Image MIME Reference
AVIF
AV1 Image File Format
image/avif
VS
Canon Raw Format
image/x-canon-crw
Canon-CRW
A complete technical comparison of AV1 Image File Format and Canon Raw Format — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
AVIF wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | AVIF | Canon-CRW |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | Yes | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | ✕ No |
AV1 Image File Format
image/avif
Extension
.avif
Container
HEIF / ISOBMFF
Compression
AV1 Lossy / AV1 Lossless
Algorithm
AV1
Color Depth
8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit
Developed by
Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia)
Released
2019
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 61 76 69 66
Canon Raw Format
image/x-canon-crw
Extension
.crw
Container
CIFF (Camera Image File Format)
Compression
Lossless JPEG (ITU-T81)
Algorithm
Lossless JPEG
Color Depth
10-bit (Per Channel), 12-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Canon Inc.
Released
1998
Magic Bytes
49 49 1A 00 00 00 (Header) / 48 45 41 50 43 43 44 52 (HEAPCCDR signature near end)
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | AVIF | Canon-CRW |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✓ 85+
|
✕ |
Firefox
|
✓ 93+
|
✕ |
Safari
|
✓ 16+
|
✕ |
Edge
|
✓ 121+
|
✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
AVIF
AVIF Strengths
- Best-in-class compression — typically 20–50% smaller than WebP at equivalent quality
- Native HDR and wide color gamut (BT.2020) support
- Supports 8, 10, and 12-bit color depth
Limitations
- Encoding is highly CPU-intensive — significantly slower than JPEG or WebP
- Requires Edge 121+ (not supported in earlier Edge versions)
- Limited support in native desktop image viewers
Canon-CRW
Canon-CRW Strengths
- 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
When to choose which format
AVIF
Use AVIF when…
- Next-Gen Websites
- HDR Photography
- High-Quality Web Images
Canon-CRW
Use Canon-CRW when…
- Historical Digital Photography (2000-2004)
- Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
- Raw Imaging Archival