Camera RAW conversion
Convert CR3 to BMP
Updated Jul 2026
CR3 is the RAW format Canon's newer cameras shoot in, holding the full sensor data. BMP is an old Windows image format some legacy software still expects. To convert, open the CR3 in a converter and export it as BMP. Doing this on your own computer keeps the photo, and its camera data, off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .cr3
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Newer Canon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .bmp
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Legacy Windows images
- Transparency
- None
Convert CR3 to BMP on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert CR3 to BMP
- Open Morphjet and drag in the CR3 files from your camera, or a whole folder of them at once.
- Choose BMP as the output format.
- Convert. The BMP files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
CR3 vs BMP: what actually changes
| CR3 | BMP | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Large, roughly 25 to 40MB depending on the camera | Very large, uncompressed pixel data, often bigger than the CR3 |
| Quality | Full sensor data, lossless, meant to be processed | Lossless, but a finished, already-rendered image |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs Canon software or a RAW-aware app | Yes, close to universal, though it's an old format |
| Editing flexibility | High, exposure and white balance can still be adjusted | None, whatever was baked in at export is final |
| Keeps camera data (EXIF) | Yes, full shooting and camera data | No, BMP has no place to store it |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert CR3 to BMP when you need a finished, uncompressed image for an older Windows program, a legacy print workflow, or any software that can't read Canon's RAW format at all.
Keep the CR3 original if you still plan to adjust exposure, white balance, or color, because BMP locks in whatever settings were applied and drops the RAW data you'd need to change your mind later.
Why not just use an online converter?
CR3 files carry metadata straight from the camera, including the date, lens, and settings used, and sometimes GPS location if it was turned on. Send that RAW file to an online converter and all of it reaches someone else's server before you ever see the BMP. Converting on your own computer keeps the photo, and everything attached to it, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting CR3 to BMP lose quality?
The pixels aren't recompressed, since BMP is lossless, but you lose the RAW flexibility. Once it's a BMP, the exposure and color are locked in, and you can't reprocess the shot the way you could with the original CR3.
Will the BMP keep the photo's camera data?
No. BMP has no field for metadata, so the date, camera model, lens, and any GPS location stored in the CR3 don't carry over. Keep the original CR3 if you need that information later.
Why convert a Canon RAW file to BMP instead of JPG or PNG?
Most people wouldn't for everyday sharing, JPG or PNG are smaller and just as compatible. BMP mostly comes up when an older program, printer, or Windows workflow specifically asks for it.
Can I convert CR3 to BMP without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet reads the CR3 and writes the BMP on your own computer, so the photo never has to leave your machine or touch the internet.
Morphjet converts CR3, BMP, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.