CR2

[cwankel]

My images are coming up as CR2 on my card - how can I download and view them on my computer

Alternatively, how do I stop CR2?

[cicopo]

You have set your camera to save images in RAW. You can set it to save them as jpg's or RAW + jpg's and there are different qualities of jpg's you can select.

As for viewing /editing & turning them into jpg's Canon gave you a program to do that on the CD or DVD that came with the camera. It called Digital Photo Prefessional (DPP) which you install & use to work with the CR2's. Alternatively Adobe Elements can be used as well as a few other free programs but each has different pro's & cons.

[Forice_Spamito1]

Question: What if you have already removed the cf card from your camera, moved the pictures to you computer, and put them in a folder. Can you put them back on your camera and make them save a jpeg? So that when you put the pictures back on the computer they will come up as jpeg...? Thank you

[cicopo]

Not likely. The jpg is created when the photo is taken. I don't know of any way to instruct the camera to process the RAW file later.

[TCampbell]

You can convert RAW to JPEG anytime.  You cannot go from JPEG to RAW.  

RAW images have more information and are much easier to adjust. 

[ScottyP]

You are just having trouble viewing the photos because they are CR2 RAW files and not jpg?  

Just use the free Canon software that came with the camera, or download it from the Canon website if you don't have the disk, or just buy Adobe Lightroom.  They will let you view the RAW files and they will also convert the RAW files to JPG so you can share them, print them, etc..  

Super simple once you just do it.  No need to try stuffing them back into the camera or anything. 

[ebiggs1]

If you have a WIndows machine you can view thumbnails as is.  CR2 or jpg doesn't matter.  You need nothing.  You can't do much else, though, without converter software like DPP.

RAW makes the best image the camera can take.  Usually, that is.  But it does require post editing software.

You didn't state what camera you have but in the menu's there will be a selection to use RAW and/or jpg.  Simply change this setting to jpg.  Or, barring that suggestion you can go into the tools menu and clear all settings.  That puts most everything back to factory.

Again using the RAW setting will give you the best and using DPP as the viewer is a painless and seamless way to accomplish this.  It is free.  It is easy.  It is the best.  What more could you ask for?

[ScottyP]

Consider switching to RAW. Or have the camera shoot both RAW + jpg. It is not any tougher to work with, as programs like Adobe Lightroom have a viewer that automatically displays them, and you simply save the keepers as JPG for printing and sharing. It does require you to process he images, though, as they are dull looking in RAW until you work a bit on them.

If you shoot RAW you have much, much more ability to fix basic problems like bad white balance or under/over exposure. It just takes a little practice to learn to process them. YouTube has a million free 3 minute tutorial videos to help you learn. Just Google for them.