DNG vs CR2 vs CRW vs RAW: The Complete Photographer's Format Guide

You Shot RAW. Now What?

You come home from a shoot with a memory card full of CR2 files. Your friend tells you to convert everything to DNG before you lose the originals. Someone else says just back up the CR2s as-is. Your phone gave you DNG from ProRAW and your old Canon from 2002 wrote CRW files you can barely open anymore.

What does any of it actually mean?

RAW photography is full of format names that sound technical but rarely get explained. This guide cuts through the jargon. By the end, you will know exactly what each format is, when it matters, and what to do with your files — no software subscription required.

What "RAW" Actually Means (It Is Not a Format)

The word "RAW" describes a concept, not a file format. A RAW file contains minimally processed sensor data — the direct output from your camera's image sensor before the in-camera processing pipeline turns it into a JPEG. You keep more information: shadow detail you can recover, highlights that are not yet blown out, white balance you can change in post without quality loss.

Here is the problem: every camera manufacturer invented their own RAW format. Canon has CRW and CR2 (and CR3). Nikon has NEF. Sony has ARW. Fujifilm has RAF. Olympus has ORF. They all do roughly the same thing — store raw sensor data — but they do it in incompatible, proprietary ways.

Adobe stepped in with DNG (Digital Negative) in 2004, an open standard that any manufacturer could adopt. Some did (Leica, Pentax, Hasselblad, and every smartphone that supports RAW shooting). Many did not (Canon, Nikon, Sony still ship proprietary formats in 2026).

The result: "RAW" means a category. DNG, CR2, CRW, NEF, ARW — these are specific formats within that category.

CRW — Canon's Original RAW Format

CRW files come from Canon cameras made between approximately 2000 and 2004: the original Canon Digital Rebel (300D), the EOS-1D, the EOS D60, and various PowerShot models with RAW capability.

The technical reason CRW is unusual is its container format. While most RAW formats are based on TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) — which is why software that reads TIFF can often read a basic RAW file — CRW uses CIFF (Camera Image File Format), a Canon-proprietary structure with a completely different layout. CIFF was never widely adopted outside Canon, which is a large part of why CRW compatibility is poor today.

The compatibility problem. Lightroom supports CRW. But Capture One dropped it. Many modern RAW converters never supported it. If you have a library of CRW files from 2003 and try to open them in current software, you may find they simply do not load.

What to do with CRW files. If you have old CRW files on hard drives or archives:

• Keep the originals. Do not delete them.
• Convert to JPG for sharing and general access. The metadata is preserved in the EXIF block within the converted file.
• Consider converting to DNG if you want long-term archival with all RAW data intact.

If you have a folder of old CRW files from a Canon Digital Rebel or original PowerShot with RAW, FileCrank's CRW to JPG converter opens them directly in your browser — no software installation, no Lightroom subscription needed.

CR2 — Canon's TIFF-Based RAW Format

Canon moved from CRW to CR2 starting around 2004, with the release of the EOS-1D Mark II and subsequently the EOS 20D. CR2 became the standard Canon RAW format through roughly 2018, covering almost every Canon DSLR from that era: the 5D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 7D, 7D Mark II, the Rebel series through the T7i, and many more.

Unlike CRW, CR2 is TIFF-based. This dramatically improved software compatibility — most programs that handle TIFF can at least partially read CR2 structure, even if they do not have full RAW decode support. Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop, RawTherapee, and virtually every other professional RAW editor has solid CR2 support.

What CR2 files store. This is where CR2 becomes interesting. A typical CR2 file contains far more information than the image data itself:

• Standard EXIF: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, exposure compensation, metering mode, white balance setting
• Shooting date and time (to the second)
• Lens make, model, and in later bodies, lens serial number
• Camera serial number (unique to your specific body)
• Active autofocus point
• In-body flash information
• GPS coordinates, if the camera had GPS (the 6D series, for example)
• Canon MakerNote data: picture style settings, in-camera noise reduction applied, lens correction flags

You can see every field embedded in your CR2 file using FileCrank's RAW Metadata Viewer, which reads all EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and MakerNote data entirely in your browser.

Privacy note on CR2. If your Canon had GPS and you shared CR2 files — or JPGs converted from CR2 with metadata intact — you shared your precise shooting location with anyone who received those files. FileCrank's Image Geo Extractor will show you exactly what location data is embedded. If location privacy matters, the Strip Location tool removes GPS fields before you share.

Converting CR2 to JPG. For client delivery, social media, or email, FileCrank's CR2 to JPG converter converts your RAW files quickly without requiring Lightroom or any installed software.

DNG — Adobe's Open RAW Standard

Adobe released the DNG specification in 2004, motivated by a problem every professional photographer knew: proprietary RAW formats are a long-term liability. If Canon or Nikon ever stopped releasing Camera Raw updates, millions of NEF and CR2 files could become unreadable. Adobe's answer was an open standard — a published specification that any software developer or hardware manufacturer could implement freely.

Who uses DNG natively. Leica cameras shoot DNG. Pentax shoots DNG. Hasselblad shoots DNG. Ricoh shoots DNG. Every smartphone that supports RAW shooting uses DNG: iPhone ProRAW is DNG, Google Pixel's RAW output is DNG, Samsung's Pro mode RAW is DNG. If you have ever shot RAW on your phone, you already have DNG files.

What makes DNG different. DNG is a container format. A DNG file can hold:

• The original RAW sensor data (identical to what CR2 or NEF would contain)
• XMP metadata (processing recipe: exposure adjustments, crop, color grades) embedded directly in the file
• The original proprietary RAW file embedded inside the DNG, if you want maximum preservation

This means a DNG processed in Lightroom and a DNG from a Leica camera use the same file format, even though the underlying sensor data is completely different.

The honest trade-offs. DNG is not without criticism:

• Slightly larger files. DNG embeds additional metadata that CR2 or NEF does not carry by default.
• One-way conversion from proprietary formats. Converting your CR2 to DNG is straightforward. Going back to CR2 is not — you would need to have embedded the original RAW file in the DNG at conversion time.
• Not universally loved. Many Canon and Nikon shooters prefer keeping originals in their native format and using sidecar XMP files for processing metadata, rather than converting to DNG.

Color profiles and DNG. DNG files often carry embedded ICC color profiles that define the color space of the captured image. FileCrank's Photo Color Profile Viewer reads this embedded profile and tells you exactly which color space your DNG is tagged with — critical information before sending files to a print lab, where color profile mismatch is the most common cause of unexpected color shifts.

Converting DNG to JPG. For sharing or web use, FileCrank's DNG to JPG converter exports a full-quality JPG from your DNG file in your browser. For full metadata inspection, the RAW Metadata Viewer shows everything embedded in the DNG container.

Head-to-Head Format Comparison

Which Format Should You Keep?

The right answer depends on your situation. Here is concrete guidance for four common cases:

You have old CRW files from the early 2000s. These files are at real risk of becoming inaccessible. Software support is already thin. Convert to JPG now for sharing and day-to-day access. If the original sessions are important — a wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime trip — consider converting to DNG to preserve the RAW data in a format with a longer support horizon. Keep the original CRW files as a backup regardless.

You shoot Canon with CR2 (DSLRs from 2004–2018). CR2 is well-supported and will remain readable for years. There is no urgent need to convert anything. If you use Lightroom, converting to DNG on import is a reasonable workflow — it embeds processing metadata in the file and simplifies backup. If you prefer keeping originals untouched, storing CR2 alongside sidecar XMP files is equally valid.

You shoot with an iPhone or Pixel and get DNG. You are already in the most archivally sound format available. No conversion needed for long-term storage. For sharing, convert to JPG with FileCrank and you are done.

You shoot Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, or another brand. NEF, ARW, and RAF are all well-supported formats today. No urgent conversion needed. For long-term archiving beyond 10–15 years, DNG conversion is worth considering. For day-to-day use and sharing, convert to JPG.

The Privacy Angle — What Your RAW Files Know About You

Here is something most photography tutorials skip: your RAW files contain a significant amount of personal data, and sharing them without checking can expose information you did not intend to share.

GPS coordinates. Canon bodies with built-in GPS (the 6D, 6D Mark II, and some others) embed precise latitude, longitude, and altitude in every shot. So does every smartphone. If you share a RAW file or a high-quality JPG converted from RAW with metadata intact, you share exactly where the photo was taken.

Camera serial number. Every RAW file from a Canon or Nikon body contains the camera's unique serial number. This can be used to identify a specific camera across different photos.

Lens serial number. Newer Canon and Nikon lenses with electronic contacts report their serial number into the RAW file as well.

Shooting timestamp. RAW files record shooting date and time to the second, often including sub-second precision and timezone offset.

Before sharing any RAW file or high-quality conversion, this workflow takes two minutes and costs nothing:

1. Check for GPS data — see exactly what location is embedded
2. Strip GPS before sharing — removes only location fields, preserves all other metadata
3. View the full metadata picture — see every field in the file
4. Remove specific EXIF fields — surgical removal of any individual metadata field

Practical Workflow: From RAW to Shareable in One Browser Tab

You do not need to install anything to handle the complete post-shoot workflow. Here is how to go from RAW file to ready-to-share image using FileCrank entirely in a browser:

Step 1 — Inspect metadata. Drop your CR2, DNG, or CRW file into the RAW Metadata Viewer. See every tag: camera settings, lens data, shooting date, and any MakerNote fields your camera wrote.

Step 2 — Check location. Use the Image Geo Extractor to see if GPS data is present. If your Canon had GPS enabled or you shot on a phone, it will be there. The tool maps the coordinates instantly.

Step 3 — Strip location if needed. Before sharing, run the file through the Strip Location tool to remove GPS fields. Camera model, shooting date, and other EXIF data remain intact — only GPS is removed.

Step 4 — Convert to JPG. Use the appropriate converter:

• CRW to JPG for old Canon files
• CR2 to JPG for Canon DSLRs from 2004–2018
• DNG to JPG for Leica, smartphone DNG files
• RAW to JPG for any other RAW format (NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF)

Step 5 — Compress for sharing. If file size matters for email or web upload, run the converted JPG through the Photo Compressor to bring the file size down while maintaining visual quality.

Step 6 — Add a watermark. Before posting online, the Watermark Tool overlays your name, website, or copyright notice — keeping your work identifiable on social media.

Everything runs in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server. No account, no subscription, no software to install.

Closing

RAW formats exist to give you control. CRW gave early Canon shooters that control in 2001 — it just did not age well. CR2 gave Canon shooters a solid 14-year run. DNG gave everyone an archivally sound option that phone manufacturers, boutique camera brands, and long-term thinkers have adopted. And regardless of which format your camera produces, the workflow is the same: inspect, protect, convert, share.

FileCrank handles every step. Everything runs in your browser, no account required, completely free. Browse the photography tools to find what you need.