Image MIME Reference
Canon-CR2
Canon Raw Version 2
image/x-canon-cr2
VS
JPEG XR (HD Photo)
image/vnd.ms-photo
JPEG-XR
A complete technical comparison of Canon Raw Version 2 and JPEG XR (HD Photo) — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | Canon-CR2 | JPEG-XR |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | ✕ No | Yes |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | Yes |
| HDR Support | Yes | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | Yes |
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
JPEG XR (HD Photo)
image/vnd.ms-photo
Extension
.jxr.wdp.hdp
Container
TIFF-like Image File Directory (IFD)
Compression
Lossy (Lapped Bi-orthogonal Transform) / Lossless
Algorithm
Lapped Bi-orthogonal Transform (LBT)
Color Depth
8-bit (Grayscale, RGB, CMYK), 16-bit, 32-bit Floating Point (HDR)
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation (later Joint Photographic Experts Group)
Released
2006
Magic Bytes
49 49 BC 01
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | Canon-CR2 | JPEG-XR |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
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
JPEG-XR
JPEG-XR Strengths
- Excellent support for 16-bit and 32-bit floating-point HDR images without massive file size bloat
- Native support for alpha transparency, which standard JPEG fundamentally lacks
- Computational complexity for decoding/encoding is relatively low, making it hardware-friendly
Limitations
- Suffered a complete failure of adoption in the web browser market outside of Microsoft's ecosystem
- Fully superseded by modern, open formats like WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL which offer better compression and universal browser support
- Multiple file extensions (.wdp, .hdp, .jxr) and MIME types cause confusion and parsing fragmentation
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
JPEG-XR
Use JPEG-XR when…
- Legacy Windows Desktop Backgrounds
- XPS (XML Paper Specification) Documents
- Early High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography
- DirectX Textures