CR3 · Canon RAW
Convert CR3 to HEIC
CR3 is the RAW format Canon writes on its mirrorless and recent DSLR cameras. The detail is wonderful and the files are enormous — a few thousand of them quietly fill your iPhone. RawToHEIC converts your CR3 files to HEIC right inside Apple Photos, up to 10× smaller, with every edit, album, favorite, and location kept exactly as it was.
What is a CR3 file?
A CR3 file is a Canon RAW photo — the unprocessed sensor data from the camera, saved with maximum detail and dynamic range for editing. Canon introduced CR3 in 2018, replacing the older CR2, and it is what every EOS R-series mirrorless camera and recent Canon DSLR writes when you shoot RAW. That detail has a cost: a single CR3 is typically 25 to 50 MB — ten to twenty times the size of a JPEG of the same photo. RAW earns its size while you are editing, when you might rescue a blown-out sky or lift deep shadows. But once a shot is finished, you are paying full RAW price to store a photo you will never re-grade.
Convert CR3 right inside Photos
No exporting to Files, no importing back, nothing uploaded. Select your CR3 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 CR3
CR3 is written by Canon mirrorless and recent DSLR cameras, typically 25–50 MB per photo. If you shoot any of these, RawToHEIC converts their files:
CR3 questions, answered
What is a CR3 file?
A CR3 is a Canon RAW photo — unprocessed sensor data saved by EOS R-series and recent Canon cameras for maximum editing latitude. It is large (25–50 MB) because it keeps everything the sensor captured.
How do I open a CR3 file?
Apple Photos, Preview, and most photo apps open CR3 natively on a recent iPhone, iPad, or Mac. RawToHEIC opens your CR3 files straight from Photos so you can convert them without exporting anything.
Can I make my CR3 files smaller without losing my edits?
Yes. RawToHEIC converts CR3 to HEIC — about 10× smaller and visually identical — and carries over your edits, album membership, favorite, caption, location, and camera metadata.
Does converting a CR3 reduce quality?
HEIC is a lossy format, so it is a trade: a large drop in file size for a difference most people cannot see. For irreplaceable shots you can keep the original; for everything else, the space saved is worth it.
Will it delete my original CR3 files?
Only if you choose to, per batch — and never until the HEIC is saved and verified in your library. Deleted originals stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
Get your storage back.
Convert your CR3 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.
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