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How to open and edit Canon CR3 and C-RAW on iPhone and iPad
An iPhone or iPad can open and edit Canon CR3 files, including C-RAW, as long as your camera is on Apple's supported list. Copy the CR3s over with a card reader or Canon Camera Connect (set to keep RAW), then open them in an editor that reads camera RAW. Dual Pixel RAW files open too, as normal photos; the Dual Pixel adjustments need Canon's desktop software.
Which Canon cameras work?
On iPhone, iPad and Mac, most editors use Apple's built-in RAW decoder, so it's Apple's support that counts. On version 27 our supported cameras page lists 168 Canon models: the EOS R range from the original EOS R to the R1, R5 Mark II and R6 Mark III, the EOS M range, DSLRs back to the EOS D30 and the original EOS-1D, and many PowerShots. Older bodies write CR2 or CRW, newer ones CR3. Apple's own list is Digital camera RAW formats supported by version 27 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
Unlike Nikon and Fujifilm, Canon models have no compression notes on Apple's lists for version 18, 26 or 27. If your camera is listed and your device is up to date, its CR3s should open.
RAW vs C-RAW
Most recent Canon bodies offer two RAW types. RAW is Canon's full-size file. C-RAW is a compressed version that's much smaller and lets the camera shoot longer bursts. C-RAW uses lossy compression, but in comparisons such as Fstoppers' RAW vs C-RAW test the difference was minimal, even in underexposed shots brought back in editing.
For a sense of the saving, the R6 Mark II sample files on raw.pixls.us come to about 29 MB as RAW and 16 MB as C-RAW for the same camera. Sizes vary with scene and ISO.
Does C-RAW open on Apple devices?
We decoded public sample files with Apple's RAW decoder on macOS 27.0.1. All of these opened and rendered normally:
| Camera | Files tested |
|---|---|
| EOS R6 Mark II | RAW, C-RAW, Dual Pixel RAW, Dual Pixel C-RAW |
| EOS R5 | Dual Pixel C-RAW |
| EOS R5 Mark II | RAW, C-RAW |
| EOS R6 Mark III, R7, R50 | One RAW file each |
We haven't tested iOS or iPadOS directly. Apple's lists cover iPhone, iPad and Mac together, so you'd expect the same, but checking costs two minutes: shoot one C-RAW frame, import it into Photos and tap Edit, or open it in Preview on a Mac. A supported file opens at full resolution and responds to edits.
Dual Pixel RAW
Some Canon bodies can record Dual Pixel RAW, which stores data from both halves of each autofocus pixel, so the files are much larger. The R6 Mark II sample came to about 50 MB against 29 MB for a normal RAW. Canon uses the extra data in the Dual Pixel RAW Optimizer in Digital Photo Professional, its desktop software, for Image Microadjustment, Bokeh Shift and Ghosting Reduction.
Apple's decoder opens Dual Pixel files as ordinary RAWs: you get the normal photo, and the Dual Pixel data is simply not used. If you don't use the Optimizer, turning Dual Pixel RAW off saves a lot of card space and import time.
Getting CR3 files onto an iPhone or iPad
With a card reader
The fastest, most reliable route, and it always gives you the full CR3. Plug a USB-C card reader into the iPhone or iPad and import with Photos, Files, or straight into a RAW editor. How to import RAW files from an SD card to iPhone or iPad covers each step.
With Canon Camera Connect
Canon Camera Connect transfers photos over Wi-Fi. Per its App Store listing:
- CR3 and CR2 files come over as RAW only if you set Prioritize Saving in RAW Format to Yes under Images on camera. Set to No, the app imports a resized JPEG.
- RAW burst files can't be imported. Extract the CR3s from the burst on the camera first.
Transferred RAWs land in your photo library, where a RAW editor can pick them up. Wi-Fi is handy for a few shots, but for a whole shoot a card reader is much quicker.
Canon's own editing app: DPP Express
Canon DPP Express is Canon's RAW editor for iPhone and iPad. It reads CR3 and CR2 files, and its App Store listing says it imports them through Camera Connect or from your photo library, and saves edited images as JPEG. It's a free download, but keeping your adjustments and exporting without a watermark needs its paid subscription. If you want Canon's own colour rendering on the go, it's the app to try.
Editing CR3 and C-RAW in Raw Smith
- Import. Tap Import RAWs and pick the card or camera under Cameras and Cards, or From Photos… for files Camera Connect saved. From Photos, Raw Smith takes the RAW behind each photo and skips photos without one.
- Pick a profile in Edit › Profile: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome or Apple. These are Raw Smith's and Apple's renderings, not Canon's Picture Styles.
- Set light and colour in Light and Color, then make local changes with Sky and Subject masks.
- Check Detail. Sharpening and noise reduction are set in the decode itself. On version 27, where Apple offers it, the Enhanced switch uses Apple's machine-learning demosaic and noise reduction. On macOS 27.0.1 Apple offered it for our R6 Mark II files in all four modes, the R5 and the R50, but not the R5 Mark II, R6 Mark III or R7. See Apple's RAW 9 Enhanced decoder.
- Export as JPEG, HEIC, TIFF or PNG, to Photos or Files. Your CR3 is never changed.
If you shoot RAW+JPEG, Raw Smith imports only the CR3 and leaves the JPEG alone. Our post on RAW+JPEG explains why editing the RAW is usually what you want.
How Raw Smith fits
Raw Smith is a RAW editor and library for iPhone, iPad and Mac built on Apple's decoder. It opens the Canon cameras and modes your OS version supports, and can't add one Apple doesn't. It doesn't use Dual Pixel data and has no Canon Picture Style profiles. What it gives you is RAW editing that works the same on all three devices, with edits that sync through your own iCloud and no account.
Raw Smith is a free download with a free tier and a 14-day trial; Pro is a one-time purchase or a yearly plan. It's in public beta on TestFlight, so you can try your own CR3 and C-RAW files first.
Questions
Can iPhone open Canon CR3 files?
Yes. Apple's system RAW decoder reads CR3 files from Canon's mirrorless and recent DSLR bodies, so Photos and any editor that uses the decoder can open them. Our supported cameras list has 168 Canon models on version 27.
Does C-RAW work on iPhone and iPad?
Apple's list has no compression notes for Canon. On macOS 27 we opened C-RAW files from an EOS R5, R5 Mark II and R6 Mark II normally. Shoot one C-RAW frame and open it on your own device to be sure.
How do I get CR3 files from my Canon to my iPhone?
Use a card reader, or Canon Camera Connect over Wi-Fi. In Camera Connect, set Prioritize Saving in RAW Format to Yes, or it imports a resized JPEG instead of the CR3.
Can I use Dual Pixel RAW on an iPhone?
The files open as ordinary RAWs: you get the normal photo, but not the Dual Pixel adjustments. Image Microadjustment, Bokeh Shift and Ghosting Reduction are in the Dual Pixel RAW Optimizer in Canon's Digital Photo Professional on a computer.
Is Canon DPP Express free?
It's a free download for iPhone and iPad, but to keep your adjustments and export without a watermark you need its paid subscription, according to the App Store listing.