CR3 is Canon's in-camera RAW
CR3 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 CR3 from a finished RW2.
Looking to turn a RW2 into a CR3 file? Here's the honest answer — and what actually works instead.
You can't convert RW2 to CR3. CR3 is a camera's own RAW format — it only ever comes out of the camera.
CR3 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 CR3 from a finished RW2.
Your RW2 is a developed, final image. The extra sensor information a CR3 carries — wider dynamic range, full color depth, untouched highlights — was discarded when the photo was first saved, and can't be put back.
CR3 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 CR3.
Every real RAW file is one of these camera-maker-specific formats, written by the camera itself:
RW2 is Panasonic’s raw photo format used by Lumix cameras.
How to open RW2 opens in Lightroom, Photoshop and Panasonic software.
Full RW2 format guideCR3 is Canon’s newer, more efficient raw format used by recent EOS cameras — smaller than CR2 with the same flexibility.
How to open CR3 opens in recent Lightroom, Photoshop, Canon DPP and modern raw editors.
Full CR3 format guideLossless and uncompressed — ideal for editing, archiving and print.
RW2 → TIFFLossless with transparency — perfect for graphics, logos and screenshots.
RW2 → PNGA small, universal photo format that opens everywhere.
RW2 → JPGConvert your CR3 and other camera RAW files to JPG, PNG or TIFF.
Open the converter