DNG to CR2 Converter
Convert DNG to CR2 in your browser. You download a Linear DNG (.dng), not a .cr2: only a Canon camera can create a genuine CR2, and every editor that opens CR2 also opens DNG. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
RAW expected · other image formats also work
How to use DNG to CR2
- 1
Add your DNG files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the DNG is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for dng to cr2
Where a CR2 would go
CR2 files are opened by Canon Digital Photo Professional, Lightroom, Photoshop Camera Raw, Capture One and darktable, and every one of them opens the DNG too.
The new DNG next to the original
The DNG stores the camera preview's pixels uncompressed, so it can be as large as the 15 to 40 MB raw file, or larger, depending on the preview's resolution.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the DNG is a camera JPEG; the DNG stores its decoded pixels uncompressed, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
DNG vs CR2
What changes from DNG to CR2
Encoding: the DNG uses lossless (or lossy) JPEG-compressed sensor data, plus optional JPEG previews; CR2 uses lossless JPEG-compressed sensor data, cut into vertical slices, and the download is a Linear DNG: demosaiced 8-bit RGB with the colour matrices raw editors need.
Bit depth: 8 to 16 bits per channel in the DNG; CR2 allows 12 or 14 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. The raw data's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the embedded 8-bit preview is converted.
Colour: camera RGB plus the colour matrices that map it to XYZ (demosaiced linear RGB in a Linear DNG) in the DNG; CR2 supports camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, with the Picture Style recorded in the maker notes, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the DNG can carry EXIF, XMP and DNG tags for colour matrices, calibration and lens corrections; CR2 can carry EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews, but nothing is copied across.
About DNG
DNG is Adobe's openly documented raw format. Some cameras and phones record it directly, Adobe DNG Converter turns other brands' raw files into it, and a Linear DNG holds already-demosaiced RGB that raw editors treat like any other raw file.
DNG is built on TIFF/EP. The raw image sits in a sub-IFD marked as the main image, with tags for black and white levels, colour matrices and the colour filter pattern; a Linear DNG (PhotometricInterpretation 34892) stores demosaiced RGB instead of a mosaic. Previews are optional, and Adobe DNG Converter can write a medium (1024 px), full-size or no preview.
DNG files usually come from Leica, Pentax and Ricoh cameras, DJI drones, Google Pixel and iPhone ProRAW, and Adobe DNG Converter.
About CR2
CR2 is the raw format of Canon EOS cameras from 2004 until CR3 replaced it in 2018. It holds the sensor's 12 or 14-bit readings, losslessly compressed, plus a large JPEG preview rendered with the camera's Picture Style.
CR2 is TIFF-based: the TIFF header is followed by the letters 'CR' and version 2.0, then four image directories: a large JPEG preview with the EXIF block, a 160×120 thumbnail, a small uncompressed RGB image, and the sensor data as lossless JPEG cut into vertical slices.
CR2 files come from Canon EOS DSLRs made from 2004 to 2018, such as the 5D Mark II and III, 6D, 7D and the Rebel series.
When converting DNG to CR2 makes sense
Forms and workflows that ask for CR2 usually feed a raw editor, and each of those opens DNG as well, so the DNG can take the CR2's place. Keep the DNG if you only need to view or share the picture.
What CR2 offers when it comes straight from the camera: Large embedded JPEG rendered with the camera's Picture Style; Lossless 12 or 14-bit sensor data; Widely supported after fourteen years of Canon DSLRs. Its drawbacks: Replaced by CR3 in 2018, so current Canon bodies no longer write it; 20 to 50 MB per photo; Sliced lossless JPEG data that only raw decoders can read.
Limitations
- A DNG from Adobe DNG Converter may carry only a medium 1024 px preview, and the largest preview in the file is what gets converted.
- Phone DNGs such as Apple ProRAW and Pixel raw are already computationally processed; the preview shows that processed result.
- A Linear DNG without a preview, such as one written by this site, is read from its RGB data instead.
- The DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the DNG.
More conversions
Related tools
Convert CR2 to DNG in your browser, a Linear DNG that Lightroom, Camera Raw and darktable open as raw. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert DNG to JPG in your browser, made from the full-size preview your Adobe camera stored in the file. Batch, private, no uploads.
Shrink JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and GIF files with MozJPEG, OxiPNG and modern codecs, with a live before/after preview.
Resize to exact pixels, a percentage or a longest side, with Lanczos3 and Magic Kernel resampling. Batch ready.
Strip EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC and comments losslessly. Pixels are never re-encoded for JPG, PNG and WebP.
Convert between 34 image formats in bulk: HEIC, WebP, AVIF, JPEG XL, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, SVG, ICO, PSD, RAW and more.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I get a .dng file instead of a .cr2?
A real CR2 is written by Canon cameras and holds the sensor's own readings (12 or 14 bits per channel, stored as lossless JPEG-compressed sensor data, cut into vertical slices) along with EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews. This converter reads the JPEG preview inside the DNG, not its sensor data, so it cannot make one either. The Linear DNG you get instead is Adobe's open raw format, and every editor that opens CR2 files opens it with the same raw controls. It holds decoded pixels, so it adds no quality or dynamic range.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.