How does the CR2 to PNG converter work?

Upload your CR2 files and start the conversion. Each RAW file is developed with LibRaw and written as a lossless PNG, ready to download on its own or with the rest of the batch as a ZIP.

Can I use the converter without signing up?

Yes. You can upload, convert and download without an account. Free use has a daily limit, and a $2.99 or $6.99 pass removes it, with no monthly subscription.

Are there file-size limits?

Each CR2 file can be up to 20GB.

Does this work in a mobile browser?

Yes. dragdropdo runs in Safari, Chrome and other mobile browsers on iPhone, iPad and Android, so you can convert photos you've copied to your phone from the camera's app or a card reader.

Can I batch convert CR2 files?

Yes. Add a full shoot of CR2 files to one job, then download each PNG on its own or all of them as one ZIP.

Why choose PNG instead of JPG?

PNG is lossless, so the developed photo is saved without any compression artifacts, and saving it again in an editor won't degrade it. Choose PNG when the CR2 is a starting point for retouching, compositing or design work. For sharing and uploading, JPG is the better choice.

Why is the PNG bigger than my RAW file?

A CR2 stores one color value per pixel, as the sensor recorded it. A developed PNG stores full red, green and blue values for every pixel and compresses them losslessly, which works poorly on photos. A PNG of a 24 MP photo is commonly 40 MB or more.

Will the PNG look like the JPEG my camera shows?

Not exactly. Canon's Picture Style is applied by the camera when it makes its own JPEG. The CR2 file only records that setting, so the PNG is developed from the unprocessed sensor data with standard settings and can look flatter or slightly different in color.

Are my edits from Lightroom or Digital Photo Professional included?

No. Editors store your adjustments in their catalog or in a separate .xmp sidecar file, not in the CR2 itself. The converter receives only the CR2, so the PNG shows the photo as shot. To keep your edits, export from the editor you used.

Does the PNG have a transparent background?

No. A photo has no transparency, so the PNG is fully opaque. You can remove the background afterwards in an editor, and the PNG will keep the transparency you add.

Is a PNG as good as editing the CR2 itself?

A PNG is a developed image, so exposure and white balance are already set. For heavy corrections, edit the CR2 in a RAW editor first. For retouching and layout work, the PNG is an excellent lossless starting point.

How does the CR2 to PNG converter work?

Upload your CR2 files and start the conversion. Each RAW file is developed with LibRaw and written as a lossless PNG, ready to download on its own or with the rest of the batch as a ZIP.

Can I use the converter without signing up?

Yes. You can upload, convert and download without an account. Free use has a daily limit, and a $2.99 or $6.99 pass removes it, with no monthly subscription.

Are there file-size limits?

Each CR2 file can be up to 20GB.

Does this work in a mobile browser?

Yes. dragdropdo runs in Safari, Chrome and other mobile browsers on iPhone, iPad and Android, so you can convert photos you've copied to your phone from the camera's app or a card reader.

Can I batch convert CR2 files?

Yes. Add a full shoot of CR2 files to one job, then download each PNG on its own or all of them as one ZIP.

Why choose PNG instead of JPG?

PNG is lossless, so the developed photo is saved without any compression artifacts, and saving it again in an editor won't degrade it. Choose PNG when the CR2 is a starting point for retouching, compositing or design work. For sharing and uploading, JPG is the better choice.

Why is the PNG bigger than my RAW file?

A CR2 stores one color value per pixel, as the sensor recorded it. A developed PNG stores full red, green and blue values for every pixel and compresses them losslessly, which works poorly on photos. A PNG of a 24 MP photo is commonly 40 MB or more.

Will the PNG look like the JPEG my camera shows?

Not exactly. Canon's Picture Style is applied by the camera when it makes its own JPEG. The CR2 file only records that setting, so the PNG is developed from the unprocessed sensor data with standard settings and can look flatter or slightly different in color.

Are my edits from Lightroom or Digital Photo Professional included?

No. Editors store your adjustments in their catalog or in a separate .xmp sidecar file, not in the CR2 itself. The converter receives only the CR2, so the PNG shows the photo as shot. To keep your edits, export from the editor you used.

Does the PNG have a transparent background?

No. A photo has no transparency, so the PNG is fully opaque. You can remove the background afterwards in an editor, and the PNG will keep the transparency you add.

Is a PNG as good as editing the CR2 itself?

A PNG is a developed image, so exposure and white balance are already set. For heavy corrections, edit the CR2 in a RAW editor first. For retouching and layout work, the PNG is an excellent lossless starting point.

Free CR2 to PNG Converter Online

Convert Canon CR2 RAW photos to lossless PNG online for retouching, cut-outs and design work. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.

Drag & Drop your CR2 file here

CR2 files, up to 20GB

Files stay private.

Automatically deleted after 24 hours.

Link 20GB upload limit.

4.8/5

Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions

HOW IT WORKS

Convert CR2 to PNG in three steps

Three steps, no account, nothing to install.

Upload your CR2 files

Drag in CR2 photos from your EOS camera's card, a card reader or your photo archive. You can add a whole shoot at once.

Convert to PNG

Start the conversion. Each RAW file is developed with LibRaw, an open-source RAW decoder used by many photo apps, and saved as PNG.

Download the PNG files

Download each PNG as it finishes or the whole set as one ZIP. Your original CR2 files stay untouched on your device.

CR2

CR2 is Canon's RAW format for EOS DSLRs released from 2004 to about 2018. It stores the sensor data before any in-camera processing.

PNG

PNG is a lossless image format with full transparency support, the usual choice for graphics, screenshots and editing copies.

FILE FORMATS

CR2 and PNG compared

SOURCE

CR2

Canon's RAW format for a generation of EOS DSLRs, from the 20D and 5D series to the Rebel line, 7D and 5D Mark IV. A CR2 holds the 12 or 14-bit data straight from the sensor plus a JPEG preview, so it keeps far more highlight and shadow detail than a JPG. Few apps outside photo editors can open it.

TARGET

PNG

PNG stores every pixel exactly, so re-saving never degrades it. It supports full alpha transparency and 8 or 16 bits per channel, which makes it the standard for logos, UI graphics, screenshots and images that will be edited again. Photos as PNG are much larger than the same photo as JPG.

Feature	CR2	PNG
Developed by	Canon	PNG Development Group (W3C)
File extension	.cr2	.png
Compression	Lossless	Lossless
Transparency	No	Yes, full alpha
Color depth	12 or 14-bit sensor data	8 or 16-bit per channel
Best for	Editing with full exposure and color latitude	Graphics, screenshots, editing copies
Opens in browsers and phones	No, needs RAW software	Yes, everywhere

USE CASES

Use Cases for CR2 to PNG

When a lossless PNG suits the next step better than the RAW file.

Start a retouch without JPEG artifacts

Give a retoucher a lossless PNG of a Canon portrait so skin and fine detail aren't softened by JPEG compression.

Cut out products for e-commerce

Remove the background from a CR2 product shot in a PNG editor and keep the edges clean.

Build composites in design apps

Canva, Figma and many web editors can't open CR2. A PNG drops straight into a layout.

Feed photos into AI or analysis tools

Image tools that accept PNG but not RAW can work on your Canon shots without a lossy step in between.

Archive a lossless developed copy

Keep a developed version that won't lose quality no matter how often it is opened and re-saved.

Prepare scientific or documentation photos

Lab, museum and evidence photographers often need a lossless output from the camera file.

Make texture and reference images

3D artists and game developers use PNG photo references and textures shot on Canon DSLRs.

Edit in apps without RAW support

GIMP without plugins, Paint.NET and many online editors work with PNG but not CR2.

Create print masters for designers

Hand a print designer a lossless file rather than a compressed JPG.

Extract frames for screenshots and slides

Use a PNG when a photo will be annotated, cropped and re-saved several times.

SUPPORTED FILES

Which CR2 Files Can I Convert?

Any CR2 from a Canon EOS DSLR or RAW-capable PowerShot converts to PNG.

CR2 from any EOS DSLR

5D, 6D, 7D, 1D, xxD and Rebel series files all convert, whether they came straight off the card or from a backup.

sRAW and mRAW files

Smaller CR2 variants that some EOS bodies offer are still CR2 files and can be uploaded the same way.

CR3 from newer Canon cameras

Files from the EOS R series and later DSLRs use CR3. Use our CR3 to JPG converter for those.

Many files at once

Upload a set of CR2 files. Each becomes a separate PNG, and the batch downloads as one ZIP.

Large RAW files

A CR2 is typically 20 to 60 MB, far below the 20GB limit, so no splitting or compressing is needed.

TROUBLESHOOTING

CR2 to PNG Not Looking Right?

These are the usual reasons a developed PNG differs from what you expected.

The colors don't match the camera's preview

The camera screen shows a JPEG made with your Picture Style. The PNG is developed without it, so tweak color and contrast in any photo editor if you want that look back.

The photo looks flat or a little dark

RAW files are developed with neutral contrast so no highlight or shadow detail is thrown away. Add contrast or brightness in an editor, or edit the CR2 in a RAW editor if you need precise control.

My Lightroom edits are missing

Edits live in your editor's catalog or an .xmp sidecar file, not in the CR2. Export from that editor to get the edited version.

A file from a brand-new camera won't convert

Each new camera model tweaks its RAW data, and decoders need an update to read it. If a CR2 from a very recent body fails, convert it to DNG with the free Adobe DNG Converter and use our DNG to JPG tool.

The PNG is very large

PNG is lossless and compresses photos poorly, so 40 MB or more for one image is normal. Use our CR2 to JPG converter when you need small files.

Some apps open the PNG slowly

Very large PNGs take longer to decode than JPGs. For quick viewing or sharing, use a JPG copy and keep the PNG for editing.

COMPARISON

dragdropdo vs. Desktop RAW Editors

Lightroom, Capture One, darktable and your camera maker's software are built for editing RAW photos one at a time. dragdropdo is built for turning CR2 files into PNG quickly, from any device.

What matters	dragdropdo	Desktop RAW Editors
Nothing to install	✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser.	~Usually a large download, plus importing photos into a catalog.
Works on phones and tablets	✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad.	~Mostly desktop. Lightroom Mobile is the main exception.
Batch conversion	✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP.	~Yes, through export presets once the photos are imported.
Share finished files	✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page.	~You upload and share the files yourself.
Pricing	✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan.	~Free (darktable, RawTherapee, camera makers' tools) or paid (Lightroom subscription, Capture One).
Adjusting exposure and white balance	✓Not in the converter. Each CR2 is developed with standard settings.	~Yes. Full control over every adjustment.

Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.

1.8M+

Files converted

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Average rating

from our users

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Avg. conversion

per image

Files kept

Auto-delete in 24h

WHY DRAGDROPDO

Built to be quick, safe, and free

Convert CR2 to PNG in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.

Private by default

Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.

No install required

Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.

Big files and batches

Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.

Share & download

Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.

MORE CR2 TOOLS

Explore our other image operations

CR2 is a proprietary raw image file format used by Canon digital cameras. It retains unprocessed image data, allowing for extensive editing and adjustments in post-processing. Leveraging this format enhances image quality by preserving dynamic range and detail, making it a favorite among professional photographers. Discover the potential of CR2 for capturing stunning visuals with precision.

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CR2

JPG

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's CR2 to PNG converter.