APPLE CANNOT HANDLE THE NEW CR3 FILES in Photos.. Using R5.II - Canon admits there was a change in the CR3 structure.

[ppolga]

Apple (Sequoia) does not support the CR3 files from the R5MarkII - which are a bit different from the older CR3 files. I like to use Photos but this program cannot handle these files. So I would have to convert them first (Adobe DNG converter or Canon's DPP).
Does anyone have a more simple solution? or has only Apple the answer?

 

[neuroanatomist]

Apple (Sequoia) does not support the CR3 files from the R5MarkII - which are a bit different from the older CR3 files. I like to use Photos but this program cannot handle these files. So I would have to convert them first (Adobe DNG converter or Canon's DPP).
Does anyone have a more simple solution? or has only Apple the answer?

Only Apple can provide OS-level support for the R5II (and R1) RAW files.

You could try this for previews (free for non-commercial use):

XnView MP · Advanced Image Viewer & Photo Management Software | Free | XnView.com

XnView, one of the best and popular free image viewer for windows, macos & linux. It allows you to view, manage, resize and edit your photos. Compatible with all common formats including RAW, HEIC, JPEG-XL and PDF

www.xnview.com

Personally, I use DxO PhotoLab as a RAW converter and then bring the JPGs into Photos for library management.

 

[YuengLinger]

Only Apple can provide OS-level support for the R5II (and R1) RAW files.

You could try this for previews (free for non-commercial use):

XnView MP · Advanced Image Viewer & Photo Management Software | Free | XnView.com

XnView, one of the best and popular free image viewer for windows, macos & linux. It allows you to view, manage, resize and edit your photos. Compatible with all common formats including RAW, HEIC, JPEG-XL and PDF

www.xnview.com

Personally, I use DxO PhotoLab as a RAW converter and then bring the JPGs into Photos for library management.

Does this mean you are using the JPEG as a type of sidecar file so that you can open a folder in the operating system and see exactly what is there? Rather than, say, just open DPP to view the raw files in a folder?

 

[neuroanatomist]

Does this mean you are using the JPEG as a type of sidecar file so that you can open a folder in the operating system and see exactly what is there? Rather than, say, just open DPP to view the raw files in a folder?

I don't use that software. I do use FastRAWviewer, and it supports R1 RAW files. DxO doesn't, yet (was supposed to be December, now listed as February).

 

[alFR]

R1 and R5ii RAW files are now supported natively in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18 as of the last update.

 

[neuroanatomist]

R1 and R5ii RAW files are now supported natively in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18 as of the last update.

Yep, I noticed!

 

[Juppeck]

Apple is just able to read the embedded jpeg picture of the raw image only. That's not the raw-image of the cr3 file. Windows 11 24h02 with the january 25 update package is also able to show the jpeg in the explorer.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Apple is just able to read the embedded jpeg picture of the raw image only. That's not the raw-image of the cr3 file. Windows 11 24h02 with the january 25 update package is also able to show the jpeg in the explorer.

With the current version of MacOS (and the other Apple OSs), RAW images from the R1 and R5II are fully supported.

 

[Juppeck]

With the current version of MacOS (and the other Apple OSs), RAW images from the R1 and R5II are fully supported.

Nope, is'nt RAW. Is just the embedded JPEG in the raw you see at OSLEVEL. The RAW-Converter will transform the bitplanes of the sensor to a picture. A regular file viewer of the os like finder or explorer, did'nt convert that bitplanes. For a quick view the embedded jpeg is good enought.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Nope, is'nt RAW. Is just the embedded JPEG in the raw you see at OSLEVEL. The RAW-Converter will transform the bitplanes of the sensor to a picture. A regular file viewer of the os like finder or explorer, did'nt convert that bitplanes. For a quick view the embedded jpeg is good enought.

Apple says they support many digital camera RAW formats, now including the R5II (the topic of this thread) and R1. It seems you believe that Apple is lying, and that all they support is the JPG file that Canon embeds in the .CR3 container.

Perhaps you’re not aware, but the embedded JPG is not full size – it is much smaller (<2 MP). When I view a .CR3 file from the R5II in Preview or the Photos app on my Mac, the image dimensions are 8192 × 5464 as they should be for a 45 MP image. The Photos app tags it as a RAW image. Of course, before OS-level support the files wouldn’t open in Apple apps or Quick Look at all.

When I extract the embedded jpg file from an R5II .CR3 file (using exiftool via Terminal), the dimensions of the extracted image are 1620 × 1080.

MacOS supports RAW files. Obviously, viewing a RAW file as an image on a monitor requires conversion (demosaicing, etc.). Apple being Apple (at least, post Aperture), you don’t get to view the fully uncorrected image as you can in other RAW converters. Apple applies their chosen profile and you start from there. But you’re working on the RAW file, not the <2 MP JPG file that is embedded in the .CR3 container.

 

[Juppeck]

Apple says they support many digital camera RAW formats, now including the R5II (the topic of this thread) and R1. It seems you believe that Apple is lying, and that all they support is the JPG file that Canon embeds in the .CR3 container.

Perhaps you’re not aware, but the embedded JPG is not full size – it is much smaller (<2 MP). When I view a .CR3 file from the R5II in Preview or the Photos app on my Mac, the image dimensions are 8192 × 5464 as they should be for a 45 MP image. The Photos app tags it as a RAW image. Of course, before OS-level support the files wouldn’t open in Apple apps or Quick Look at all.

When I extract the embedded jpg file from an R5II .CR3 file (using exiftool via Terminal), the dimensions of the extracted image are 1620 × 1080.

MacOS supports RAW files. Obviously, viewing a RAW file as an image on a monitor requires conversion (demosaicing, etc.). Apple being Apple (at least, post Aperture), you don’t get to view the fully uncorrected image as you can in other RAW converters. Apple applies their chosen profile and you start from there. But you’re working on the RAW file, not the <2 MP JPG file that is embedded in the .CR3 container.

Apples don't say, that they process the raw image data to preview in finder. They say, that they can read a raw file. That's different.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Apples don't say, that they process the raw image data to preview in finder. They say, that they can read a raw file. That's different.

Apple doesn't say a lot of things, but they do them anyway. What's your point?

When I use Quick Look (spacebar preview in Finder) on a RAW image and zoom in on my 5K monitor, it's very obvious that the image preview being displayed is not using a 1620 × 1080 image as the source, but the full 45 MP RAW source.





If you want to believe that Apple is displaying only the 1.75 MP jpg in Finder, you go right ahead. Some people believe the earth is flat, too.

 

[vikingar]

Perhaps you’re not aware, but the embedded JPG is not full size – it is much smaller (<2 MP). When I view a .CR3 file from the R5II in Preview or the Photos app on my Mac, the image dimensions are 8192 × 5464 as they should be for a 45 MP image.

Generally agree with your post, unfortunately it's not correct. CR3 files do contain a full resolution embedded JPEG, tools like e.g. exiftool can read it. As to where it's stored see https://github.com/lclevy/canon_cr3, it's in track1.

Trying:
exiftool -b -JpgFromRaw -w _CR3.JPG -ext CR3 yourfile.CR3

gives me one 8192x5464 JPEG file, fully corrected (and exiftool cannot apply lens corrections).

I think we can all agree that Apple can read R5 Mk I files (it's all I have, macOS Sequioa 15.2). But even then there is a difference between Quick Look and opening in Preview. Quick Look does NOT use the RAW data even for R5 Mk I files. Instead it shows the embedded full-size JPEG, even if you zoom in.

Very easy to test too: try it with a RF 16mm CR3 image or similarly handicapped lens and you will immediately see that the Quick Look shows the same full-resolution image with corrected distortion and no vignetting as extracted by exiftool.

Opening it with Apple's Preview shows the RAW file, with all the severe distortion and vignetting.

So the real test for R5 II files would be to open them in Preview to see if it shows the uncorrected image.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Thanks for the correction on the full size JPG being in the CR3 and shown in Quick Look. I still disagree with the initial statement by @Juppeck that, “Apple is just able to read the embedded jpeg picture of the raw image only.” Even at ‘OS level’ since Preview is a MacOS app. But after the goalpost move to ‘Finder preview’ it’s correct.

 

[alFR]

So the real test for R5 II files would be to open them in Preview to see if it shows the uncorrected image.

Current version of macOS behaves as you describe with R5II .CR3 files.

 

[OldrockyGN]

All of this is fine - but seems to be limited to MacOS. I'd like for IOS to support CR3 files. Any hope for that?

 

[vikingar]

All of this is fine - but seems to be limited to MacOS. I'd like for IOS to support CR3 files. Any hope for that?

Supported in iOS 18: https://support.apple.com/en-us/120534

 

[OldrockyGN]

Supported in iOS 18: https://support.apple.com/en-us/120534

I've seen that and am already on iOS 18. I think it means it supports RAW (but not CR3). When I open a
folder on my iPhone16 that has CR3 files in it (R5m2) it does not display the thumbnails ... just a placeholder
file icon.

 

[vikingar]

I've seen that and am already on iOS 18. I think it means it supports RAW (but not CR3). When I open a
folder on my iPhone16 that has CR3 files in it (R5m2) it does not display the thumbnails ... just a placeholder
file icon.

Huh, I thought if Apple says it works it should just work. R5 Mk I raws are .CR3 and work as expected in Files and Photos.

But you're right, R5 Mk II raws don't work there. Contrary to what Apple says, the R5 Mk II raw files from the Dpreview sample gallery only show a grey image on my iPhone and if I try to open it it shows "Cannot load photo. There was an error loading this photo".

Opening with DPP Express on the phone works, but that's obvious. Editing with Nitro Photo (previously RAW Power) also works, but that's a very capable 99$ app so maybe they're doing something special.

I'm on iOS 18.4.1, iPhone 14 Pro Max.

 

[HenryL]

Have you tried opening them in the iOS Photos app? I can open my R5M2 raws there without issue. iOS 18.5.