few megabytes. Use PNG when you need exact pixels or transparency; use JPG when file size matters more than perfection.

Does the PNG keep my photo's EXIF data?

PNG does not use the EXIF container that JPG and TIFF rely on, so camera metadata such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and GPS is generally not carried into a standard PNG export. If you need that metadata preserved alongside the image, convert to JPG or TIFF instead, or keep the original CR2 as your record.

Is it safe to upload my Canon RAW files here?

Your CR2 file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There's no sign-up, no watermark, and files are never shared or made public. The main practical limit on a big RAW is upload time, not your computer — a single CR2 can be 25-40 MB, so a fast connection helps. In our testing, a 24-megapixel CR2 converted to a full-resolution 8-bit PNG lands around 30-55 MB depending on scene detail.