CR2 to TGA Converter
Convert CR2 to TGA in your browser. The large JPEG preview in the first directory is what gets converted; it carries the Picture Style that was active when you shot. No raw development happens here. You get a run-length encoded 32-bit TGA with alpha. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
RAW expected · other image formats also work
How to use CR2 to TGA
- 1
Add your CR2 files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the TGA is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .tga files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for cr2 to tga
Where the TGA goes next
TGA opens in Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Photoshop, GIMP and Substance tools.
TGA next to CR2
The TGA holds the camera preview's pixels with lossless compression: usually smaller than a 20 to 50 MB raw file, though far larger than a JPEG of the same photo.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the CR2 is a camera JPEG; the TGA stores its decoded pixels losslessly, 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.
CR2 vs TGA
What changes from CR2 to TGA
Encoding: the CR2 uses lossless JPEG-compressed sensor data, cut into vertical slices; TGA uses uncompressed or run-length encoded (RLE), and the download is a run-length encoded 32-bit TGA with alpha.
Bit depth: 12 or 14 bits per channel in the CR2; TGA allows 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32 bits per pixel, and the TGA written here has 32 bits per pixel. The sensor's 14 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.
Colour: camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, with the Picture Style recorded in the maker notes in the CR2; TGA supports RGB, greyscale or a colour map, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the CR2 can carry EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews; TGA can carry an image ID field and an optional extension area with author and date, but nothing is copied across.
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 usually come from Canon EOS DSLRs made from 2004 to 2018, such as the 5D Mark II and III, 6D, 7D and the Rebel series.
About TGA
TGA is a simple raster format still widely used for game textures and 3D rendering pipelines because it stores alpha channels reliably and loads fast.
A TGA has an 18-byte header (ID length, colour map type, image type 2 for true colour or 10 for RLE, origin, size, bits per pixel and a descriptor byte whose bits give the alpha depth and whether rows run top-down), then the pixels; version 2 files end with a 'TRUEVISION-XFILE' footer.
When converting CR2 to TGA makes sense
TGA is the better choice for game textures and 3D software, while CR2 suits editing Canon photos in a raw developer.
TGA strengths: Reliable alpha channel; Fast and simple to load; Common in game engines. Drawbacks to weigh: Large files; Not viewable in browsers.
Limitations
- The 14-bit sensor data, with its highlight and shadow latitude, is not developed here; use a raw editor when you need to recover detail.
- The run-length encoding used here is lossless, and game engines read compressed and uncompressed TGA alike.
- TGA files do not open in browsers, so keep a PNG for previews.
More conversions
Related tools
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting CR2 to TGA lose quality?
TGA is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Those pixels come from the camera's JPEG preview, so its compression stays, but nothing new is lost. The sensor's 14 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.
Which apps open TGA files?
Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Photoshop, GIMP and Substance tools. It does not open in web browsers.
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.