Camera RAW
What is a CRW file?
Updated Jul 2026
CRW is Canon's older RAW image format, used by early PowerShot and EOS cameras before Canon switched to CR2. It stores the raw, unprocessed data straight off the sensor, so nothing is lost to compression. The catch is that CRW is a legacy format, and a lot of current software has quietly dropped support for it.
- Extension
- .crw
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Older Canon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why CRW exists
Canon introduced CRW in the late 1990s for its first digital cameras, including early PowerShot and EOS models. It was one of the first RAW formats aimed at consumers rather than just studio photographers, and it stuck around through the early 2000s before Canon replaced it with CR2.
Like other RAW formats, a CRW file holds the sensor data almost exactly as captured, along with camera settings and metadata, rather than a processed, compressed image. That gives you full control over exposure, white balance, and color when editing, at the cost of a much larger file than a JPG.
People run into CRW today mostly through old camera archives, hand-me-down equipment, or scanned family photo collections shot on early digital Canons. Since Canon moved on to CR2 and then CR3 years ago, current editing software and photo apps increasingly treat CRW as an afterthought, which is usually the moment someone needs to convert it to something newer.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Captures full sensor detail with no compression loss
- Keeps camera settings and shooting metadata intact
- Gives complete control over exposure and color in editing
Watch-outs
- Superseded by CR2 and CR3, so support is fading
- Large file size compared to JPG or PNG
- Many current apps and viewers can't open it at all
- Needs dedicated software just to preview, let alone edit
A note on privacy
A CRW file carries EXIF metadata, including the camera model, shooting settings, and sometimes GPS coordinates if the camera recorded them. Uploading an old RAW archive to a web-based converter means that metadata, and potentially years of location history, leaves your machine. Converting CRW files on your own computer keeps the images and everything attached to them local.
Questions
How do I open a CRW file?
You'll need software that still supports legacy Canon RAW, which is getting harder to find as newer versions drop it. Converting the file to JPG, PNG, or TIFF is usually the more reliable path.
Is CRW better than CR2?
Not really. CR2 replaced CRW because it handled higher resolutions and more metadata as Canon's sensors improved. CRW just reflects what Canon's early digital cameras were capable of at the time.
Why does my old Canon camera save photos as CRW?
If it's a PowerShot or early EOS model from before the mid-2000s, CRW was simply the RAW format Canon used at the time. Newer Canon cameras moved to CR2 and later CR3.
Can I convert CRW without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts CRW files on your own computer, so the images and their embedded camera metadata never get sent to a server.
Morphjet opens and converts CRW and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.