Camera RAW conversion
Convert CR2 to BMP
Updated Jul 2026
CR2 is the RAW format Canon cameras save in RAW mode, and BMP is an old Windows image format with no compression. To convert, open the RAW file in a converter and export it as BMP. Doing this on your own computer keeps the photo, and its embedded camera data, off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .cr2
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Canon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .bmp
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Legacy Windows images
- Transparency
- None
Convert CR2 to BMP on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert CR2 to BMP
- Open Morphjet and drag in the CR2 files you want to convert, or drop in a whole folder of RAW shots at once.
- Choose BMP as the output format.
- Convert. The BMP files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
CR2 vs BMP: what actually changes
| CR2 | BMP | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Moderate, RAW data with some in-camera compression | Very large, every pixel stored with no compression |
| Quality | Full sensor data, nothing discarded | Lossless, but only for the one rendering you exported |
| Editing flexibility | High, adjust exposure and white balance after the shot | None, the image is already flattened |
| Compatibility | Needs RAW-aware software, not viewable in most apps by default | Opens in almost anything on Windows, going back decades |
| Keeps camera data (EXIF) | Yes, full camera and shooting data | No, metadata is generally lost |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert CR2 to BMP when an older program, embedded device, or specific workflow requires an uncompressed bitmap and won't accept RAW files or even JPG.
Keep the CR2 original if you plan to edit the photo further, since converting to BMP flattens all the exposure and white balance information a RAW file holds, and the result is a much larger file for no real gain in quality.
Why not just use an online converter?
CR2 files carry the same embedded EXIF data as any Canon RAW capture, including camera settings and, for some cameras, GPS location if it was turned on. Run that file through an online converter and the RAW data, camera details, and any location tag travel to someone else's server before you get anything back. Converting on your own computer keeps the original RAW file, and everything it recorded about the shot, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting CR2 to BMP lose quality?
The conversion itself doesn't compress the image further, but you are baking in one specific rendering of the RAW file. You lose the ability to re-adjust exposure, white balance, or highlights the way you could with the original CR2.
Why would I want a BMP instead of a JPG?
Mostly for compatibility with older or very specific software that expects an uncompressed bitmap, or for workflows that call for BMP by name. For everyday sharing, JPG is smaller and just as widely supported.
Will the BMP keep my camera's metadata?
No. BMP doesn't have a standard place to store EXIF data, so the camera settings, date, and any GPS location in the CR2 are dropped during conversion.
Why is the BMP so much bigger than the CR2?
CR2 files use some in-camera compression on the RAW sensor data, while BMP stores every pixel of the final image with no compression at all, so the exported file is often several times larger.
Can I convert CR2 to BMP without uploading my photos?
Yes. Morphjet converts RAW files on your own computer, so the CR2 and everything recorded in it never leave your machine, even with no internet connection.
Morphjet converts CR2, BMP, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.