CRW is Canon's in-camera RAW
CRW is the raw sensor data a Canon camera writes at the moment of capture. It's produced by the camera's own hardware and firmware — software can read it, but nothing can manufacture a genuine CRW from a finished CR2.
Looking to turn a CR2 into a CRW file? Here's the honest answer — and what actually works instead.
You can't convert CR2 to CRW. CRW is a camera's own RAW format — it only ever comes out of the camera.
CRW is the raw sensor data a Canon camera writes at the moment of capture. It's produced by the camera's own hardware and firmware — software can read it, but nothing can manufacture a genuine CRW from a finished CR2.
Your CR2 is a developed, final image. The extra sensor information a CRW carries — wider dynamic range, full color depth, untouched highlights — was discarded when the photo was first saved, and can't be put back.
CRW is proprietary to Canon. Even other RAW formats (NEF, ARW, RAF…) aren't interchangeable with it — there is no universal "save as RAW" that produces a real CRW.
Every real RAW file is one of these camera-maker-specific formats, written by the camera itself:
CR2 is Canon’s older raw photo format, holding unprocessed sensor data from EOS cameras for maximum editing flexibility.
How to open CR2 opens in Canon DPP, Lightroom, Photoshop and most raw editors.
Full CR2 format guideCRW is Canon's original raw format from early EOS and PowerShot cameras, storing unprocessed sensor data in a proprietary CIFF container before Canon switched to CR2.
How to open CRW opens in Canon Digital Photo Professional, older Lightroom and Camera Raw; convert to DNG for long-term archiving.
Full CRW format guideLossless and uncompressed — ideal for editing, archiving and print.
CR2 → TIFFLossless with transparency — perfect for graphics, logos and screenshots.
CR2 → PNGA small, universal photo format that opens everywhere.
CR2 → JPGConvert your CRW and other camera RAW files to JPG, PNG or TIFF.
Open the converter