The .CR2 file format belongs to Cannon’s Raw Image files. These are the default file format which are produced when photographs are taken with Cannon’s Digital cameras. This is a proprietary file format.

The major drawback of using this file format in your storage is the inability for compression. As the name suggests, these files are RAW and store the image data in a digital format on a “as-is” basis with no compression at all. This file type allows for a lot of improvement and enhancing using photo editing software and later those processed results can be stored as JPEG format.