The format CR2 (Canon raw version 2) was developed in 2004 by Canon Inc. with the purpose of storing digital images. The main difference between CR2 and more common formats like JPG or PNG is that CR2 does not offer ready to view pictures. Raw formats like CR2 are advantageous mainly because CR2 enables the user to post process the image easier than ready to view without worrying about the quality loss. CR2 files are based on the TIFF (Tagged Image file) file specification. CR2 format as well as other raw images, can be viewed using programs like Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, digiKam etc.
The TIFF format was developed by the company Aldus in 1986, which was later acquired by Adobe systems who now own the rights on the format specification. TIFF, which refers to the Tagged Image File Format, is a raster graphics file format popularly used in desktop publishing and print. Its initial development goal was to create an alternative and cross platform format that would replace the numerous proprietary formats used by scanners developed in the 80's. Later revisions, after Adobe took over the development of the format, saw the TIFF format become extensible to adapt with growing and changing needs of the graphics industry. TIFF supports high color depth and is well suited to OCR applications, scanning, image editing and authoring as well as word processing. The format uses the filename extension .tiff for files stored in the format.
FreeFileConvert uses tuned encoding for CR2 to TIFF conversions, preserving clarity while trimming file size. Finished audio streams instantly across phones, tablets, desktops, and modern browsers without extra tweaks.
Upload CR2 files from desktop, tablet, or cloud storage, queue multiple jobs, and let the converter finish autonomously. Return whenever convenient to download synchronized TIFF results on any device you rely on.
Process up to 5 files sized 1000 MB per batch without splitting queues manually. Mixed-format uploads convert together, producing consistent TIFF audio with dependable progress tracking.
CR2 format is the upgraded version of CRW, it offers the best quality to size ratio. What makes it so different from other formats is the fact that all the colours are recorded either in 12 or 14 bits and lossless compression is being used. The primary benefit of using CR2 format is that it allows professional photographers and designers the ability to modify pictures without any drawbacks, unlike some other file formats.
The original version of the TIFF format had no support for compression but by the 5th release of the format, LZW compression (a lossless compression algorithm) was supported. However, the format can also be used to store data in a lossless format without compression. This cannot be done though if the TIFF file is acting as an archive for JPEG data which is inherently lossy. TIFF supports monochrome, grayscale, palette color, and full true color.
Upload your image file in the CR2 format from your device, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Select TIFF as the output format and click Convert. Adjust optional settings if needed.
Download the converted image file. Each file stays available for up to 5 downloads.