Convert Canon CR2 to JPG
Upload .CR2 files from a Canon EOS DSLR or PowerShot and get full-resolution JPGs, even from cameras that are well over a decade old. One catch: EXIF details such as ISO and the date taken do not come along.
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How Canon CR2 Files Become JPGs
CR2 is Canon's TIFF-based RAW format, written by EOS DSLRs since 2004 and by several PowerShot models. Inside a typical CR2 sit a small thumbnail, a JPEG rendering of the shot in the first image directory, and the sensor data itself, stored with lossless JPEG compression. Anything that only understands ordinary photos cannot read that last part, which is why web forms, phones and many viewers reject the file.
The converter pulls the embedded JPEG out with exiftool and compares it with the sensor size LibRaw reports. If its long edge reaches 90% of the sensor's, you get Canon's own full-size rendering without re-compression, exactly as the camera styled it. If the embedded image is smaller than that, it is ignored and LibRaw demosaics the sensor data instead, using the camera's recorded white balance and writing a quality-90 sRGB JPEG.
Either way the JPG is a finished picture, not an editable RAW: 8 bits per channel, with no sliders for exposure or color. Frames shot in portrait orientation come out upright. EXIF is the casualty: tags are not copied from the CR2, so the JPG lacks shutter speed, ISO, lens and capture date.
The searches that bring people here name specific bodies like the Rebel SL1 and ask about doing it on Windows or macOS and about privacy. The common thread is an archive of CR2 shots that needs to become JPGs for sharing, printing or a slideshow on a computer without Canon's software.
How to Convert Canon CR2 to JPG
- Locate the CR2 files, normally in a DCIM folder such as 100CANON on the card or in your photo backup.
- Upload up to 10 at a time; paid plans take 25 (Plus) or 50 (Pro). JPG is already chosen as the output.
- Typical CR2 files are well under the 50MB guest limit; anything above it needs a signed-in account, and RAW files are capped at 80MB regardless of plan.
- Start the conversion and download each JPG as it finishes.
- To stop getting CR2 files in the future, set Image Quality in the camera's shooting menu to a JPEG option, or to RAW+JPEG if you want both.
What the CR2 Converter Does
- Reads CR2 from EOS DSLRs, Rebel/Kiss models included, and CR2-writing PowerShots
- Passes Canon's full-size embedded JPEG through without re-compression
- Decodes the sensor data with LibRaw (as-shot white balance, sRGB) when the embedded image is too small
- Outputs portrait shots upright
- Specific error messages for empty, truncated or zero-filled files
- 80MB ceiling per CR2 file, with 10-file batches by default
Video Tutorial
Watch this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to convert CR2 files to JPG format online for free using MiConvert.com. No software installation required.
Questions About Canon CR2 Files
Can I change CR2 to JPG on Windows or a Mac without installing anything?
Upload the files on this page from any browser; the conversion runs on our servers, so it behaves the same on Windows and macOS. If you would rather stay offline, Canon's Digital Photo Professional and the Photos app on a Mac can export CR2 to JPEG.
Will this work with CR2 files from my Rebel SL1 or another older EOS?
Yes. The EOS 100D, sold as the Rebel SL1, is in the camera list of the LibRaw library the converter uses. Older CR2 bodies are the easy case, since decoders have supported their files for many years.
My CR2 conversion failed and says the camera may not be supported. Is my camera too old?
Almost certainly not. The error means no decoder could read the file and no usable embedded JPEG was found. For CR2 the usual reason is a damaged or incomplete copy rather than the camera. Copy the file from the card or backup again; if Canon's Digital Photo Professional cannot open it either, the file itself is broken.
Does the JPG keep the EXIF data from the CR2?
No. None of the CR2's EXIF fields (exposure, ISO, lens, GPS, date taken) are carried over. To put them back, run exiftool -TagsFromFile IMG_1234.CR2 IMG_1234.jpg on your computer.
How do I make my Canon shoot JPG instead of CR2?
Open the shooting menu, choose Image Quality, and pick an L, M or S JPEG size. RAW+JPEG gives you both files from every shot, which saves you converting later.
What is the difference between CR2 and CR3?
CR2 is TIFF-based and stores the sensor data with lossless JPEG compression; CR3, introduced with the EOS M50 in 2018, uses an MP4-style container and Canon's CRX codec. Both convert here, through separate pages.
Is my CR2 kept private, and for how long?
The CR2 is deleted from our server right after its JPG is made, and the JPG is cleared by an automatic sweep around four hours after conversion. The conversion runs entirely on our servers, not on your device.