AVIF to CR2 Converter
Convert AVIF to CR2 in your browser. You download a Linear DNG (.dng), not a .cr2: only a Canon camera can create a genuine CR2, and every editor that opens CR2 also opens DNG. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
AVIF expected · other image formats also work
How to use AVIF to CR2
- 1
Add your AVIF files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Pick the colour that replaces transparent areas, since DNG has none.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for avif to cr2
Where a CR2 would go
CR2 files are opened by Canon Digital Photo Professional, Lightroom, Photoshop Camera Raw, Capture One and darktable, and every one of them opens the DNG too.
DNG next to AVIF
The DNG is written uncompressed, so expect it to be several times larger than the AVIF, which stores lossy or lossless AV1 intra-frame coding.
No new artefacts
AVIF is already lossy, since it stores lossy or lossless AV1 intra-frame coding; the DNG keeps the decoded pixels uncompressed, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
AVIF vs CR2
What changes from AVIF to CR2
Encoding: the AVIF uses lossy or lossless AV1 intra-frame coding; CR2 uses lossless JPEG-compressed sensor data, cut into vertical slices, and the download is a Linear DNG: demosaiced 8-bit RGB with the colour matrices raw editors need.
Bit depth: 8, 10 or 12 bits per channel in the AVIF; CR2 allows 12 or 14 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. 10 and 12-bit AVIFs, including HDR ones, are decoded to 8 bits per channel.
Colour: YUV 4:4:4 or 4:2:0 with BT.709, Display P3 or BT.2020 primaries, HDR curves possible in the AVIF; CR2 supports camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, with the Picture Style recorded in the maker notes, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the AVIF stores it as an auxiliary AV1 image stored beside the colour image; the DNG has none, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.
Animation: an AV1 image sequence under the 'avis' brand; the DNG holds one image, so only the first frame is converted.
Metadata: the AVIF can carry EXIF, XMP and ICC stored as HEIF items; CR2 can carry EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews, but nothing is copied across.
About AVIF
AVIF uses the AV1 video codec for still images. It is the most efficient widely supported format, often half the size of JPEG, with HDR, wide colour and transparency, but encoding is slow.
An AVIF is a HEIF file, the same ISO base media boxes as MP4, with the brand 'avif'. The picture is an AV1 key frame stored as an image item, and its size, colour and pixel layout are item properties.
AVIF files usually come from image CDNs, modern web build pipelines and some recent phones.
About CR2
CR2 is the raw format of Canon EOS cameras from 2004 until CR3 replaced it in 2018. It holds the sensor's 12 or 14-bit readings, losslessly compressed, plus a large JPEG preview rendered with the camera's Picture Style.
CR2 is TIFF-based: the TIFF header is followed by the letters 'CR' and version 2.0, then four image directories: a large JPEG preview with the EXIF block, a 160×120 thumbnail, a small uncompressed RGB image, and the sensor data as lossless JPEG cut into vertical slices.
CR2 files come from Canon EOS DSLRs made from 2004 to 2018, such as the 5D Mark II and III, 6D, 7D and the Rebel series.
When converting AVIF to CR2 makes sense
Forms and workflows that ask for CR2 usually feed a raw editor, and each of those opens DNG as well, so the DNG can take the CR2's place. Keep the AVIF if you only need to view or share the picture.
What CR2 offers when it comes straight from the camera: Large embedded JPEG rendered with the camera's Picture Style; Lossless 12 or 14-bit sensor data; Widely supported after fourteen years of Canon DSLRs. Its drawbacks: Replaced by CR3 in 2018, so current Canon bodies no longer write it; 20 to 50 MB per photo; Sliced lossless JPEG data that only raw decoders can read.
Limitations
- Almost any other format needs more bytes than AVIF for the same picture, so expect the file to grow.
- HDR and wide-gamut AVIFs are mapped to standard sRGB on decode, so very bright highlights can look flatter than on an HDR screen.
- The DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the AVIF.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do I get a .dng file instead of a .cr2?
A real CR2 is written by Canon cameras and holds the sensor's own readings (12 or 14 bits per channel, stored as lossless JPEG-compressed sensor data, cut into vertical slices) along with EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews. An AVIF holds no sensor data, so no software outside the camera can create a genuine CR2. The Linear DNG you get instead is Adobe's open raw format, and every editor that opens CR2 files opens it with the same raw controls. It holds decoded pixels, so it adds no quality or dynamic range.
Does converting AVIF to CR2 lose quality?
DNG is written uncompressed, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Artefacts already in the AVIF stay, but nothing new is lost. 10 and 12-bit AVIFs, including HDR ones, are decoded to 8 bits per channel.
What happens to transparency when converting AVIF to CR2?
AVIF stores transparency as an auxiliary AV1 image stored beside the colour image. DNG has no alpha channel, so transparent pixels are composited onto a solid colour, white unless you pick another. To keep transparency, convert to PNG, WebP or AVIF instead.
Will my animated AVIF stay animated?
No. DNG holds a single image, so only the first frame is kept. Convert to animated WebP, APNG or GIF to keep the motion, or export every frame with the GIF Frame Extractor.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.