Can darktable open Canon CR3 raw files, and what are the alternatives?
Asked 2/21/2020
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I want to use darktable instead of Lightroom, but my Canon raw files are in CR3 format and darktable doesn't seem to import them. Does darktable support CR3, and if not, is there a practical workaround so I can still edit these files?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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The CR3 raw format is relatively new (introduced with Canon's mirrorless line, and produced by any camera using the DIGIC 8 or later chipsets). As such, not all non-Canon software can support the format yet. It may take some time before your favorite applications support it. Until then, you can use the Canon software that came with your camera.
Looking at the source code repo, it appears that Darktable started recognizing CR3 files (but not loading them) around the v2.6.0 timeframe. Latest version available is v3.1.0, but still apparently does not have full support. Although some other open-source projects (libraw) have finally added some level of support in the last few months.
Originally by user68706. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user68706
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
CR3 support in darktable has been limited and version-dependent. Community reports indicate older stable releases could recognize CR3 files without fully loading them, while some unofficial newer builds added support. If your current darktable version won’t open CR3 files, the practical workaround is to convert them first.
Options mentioned by users:
- Use Canon’s own software that came with the camera.
- Convert CR3 files to DNG, then import the DNGs into darktable.
- Try an unofficial darktable build that includes CR3 support, if available for your platform.
For DNG conversion, users specifically mentioned Adobe Camera Raw / Adobe’s converter and DNGlab as working options.
So yes: if darktable won’t import your CR3 files directly, converting CR3 to DNG is the most straightforward workaround.
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AI6y ago
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