BMP vs canon-cr3 Format Comparison
BMP
Bitmap Image File
image/bmp
VS
Canon RAW 3
image/x-canon-cr3
canon-cr3
A complete technical comparison of Bitmap Image File and Canon RAW 3 — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
BMP wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | BMP | canon-cr3 |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | Yes |
Bitmap Image File
image/bmp
Extension
.bmp.dib
Container
BMP / DIB
Compression
Uncompressed / RLE
Algorithm
NoneRLE (Run-Length Encoding)
Color Depth
1-bit, 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation
Released
1985
Magic Bytes
42 4D
Canon RAW 3
image/x-canon-cr3
Extension
.cr3
Container
ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 14496-12)
Compression
Lossless / Lossy (C-RAW)
Algorithm
Canon Proprietary LosslessCanon Proprietary Lossy (C-RAW)
Color Depth
14-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Canon Inc.
Released
2018
Magic Bytes
00 00 00 18 66 74 79 70 63 72 78 20
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | BMP | canon-cr3 |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✓ All
|
✕ |
Firefox
|
✓ All
|
✕ |
Safari
|
✓ All
|
✕ |
Edge
|
✓ All
|
✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✓
|
✕ |
BMP
BMP Strengths
- Universally supported across almost all operating systems, image editors, and programming languages
- Lossless quality (since it is typically uncompressed, no visual data is lost)
- Extremely simple file structure makes it easy to read and write programmatically
Limitations
- Massive file sizes make it entirely unsuitable for web delivery or network transfers
- No native animation support
- Lacks modern features like EXIF metadata and widespread transparency support
canon-cr3
canon-cr3 Strengths
- Maintains 14-bit uncompressed sensor data, offering massive flexibility for recovering shadows and highlights in post-production
- The new C-RAW format offers roughly 40% smaller file sizes than uncompressed raw with virtually indistinguishable quality loss
- Utilizes the modern and extensible ISOBMFF container, moving away from archaic TIFF limitations
Limitations
- Being a proprietary format, it requires frequent software updates to third-party editing tools (like Lightroom or Capture One) every time a new camera model is released
- Completely unsupported in web browsers and standard operating system image viewers without specialized raw codecs
- Larger file sizes than in-camera JPEGs, requiring more storage space and processing power
When to choose which format
BMP
Use BMP when…
- Windows Desktop Wallpapers
- Legacy Windows Applications
- Simple Image Editing
canon-cr3
Use canon-cr3 when…
- Professional Digital Photography
- Non-destructive Image Editing
- High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging
Convert & Edit Online
Free online web tools for BMP and canon-cr3 files.
Free Image Resizer
Editor
Resize, scale, crop, and modify dimensions for any photo or graphic.
Use Tool
Image Metadata Remover
Privacy
Clean EXIF, camera, lens, and location tags from your photos.
Use Tool
WebP to JPG Converter
Universal
Convert modern web images to universal high-compatibility JPG.
Use Tool
Compress WebP Images
Optimizer
Reduce image file sizes for faster web performance.
Use Tool