Camera RAW conversion
Convert CR3 to JPG
Updated Jul 2026
CR3 is the RAW format newer Canon cameras save to, and JPG is the format everything else can open. To convert CR3 to JPG, open the file in a converter and export it as JPG. Doing this on your own computer keeps the untouched RAW data, and any location or camera details attached to it, off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .cr3
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Newer Canon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .jpg
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- The universal photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert CR3 to JPG on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert CR3 to JPG
- Open Morphjet and drag in the CR3 files from your camera or memory card. Add one photo or a whole folder at once.
- Choose JPG as the output format, and set a quality level if file size matters.
- Convert. The JPGs land next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
CR3 vs JPG: what actually changes
| CR3 | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | No, needs RAW-capable software | Yes, universal support |
| File size | Large, often 25-45MB per photo | Much smaller, typically a few MB |
| Quality | Lossless, full sensor data | Very good, with a one-time loss on export |
| Color depth | 14-bit, wide editing latitude | 8-bit, fine for viewing and sharing |
| Ready to view or print | No, needs processing first | Yes, immediately |
| Keeps camera and date info (EXIF) | Yes | Yes, unless you strip it |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert CR3 to JPG once you're done editing and just need a photo you can share, upload, email, or print without everyone needing special software to open it.
Keep the CR3 original if you might edit the photo again later, since a CR3 holds the full, untouched sensor data and a lot more room to adjust exposure or color than a JPG ever will.
Why not just use an online converter?
CR3 files carry the camera's EXIF data, and often the GPS location where the photo was taken, straight from the sensor. Send that file to an online converter and a stranger's server gets the original RAW data along with it. Converting on your own computer means the photo, and everything embedded in it, stays on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting CR3 to JPG lose quality?
Yes, some. JPG compresses the image and drops it from 14-bit color down to 8-bit, so you lose some of the editing latitude RAW gives you. For a finished photo you're sharing or printing, it's not noticeable.
Will the JPG keep the photo's date and location?
Yes. The camera model, date, and GPS location stored in the CR3 carry over to the JPG unless you strip the metadata first. Worth checking before you post photos publicly.
Why does my Canon camera shoot CR3 instead of JPG?
CR3 stores the full, unprocessed data straight off the sensor, which gives you far more room to adjust exposure, white balance, and color afterward. The trade-off is that almost nothing outside of RAW-capable software can open it, which is why people convert finished photos to JPG.
Can I convert CR3 to JPG without uploading my photos?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet does the conversion on your own computer, so the RAW files never travel over the internet. It works the same with your wifi off.
Can I still edit the photo after converting to JPG?
You can, but you'll be working with less data. Once it's a JPG, big exposure or white balance corrections start to show artifacts that the original CR3 could have absorbed. It's best to finish your edits before converting.
Morphjet converts CR3, JPG, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.