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Image MIME Reference
Canon-CR2

Canon Raw Version 2

image/x-canon-cr2
VS

Flexible Image Transport System

image/fits
FITS

A complete technical comparison of Canon Raw Version 2 and Flexible Image Transport System — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature Canon-CR2 FITS
Transparency (Alpha) ✕ No ✕ No
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes Yes
EXIF Metadata Yes ✕ No
ICC Color Profile Yes ✕ No
Canon Raw Version 2
image/x-canon-cr2
Extension
.cr2
Container TIFF
Compression Lossless JPEG (ITU-T81)
Algorithm
Lossless JPEG (ITU-T81)
Color Depth 12-bit (Per Channel), 14-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by Canon Inc.
Released 2004
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 10 00 00 00 43 52 02 00
Full Canon-CR2 reference →
Flexible Image Transport System
image/fits
Extension
.fits.fit.fts
Container FITS
Compression Uncompressed / Tile Compressed (Rice, GZIP)
Algorithm
UncompressedRiceGZIPHcompress
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit (Float/Double)
Developed by IAU FITS Working Group / NASA
Released 1981
Magic Bytes
53 49 4D 50 4C 45 20 20 3D 20
Full FITS reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser Canon-CR2 FITS
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
Canon-CR2

Canon-CR2 Strengths

  • Retains maximum sensor data, allowing extreme recovery of highlights and shadows that would be permanently lost in a JPEG
  • White balance and color profiling are not 'baked in', meaning they can be completely altered in post-production without degrading the image
  • Lossless compression ensures perfect pixel accuracy while reducing file size compared to fully uncompressed formats
Limitations
  • Proprietary format means it requires constant updates to raw processing engines (like Adobe Camera Raw) every time Canon releases a new camera model
  • Produces very large file sizes (often 20MB to 40MB per image depending on sensor resolution)
  • Cannot be directly embedded into web pages or used in standard HTML/CSS contexts
FITS

FITS Strengths

  • The undisputed global standard for archiving and sharing astronomical data
  • Self-documenting: Headers are written in plain ASCII, ensuring data is readable decades later regardless of software
  • Supports incredibly high dynamic range, N-dimensional arrays, and complex binary tables
Limitations
  • No support in standard consumer software or web browsers
  • Uncompressed raw FITS files from modern telescopes can be excessively large
  • Does not use standard metadata models like EXIF or XMP, requiring specialized parsers

When to choose which format

Canon-CR2
Use Canon-CR2 when…
  • Professional Digital Photography
  • Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging Archival
FITS
Use FITS when…
  • Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • Space Telescope Data (Hubble, JWST)
  • Scientific Data Archiving
  • Spectroscopy

More comparisons

Canon-CR2 vs ACES → FITS vs ACES → Canon-CR2 vs APNG → FITS vs APNG → Canon-CR2 vs AVCI → FITS vs AVCI → Canon-CR2 vs AVCS → FITS vs AVCS → Canon-CR2 vs AVIF → FITS vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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