CR2 · Canon RAW (older)
Convert CR2 to HEIC
CR2 is the Canon RAW format used by Canon DSLRs for well over a decade, before CR3 arrived. If you have years of 5D, 6D, 7D, or Rebel shots sitting in your library, that is a lot of CR2 — and a lot of storage. RawToHEIC converts your CR2 files to HEIC inside Apple Photos, up to 10× smaller, keeping every edit, album, favorite, and location.
What is a CR2 file?
A CR2 file is a Canon RAW photo written by Canon DSLRs from roughly 2004 to 2018, when CR3 replaced it. Like all RAW, it stores the unprocessed sensor data for maximum editing latitude, which makes each file large — usually 20 to 35 MB depending on the camera. A long-lived DSLR library can hold thousands of them. The files earned their size during editing, but finished shots no longer need it, and that is exactly the space RawToHEIC gives back.
Convert CR2 right inside Photos
No exporting to Files, no importing back, nothing uploaded. Select your CR2 photos in Apple Photos, tap Share, and let RawToHEIC convert them on iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Everything about the photo is kept
- Edits, crops, and adjustments carry over exactly as they look in Photos.
- Album membership, favorites, captions, and keywords stay put.
- Location and full camera metadata (EXIF) travel with the HEIC.
- HDR is preserved with an ISO 21496-1 gain map.
- Your originals are never deleted until the HEIC is saved and verified.
Cameras that shoot CR2
CR2 came from Canon DSLRs from roughly 2004 to 2018. If you shoot — or still have a library from — any of these, RawToHEIC converts their files:
CR2 questions, answered
What is a CR2 file?
A CR2 is a Canon RAW photo from a Canon DSLR made before 2018. It holds the camera’s unprocessed sensor data, which is why it is far larger than a JPEG of the same shot.
What is the difference between CR2 and CR3?
CR3 is Canon’s newer RAW format (2018 onward, on EOS R-series and recent cameras); CR2 is the older one used by earlier DSLRs. RawToHEIC converts both.
How do I open a CR2 file?
Apple Photos and Preview open CR2 natively on a recent iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and RawToHEIC reads them straight from Photos — no exporting needed.
Can I convert CR2 to HEIC and keep my edits?
Yes. Conversion keeps your adjustments, album membership, favorite, caption, location, and EXIF metadata, and produces a file about 10× smaller.
Will it delete my original CR2 files?
Only if you ask, per batch, and never until the HEIC is saved and verified. Deleted originals stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
Get your storage back.
Convert your CR2 files to HEIC on-device, keep every edit and album, and reclaim the space — one purchase for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Not sure yet? Convert a few sample photos free — no install, nothing uploaded.
Try it free — no install →