RAW to JP2 Converter
Convert RAW to JP2 in your browser. The camera's embedded JPEG preview is what gets converted, not the sensor data; it matches what the camera showed on its screen. No raw development happens here. You get a lossless JPEG 2000 (.jp2) using the reversible 5/3 wavelet. 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 RAW to JP2
- 1
Add your RAW files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the JP2 is written losslessly. 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 .jp2 files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for raw to jp2
Where the JP2 goes next
JP2 opens in macOS Preview, GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick and the OpenJPEG tools.
JP2 next to RAW
The JP2 holds the camera preview's pixels with lossless compression: usually smaller than a 20 to 80 MB raw file, though far larger than a JPEG of the same photo.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the RAW is a camera JPEG; the JP2 stores its decoded pixels losslessly, 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.
RAW vs JP2
What changes from RAW to JP2
Encoding: the RAW uses uncompressed, lossless JPEG or vendor-specific coding of the sensor data, depending on the maker; JP2 uses wavelet coding: reversible 5/3 for lossless files, irreversible 9/7 for lossy ones, and the download is a lossless JPEG 2000 (.jp2) using the reversible 5/3 wavelet.
Bit depth: 12 to 16 bits per channel in the RAW; JP2 allows up to 16 bits per channel is common, more is possible, and the JP2 written here has 8 bits per channel. The sensor's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the camera's 8-bit preview is converted.
Colour: camera-native RGB from a colour filter mosaic in the RAW; JP2 supports sRGB, greyscale, YCC or a space described by an ICC profile, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the RAW can carry EXIF and vendor maker notes, almost always with an embedded JPEG preview; JP2 can carry XML, ICC and resolution boxes, but nothing is copied across.
About RAW
Camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RW2, RAF and others) hold the unprocessed sensor data from a camera along with an embedded full-size JPEG preview rendered by the camera.
.RAW is an extension rather than one format. Panasonic and Leica compacts wrote TIFF-like .RAW files before Panasonic moved to RW2, and scanners and scientific cameras use .raw for headerless dumps with no width, height or layout recorded, which nothing can read without being told those values.
RAW files usually come from older Panasonic and Leica compacts that saved .RAW, and scanners or scientific cameras that use the extension for pixel dumps.
About JP2
JPEG 2000 is a wavelet-based format that can be truly lossless or lossy, handles very high bit depths and huge images, and is used where long-term fidelity matters: archives, medicine, satellites and digital cinema.
A .jp2 file is a box structure: a 12-byte signature box, an 'ftyp' box, a 'jp2h' header box with the size and colour specification, then the 'jp2c' box holding the codestream, which begins with FF 4F FF 51.
When converting RAW to JP2 makes sense
JP2 is the better choice for archival masters and specialist imaging, while RAW suits editing in Lightroom, Capture One or darktable.
JP2 strengths: True lossless mode; High bit depths and very large images; Standardised for archives and digital cinema. Drawbacks to weigh: Browsers do not display it; Slow to encode and decode; Patchy support in everyday apps.
Limitations
- A headerless .raw pixel dump has no preview and no size information, so it cannot be converted here.
- Lossless JPEG 2000 is larger than a lossy one, but usually smaller than an uncompressed TIFF of the same pixels.
- No current browser displays JP2 by default; archive and imaging software opens it.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting RAW to JP2 lose quality?
JP2 is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Those pixels come from the camera's JPEG preview, so its compression stays, but nothing new is lost. The sensor's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the camera's 8-bit preview is converted.
Does this process the RAW sensor data?
No. Camera RAW files carry a JPEG rendered by the camera when the picture was taken, and that is what gets converted, so the result matches what you saw on the camera screen. For full development (white balance, highlight recovery, lens corrections) use a RAW editor.
Is the JPEG 2000 file lossless?
Yes. It is written with JPEG 2000's reversible 5/3 wavelet, so decoding it gives back exactly the pixels that went in. The trade-off is size: a lossless JP2 is larger than a lossy one, though usually smaller than an uncompressed TIFF.
Which apps open JP2 files?
MacOS Preview, GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick and the OpenJPEG tools. It does not open in web browsers by default.
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.