A CR2 file is a raw photo file format generated by Canons digital camera, with the extension .cr2. In full, CR2 stands for Canon Raw 2 (2nd edition) . The raw here means that it contains detailed information about a photograph, resulting in large files and high-quality (high resolution) photos. The CR2 file format stores lossless details from the camera sensor without any processing of the image, making it ideal for storing the images originality and allowing a lot of post-processing to be done later. Although the CR2 maintains the original quality, attractiveness, and catch nature of the image, the large size sometimes introduces challenges when you want to open/edit the photo or store multiple of them. However, with a CR2 file viewer and editor software like PaintShop Pro or Aftershot, you can easily open, convert, and manipulate any raw file to your liking.