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Canon-CRW

Canon Raw Format

image/x-canon-crw Released 1998 · by Canon Inc.

The image/x-canon-crw MIME type represents the first-generation Canon Raw (CRW) file format, introduced in the late 1990s and used heavily in early-2000s digital cameras (such as the Canon EOS D30, 10D, Digital Rebel/300D, and early PowerShot G series). Unlike its successor (CR2), which is built on the TIFF standard, CRW is based on the proprietary Camera Image File Format (CIFF) structure. It stores minimally processed, losslessly compressed sensor data, basic EXIF metadata, and embedded thumbnail previews. It was officially superseded by the CR2 format in 2004.

Photography & Raw Imaging ✦ HDR Production Ready

Technical Specifications

MIME Type
image/x-canon-crw
Extensions
.crw
Container
CIFF (Camera Image File Format)
Compression
Lossless JPEG (ITU-T81)
Algorithms
Lossless JPEG
Color Depth
10-bit (Per Channel), 12-bit (Per Channel)
Metadata
EXIF
Capabilities
Transparency
Animation
Progressive Loading
Alpha Channel
HDR Support
Official Specification
Aliases: image/crw

Magic Bytes & HTTP Headers

File Signature (Magic Bytes)
49 49 1A 00 00 00 (Header) / 48 45 41 50 43 43 44 52 (HEAPCCDR signature near end)
ASCII: II\x1a... / HEAPCCDR
HTTP Headers
Content-Type: image/x-canon-crw
HTML Accept Attribute
accept="image/x-canon-crw, .crw"

Browser Support Matrix

Browser Status Min Version
Chrome Chrome
Not Supported
Firefox Firefox
Not Supported
Safari Safari
Not Supported
Edge Edge
Not Supported
Internet Explorer Internet Explorer
Not Supported Legacy

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages
  • Preserves original raw sensor data from foundational early digital SLR cameras, allowing for modern noise reduction and demosaicing algorithms to extract better images than software could in 2003
  • Files are remarkably small (often 6-8 MB) compared to modern 40MB+ raw files due to the lower megapixel count of early sensors
Limitations
  • Completely obsolete and utilizes the idiosyncratic CIFF structure rather than the modern, standardized TIFF/EP structure
  • Cannot be natively viewed in web browsers or standard operating system image viewers without specialized codecs
  • Less robust metadata support compared to modern CR2 or CR3 formats

Developer Code Snippets

import magic
# Libmagic can identify CRW files by recognizing the CIFF 'HEAPCCDR' tail or standard headers
print(magic.from_file('archive.crw', mime=True)) # Outputs 'image/x-canon-crw'
const FileType = require('file-type');
const type = await FileType.fromFile('archive.crw');
console.log(type.mime); // Outputs 'image/x-canon-crw'
import (
    "bytes"
    "net/http"
)
// Native Go HTTP detection does not recognize CIFF natively. 
// You must implement a custom parser to locate 'HEAPCCDR' near the EOF or check the 'II\x1a' prefix.
$mime = mime_content_type('archive.crw');
echo $mime; // Resolves to 'image/x-canon-crw' on updated servers

File Detection Steps

How to programmatically detect a image/x-canon-crw file by reading its raw bytes:

  1. 1 CRW files utilizing the CIFF format typically begin with the little-endian byte order mark 'II' (Hex: 49 49) followed by the heap start offset.
  2. 2 Unlike TIFF, the CIFF directory structure is located at the end of the file. A definitive identifier is the ASCII string 'HEAPCCDR' (Hex: 48 45 41 50 43 43 44 52) located near the EOF.

Software Support

A
Adobe Lightroom Classic / CC
C
Capture One
R
RawTherapee
ImageMagick ImageMagick

Conversion Tools

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JSON API

All data on this page is available as a free, open JSON API. Use it in your project, documentation, or tooling.

GET https://freewebptojpg.com/mime/image/canon-crw.json Open JSON
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No auth required
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Use from any domain
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CRW file?

A CRW file is a legacy raw image file generated by early Canon digital cameras (manufactured prior to 2004). It contains raw, unprocessed sensor data that requires specialized software to 'develop' into a standard viewable image.

What is the difference between Canon CRW and CR2?

CRW is Canon's first-generation raw format based on the Camera Image File Format (CIFF) tree structure. CR2 is the second-generation format (introduced in 2004) that abandoned CIFF in favor of the more universally supported TIFF file structure.

How do I open or convert a CRW file today?

Despite its age, CRW is still broadly supported by professional photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Camera Raw, Capture One, and open-source raw converters like RawTherapee and darktable. You can use these tools to export the CRW into modern formats like JPEG, PNG, or DNG.

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