Free online CRW to TIFF converter

What the CRW format is

CRW is Canon's older RAW image format, based on the Camera Image File Format (CIFF). Early Canon PowerShot and EOS digital cameras created CRW files, commonly using the .crw extension with an accompanying .thm thumbnail file.

A CRW contains minimally processed sensor data rather than a finished RGB photograph. Applications such as Canon Digital Photo Professional, Adobe Camera Raw, darktable, RawTherapee, and dcraw can interpret the sensor data and apply white balance, demosaicing, exposure, and color settings.

What the TIFF format is

TIFF is a raster image format used in professional editing, printing, scanning, publishing, and long-term storage. It supports 8-bit and 16-bit channels, RGB and grayscale images, embedded metadata, and lossless compression such as LZW or ZIP.

TIFF is preferable to JPEG when repeated editing, high-quality printing, or archival storage matters. It is not a RAW format: after conversion, the image has been rendered with selected white balance, exposure, color, and demosaicing decisions, so the original sensor data cannot be recovered from the TIFF.

How to convert CRW to TIFF

Using 101convert.com

1. Open the CRW-to-TIFF converter on 101convert.com; it can convert the file online for free without installing software.
2. Upload the .crw file and select TIFF as the output format.
3. Start the conversion and download the generated .tif or .tiff file.
4. Open the result in an image viewer or editor and verify its orientation, colors, dimensions, and metadata before deleting the original CRW.

Using darktable

1. Import the CRW file into darktable.
2. Open it in the darkroom and adjust exposure, white balance, highlights, noise reduction, and color as required.
3. In the lighttable, select the image and choose Export.
4. Set File format to TIFF, choose 16-bit if the workflow supports it, and select LZW or ZIP compression for lossless output.
5. Set the output color profile, normally sRGB for general sharing or a supplied printer profile for managed printing, then export.

Using dcraw from the command line

Install a dcraw build that supports the camera's CRW variant, open a terminal in the folder containing the file, and run:

dcraw -T -6 -W file.crw

The -T option writes TIFF, -6 requests 16-bit output, and -W uses the camera white balance. For a linear 16-bit TIFF suitable for further color processing, use:

dcraw -T -4 -6 file.crw

dcraw normally creates a TIFF beside the source file. Its rendering controls are limited compared with a modern RAW editor, so darktable, RawTherapee, or Canon Digital Photo Professional is usually better when exposure and color adjustments are needed.

Quality and compatibility considerations

• Choose 16-bit TIFF when the CRW will be edited or printed; 8-bit output reduces tonal headroom and can reveal banding after substantial adjustments.
• Use LZW or ZIP compression to reduce TIFF size without reducing image quality. Avoid JPEG-compressed TIFF when the file will undergo further editing.
• Set the output color space deliberately. sRGB is the safest choice for ordinary viewing; Adobe RGB or a printer-specific profile is appropriate only when the complete workflow supports it.
• Keep the original CRW because TIFF conversion renders the RAW data and may omit some proprietary camera metadata, maker notes, or thumbnail information.
• Very old CRW variants are not supported by every current application. If a converter cannot open the file, update the RAW processor or use Canon Digital Photo Professional, which may provide better support for Canon camera-specific data.