Canon CR2 to PGM: conversion guide

Source · Canon CR2
Target · PGM

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What happens when you convert Canon CR2 to PGM?

RAW development

Canon CR2 needs camera- and file-aware development to produce a rendered PGM image. White balance, exposure, camera colour interpretation and, where applicable, demosaicing determine that rendering. The destination does not retain the original RAW development latitude. No development settings or camera support are implemented yet.

Grayscale output

PGM stores one grayscale sample per pixel, with no colour channels or alpha. Colour input becomes gray; brightness depends on the colour transform and transfer-function handling chosen by the future engine. Higher maxval can retain more gray levels, but does not retain chromatic information.

Lossless sample storage

Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning. PGM can store its supported image samples without lossy compression. This applies after rendering and sample conversion: it does not guarantee preservation of source precision, colour space or document structure, and cannot undo earlier losses.

Canon CR2

Source

Canon CR2

Canon Raw 2

Compression: Depends on variantTransparency: NoMetadata: Capture metadata

Canon’s TIFF-based raw format for compatible camera generations, retaining data for later photo development.

Explore Canon CR2 format →
PGM

Target

PGM

Portable Graymap

Compression: UncompressedTransparency: NoMetadata: Header, Comments

Portable Graymap: simple uncompressed raster samples for image-processing pipelines.

Explore PGM format →

Is Canon CR2 → PGM right for you?

Good choice when

  • PGM fits your delivery use: Grayscale images & masks.
  • You need a developed image for a non-RAW application.
  • Your processing pipeline explicitly needs grayscale samples.
  • You need lossless storage of the rendered samples supported by PGM.

Probably not when

  • You need the original sensor data and freedom to redevelop it.
  • Colour distinctions carry information you need to retain.
  • You expect lossless encoding to restore lost details or editing structure.
  • You require identical samples without a defined colour and precision policy.

Canon CR2 to PGM conversion details

RAW development
Canon CR2 needs camera- and file-aware development to produce a rendered PGM image. White balance, exposure, camera colour interpretation and, where applicable, demosaicing determine that rendering. The destination does not retain the original RAW development latitude. No development settings or camera support are implemented yet.
Grayscale output
PGM stores one grayscale sample per pixel, with no colour channels or alpha. Colour input becomes gray; brightness depends on the colour transform and transfer-function handling chosen by the future engine. Higher maxval can retain more gray levels, but does not retain chromatic information.
Lossless sample storage
Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning. PGM can store its supported image samples without lossy compression. This applies after rendering and sample conversion: it does not guarantee preservation of source precision, colour space or document structure, and cannot undo earlier losses.
Sample precision & colour
Source and target sample models can differ in precision, channel layout, colour space and transfer function. Lossless compression only preserves the samples actually encoded; a precision reduction or colour conversion can already change them. The future engine defines numeric mapping, orientation and colour conversion; canonical depth facts are listed below where available.
Metadata & colour
Format support does not guarantee that an export preserves metadata or colour profiles. Retention and colour handling depend on the future converter; its engine is not implemented yet.
Compression
Canon CR2: Depends on variant → PGM: Uncompressed Canon CR2: Raw precision and reduced-size recording modes depend on the camera. A lossless compression stage does not imply that a reduced-size raw has identical data to a full-resolution capture. Use the camera documentation and a decoder that supports that exact model and mode. PGM: Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning.
Colour depth
Canon CR2: Camera and recording mode → PGM: maxval up to 65535
Sensor data
Canon CR2: Raw development required
Dimensions
Pixel dimensions, page geometry, rendering resolution, resizing and orientation need explicit converter policies. The future engine has not defined them yet.
Metadata
Canon CR2: Capture metadata → PGM: Header, Comments. Which fields are copied, rewritten or omitted will depend on the future engine; retention is not implemented yet.

Common questions

Will PGM still be an editable camera RAW?

Canon CR2 needs camera- and file-aware development to produce a rendered PGM image. White balance, exposure, camera colour interpretation and, where applicable, demosaicing determine that rendering. The destination does not retain the original RAW development latitude. No development settings or camera support are implemented yet.

Will PGM keep the source colours?

PGM stores one grayscale sample per pixel, with no colour channels or alpha. Colour input becomes gray; brightness depends on the colour transform and transfer-function handling chosen by the future engine. Higher maxval can retain more gray levels, but does not retain chromatic information.

Does lossless output mean an unchanged source?

Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning. PGM can store its supported image samples without lossy compression. This applies after rendering and sample conversion: it does not guarantee preservation of source precision, colour space or document structure, and cannot undo earlier losses.

Are bit depth and colour values guaranteed to match?

Source and target sample models can differ in precision, channel layout, colour space and transfer function. Lossless compression only preserves the samples actually encoded; a precision reduction or colour conversion can already change them. The future engine defines numeric mapping, orientation and colour conversion; canonical depth facts are listed below where available.

Will metadata and colour profiles be retained?

Canon CR2: Capture metadata → PGM: Header, Comments. Which fields are copied, rewritten or omitted will depend on the future engine; retention is not implemented yet.