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ORF to CR2 Converter

Convert ORF 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

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RAW expected · other image formats also work

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How to use ORF to CR2

  1. 1

    Add your ORF files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.

  2. 2

    There is nothing to tune: the DNG is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.

  3. 3

    Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.

  4. 4

    Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.

Why use Aback Images for orf 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 ORF

The DNG stores the camera preview's pixels uncompressed, so it can be as large as the 12 to 30 MB raw file, or larger, depending on the preview's resolution.

No new artefacts

The preview inside the ORF is a camera JPEG; the DNG stores its 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.

ORF vs CR2

What changes from ORF to CR2

Encoding: the ORF uses losslessly compressed sensor data, with a preview and thumbnail; 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: 12 bits per channel in the ORF; CR2 allows 12 or 14 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. The sensor's 12 bits are not used: the 8-bit camera preview is converted.

Colour: camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic in the ORF; CR2 supports camera RGB from a Bayer mosaic, with the Picture Style recorded in the maker notes, written here as 8-bit sRGB.

Metadata: the ORF can carry EXIF and Olympus maker notes, which also contain the preview; CR2 can carry EXIF, Canon maker notes (Picture Style, lens, focus points) and the embedded previews, but nothing is copied across.

About ORF

ORF is the raw format of Olympus and OM System cameras, built around Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds sensors. It stores 12-bit sensor data with a JPEG preview kept inside Olympus's maker notes.

ORF looks like TIFF but replaces the version number 42 with the letters 'RO', so a little-endian file starts 'IIRO' and generic TIFF readers reject it. Its JPEG preview is not in the main image directory but inside the camera-settings block of Olympus's maker notes.

ORF files usually come from Olympus E-series DSLRs, OM-D and PEN mirrorless cameras and OM System bodies.

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 ORF 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 ORF 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

  • The preview inside the maker notes is found by scanning the whole file, and that preview is what gets converted.
  • High Res Shot files combine several exposures in camera; the preview shows the combined result at its stored size.
  • The DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the ORF.

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. This converter reads the JPEG preview inside the ORF, not its sensor data, so it cannot make one either. 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.

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.