How do I convert CR2 to PNG?

Upload your CR2 file above. It is converted to PNG automatically (change the output format or quality in the Settings tab if you need to), then click Download. There is nothing to install.

Does converting CR2 to PNG lose quality?

No. Both formats are lossless, so every pixel is kept exactly.

CR2 or PNG: which should I use?

Use CR2 for adjusting exposure and white balance with maximum latitude. Use PNG for screenshots, logos, text graphics and cut-outs. Keep in mind the main drawback of PNG: large files for photographs.

CR2 is the RAW format of Canon EOS cameras released before about 2018. It stores the unprocessed sensor data for maximum editing latitude, so most apps can't show it as a normal picture.

Can I convert CR2 to PNG without Photoshop or Lightroom?

Yes. The CR2 file is opened on our servers, so you don't need Photoshop or Lightroom or any other software installed. Upload the file, then download the finished PNG.

Is the CR2 to PNG converter free?

Yes. Convert, preview and download a single result without creating an account. Premium adds batch conversion (many files into one ZIP) and larger uploads.

Why is the PNG as big as my CR2, or bigger?

A CR2 stores a single compressed measurement for each pixel of the sensor, while a PNG stores a full red, green and blue value for every pixel with no lossy shortcuts. The PNG therefore often comes out about as large as the CR2, or larger, even though it holds less of the original sensor information.

Is PNG or TIFF the better choice for printing a CR2?

Both are lossless, and this page can write either at full resolution. Some print and publishing workflows ask for TIFF by name, so check what the service lists before you convert. TIFF is in the Output format list in Settings if you need it; otherwise PNG is the format more programs open without trouble.

Should I delete the CR2 files after making PNG copies?

Keep them. The CR2 is the only file that holds the full sensor data, so it is the one to re-develop from for exposure, white balance or noise work. Treat the PNG as a convenient copy for viewing, layouts and quick edits, and keep both while storage allows.

Why does the page refuse my file even though it is a Canon RAW?

The page checks the file ending, and this one takes .cr2 only. Files ending in .cr3 belong on the CR3 converter, and other brands have their own pages for endings such as .nef or .arw. Pick the page that matches the ending of your file.

Does the Adobe RGB setting on my camera carry into the PNG?

The PNG is standard sRGB. The color space option in the camera mainly affects its own JPEG files, so a CR2 shot with Adobe RGB selected still develops to sRGB here. For work that needs another profile, develop the CR2 in a RAW editor and export from there.

Convert CR2 to PNG — Free Online CR2 Converter

Convert CR2 to PNG online at full resolution. Open camera RAW files without Photoshop or Lightroom; preview one free or batch-convert with Premium.

Drop your CR2 file or click to browse

Why convert CR2 to PNG?

PNG is supported far more widely than CR2, so the file is easier to open, share and upload.
PNG is made for screenshots, logos, text graphics and cut-outs.
No Photoshop or Lightroom needed: the file is opened on our servers and you download a ready-to-use PNG.

What to expect when converting CR2 to PNG

The RAW file is developed at full resolution with your camera's white balance. Keep the original CR2 to re-edit exposure later.
Your original CR2 file isn't changed: you download a new PNG copy.

CR2 vs PNG

Feature	CR2	PNG
Full name	Canon camera RAW	Portable Network Graphics
Origin	Written by Canon cameras	Published as a W3C standard in 1996
Compression	Unprocessed sensor data	Lossless
Transparency	No	Yes — smooth, partial transparency
Animation	No	No
Color	12 to 16 bits per channel from the sensor	Up to 16 bits per channel
Where it opens	RAW editors such as Lightroom; not browsers or most apps	All browsers, phones, computers and image editors
Best for	adjusting exposure and white balance with maximum latitude	screenshots, logos, text graphics and cut-outs
Main drawback	very large files that most apps can't open	large files for photographs

In short: choose CR2 for adjusting exposure and white balance with maximum latitude; choose PNG for screenshots, logos, text graphics and cut-outs.

When a Canon CR2 should become a PNG, and when it should stay a CR2

People usually want a PNG from a CR2 for one of two reasons: the image is headed into a program that cannot read RAW, such as a basic editor, a design app or a slide deck, or it will be retouched and saved many times and must not pick up JPG artifacts on the way. In both cases the PNG is a full-resolution copy of the developed photo that browsers, phones and image editors all open.

What a PNG cannot carry is the depth of the RAW. This conversion stores 8 bits per color channel, while a CR2 holds the 12 or 14 bits the sensor recorded. That matters most for astrophotography: Canon DSLRs are popular for night-sky work, and stacking and calibration work best on the untouched sensor data, so feed those programs the original CR2 files rather than PNG copies. The same applies to any edit that pulls a lot of detail out of deep shadows.

A full-size PNG from an 18- or 24-megapixel CR2 is a big file, far bigger than a JPG of the same shot. Once editing is done, trim away what you don't need, and if the result is going online, save a lighter JPG from the finished PNG. For straightforward sharing with no editing in between, CR2 to JPG is the better choice from the start.

Convert a Canon CR2 to PNG when your software no longer reads RAW

Canon's CR2 was the RAW format of its EOS cameras from about 2004 until Canon began moving to CR3 in 2018, and some programs and upload forms cannot open it. This CR2 to PNG converter develops a file at full resolution into a lossless PNG that layout programs, slide decks and image editors can open. Choose the file, convert it and download the PNG.

Opening CR2 files from an old card, drive or backup

Photos from a camera you owned years ago often sit in folders that no installed program can open. A CR2 needs a decoder that knows Canon's format, while a PNG is an open, widely supported format that browsers, phones and editors read without extras. Converting gives you a copy you can look at, annotate and place in documents today. Keep the CR2 files too, because they remain the only copies that hold the full sensor data.

From CR2 to PNG in four steps

Check the file ending before you upload: this page accepts files that end in .cr2. Canon files ending in .cr3 come from newer cameras and belong on the CR3 to PNG page, which gives the same kind of result.

Choose the .CR2 file from your drive, or drop it on the upload area.
Leave PNG as the output. It is lossless, so there is no quality slider.
Select Convert to PNG, then look at the preview and the size shown.
Select See result, then Download. IMG_2048.CR2 is saved as Pixoate_IMG_2048.png.

What the PNG holds and what stays in the CR2

The PNG has every pixel of the frame, developed with the white balance the camera saved and an automatic brightness lift. The Picture Style you set in the camera, and adjustments made later in Canon's own software or another RAW editor, are not applied. Camera model, lens and shooting date are not copied across either, and colors are saved as 8-bit sRGB. Vertical shots come out upright, with the same pixel dimensions as the CR2.

Converting a whole card or folder of CR2 files

Years of shooting usually live in folders of hundreds of frames. Switch from Single file to Batch to queue a set with one setting and download the PNG files as one ZIP, where each name starts with its queue number. Batch is a Premium feature, and each plan caps how many files go into one batch, so a big folder goes more smoothly in several rounds. If you only need pictures to look at, CR2 to JPG makes far lighter files.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert CR2 to PNG?: Upload your CR2 file above. It is converted to PNG automatically (change the output format or quality in the Settings tab if you need to), then click Download. There is nothing to install.
Does converting CR2 to PNG lose quality?: No. Both formats are lossless, so every pixel is kept exactly.
CR2 or PNG: which should I use?: Use CR2 for adjusting exposure and white balance with maximum latitude. Use PNG for screenshots, logos, text graphics and cut-outs. Keep in mind the main drawback of PNG: large files for photographs.
What is a CR2 file?: CR2 is the RAW format of Canon EOS cameras released before about 2018. It stores the unprocessed sensor data for maximum editing latitude, so most apps can't show it as a normal picture.
Can I convert CR2 to PNG without Photoshop or Lightroom?: Yes. The CR2 file is opened on our servers, so you don't need Photoshop or Lightroom or any other software installed. Upload the file, then download the finished PNG.
Is the CR2 to PNG converter free?: Yes. Convert, preview and download a single result without creating an account. Premium adds batch conversion (many files into one ZIP) and larger uploads.
Why is the PNG as big as my CR2, or bigger?: A CR2 stores a single compressed measurement for each pixel of the sensor, while a PNG stores a full red, green and blue value for every pixel with no lossy shortcuts. The PNG therefore often comes out about as large as the CR2, or larger, even though it holds less of the original sensor information.
Is PNG or TIFF the better choice for printing a CR2?: Both are lossless, and this page can write either at full resolution. Some print and publishing workflows ask for TIFF by name, so check what the service lists before you convert. TIFF is in the Output format list in Settings if you need it; otherwise PNG is the format more programs open without trouble.
Should I delete the CR2 files after making PNG copies?: Keep them. The CR2 is the only file that holds the full sensor data, so it is the one to re-develop from for exposure, white balance or noise work. Treat the PNG as a convenient copy for viewing, layouts and quick edits, and keep both while storage allows.
Why does the page refuse my file even though it is a Canon RAW?: The page checks the file ending, and this one takes .cr2 only. Files ending in .cr3 belong on the CR3 converter, and other brands have their own pages for endings such as .nef or .arw. Pick the page that matches the ending of your file.
Does the Adobe RGB setting on my camera carry into the PNG?: The PNG is standard sRGB. The color space option in the camera mainly affects its own JPEG files, so a CR2 shot with Adobe RGB selected still develops to sRGB here. For work that needs another profile, develop the CR2 in a RAW editor and export from there.

What you can do with CR2 to PNG

Review the main capabilities before you begin.

Convert Canon CR2 RAW files to PNG
Get lossless PNG images from raw sensor data
Create PNG files from Canon RAW photos
Prepare RAW photos for editing and sharing
Batch-convert multiple CR2 files together

Use this tool

Settings reference

Available controls for CR2 to PNG.

Settings

Output formatDropdown: Chooses the file type you download. The page opens on its own output format; switch to any other format before converting.Options: JPGPNGWebPAVIFGIFTIFFBMPICOPDF
QualitySliderRange: 20–100 · Default: 90: For JPG, WebP, AVIF and image-to-PDF output: higher keeps more detail but makes a bigger file; 60–80 suits most photos. Documents (Publisher, XPS, EPS…) become PDFs with every page and sharp text, with no quality setting.
Lossless modeOn / Off: For WebP and AVIF output: keeps every pixel exactly (best for logos, graphics and transparency) at the cost of a larger file.
Background fillColor picker: For JPG, BMP and image-to-PDF output, which can't store transparency: the color that fills transparent areas (white by default).