Camera RAW conversion
Convert CR3 to PNG
Updated Jul 2026
CR3 is Canon's raw photo format, which needs special software to open and holds much more editing latitude than a finished photo. PNG is a lossless format that opens in any browser or app, no special software needed. Converting on your own computer keeps the raw file, and its metadata, off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .cr3
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Newer Canon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .png
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Screenshots, logos, UI assets
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert CR3 to PNG on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert CR3 to PNG
- Open Morphjet and drag in the CR3 files, or a whole folder straight from your card if you're batching a shoot.
- Choose PNG as the output format.
- Convert. The PNGs are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
CR3 vs PNG: what actually changes
| CR3 | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Large, tens of megabytes per shot | Usually smaller, but still sizable for detailed photos |
| Quality | Lossless, full raw sensor data | Lossless, but the pixels are now fixed |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs Canon software or a raw-aware app | Yes, every browser, OS, and app |
| Further editing (exposure, white balance) | Yes, full raw adjustments possible | No, only pixel-level edits from here |
| Transparency | No | Yes, supported, though a straight photo won't use it |
| Keeps camera and shooting data (EXIF) | Yes | Yes, unless you strip it |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert CR3 to PNG when you need the photo in a format any app, browser, or design tool can open without special software, especially if you want a lossless copy for pixel editing or compositing that calls for transparency.
Keep the CR3 if you might reprocess the shot later, adjusting exposure, white balance, or recovering highlight and shadow detail, because once it's a PNG that raw editing latitude is gone for good.
Why not just use an online converter?
CR3 files carry EXIF metadata like camera model, lens, and exposure settings, and on some cameras the GPS location of the shot. Run that file through an online converter and all of it travels to their servers along with the image. Converting on your own machine means the raw file, and the metadata, never leave your computer.
Questions
Does converting CR3 to PNG lose quality?
The conversion itself is lossless, PNG doesn't recompress with loss. But you do lose the raw file's editing latitude. Once it's a PNG, you can't go back and adjust exposure or white balance the way you could with the original CR3.
Will the PNG be a huge file?
Usually smaller than the CR3, but PNG doesn't compress photographic detail as efficiently as JPG, so a full-resolution photo can still be tens of megabytes. If size matters more than pixel-perfect quality, JPG is often the better target.
Does the PNG keep the photo's metadata?
Yes. Camera settings and, if your camera recorded it, GPS location carry over into the PNG unless it's deliberately stripped.
Can I open a CR3 file without Canon software?
Not directly. Most browsers, image viewers, and design tools can't read raw CR3 files, which is exactly why converting to PNG or another universal format is often the first step.
Can I convert CR3 to PNG without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts the file locally on your Mac or Windows machine, so it never has to leave your computer or touch the internet.
Morphjet converts CR3, PNG, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.