/t5/camera-raw-discussions/canon-raw-cr3-files/td-p/15360451Jun 07, 2025
Jun 07, 2025
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Does anyone know how a canon CR3 file actually gets changed to a jpeg file. I thought RAW files could not be changed. The file shows as .CR3.jpg and ends up as a small jpeg file and the RAW file has gone. I had a batch of 50 odd files go this way. I searched the computer and the RAW files are not anywhere.
p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.
/t5/camera-raw-discussions/canon-raw-cr3-files/m-p/15360658#M28343Jun 08, 2025
Jun 08, 2025
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Too many unknowns here.
Can you give full details of how this came about? Where are the files? Have you downloaded them from your camera and how? Have you renamed them? If you renamed them using Batch Rename, what settings did you use?
Hi, Thanks for getting back. Well I don’t really know when it happened other that it was within the last two months. My process is that I download from camera into an edit folder and then put them into a monthly folder when I am finished editing. I then rename them in Bridge replacing the first three letters with a three digit number, i.e. 267 6381 retaining the last four digits. I have been doing this for many years and never had a problem before. As I said, not sure what happened and it renamed the RAW file to .CRW.jpg and as I also shoot a smaller jpeg file at the same time they were also renamed to .JPG.jpg. Both files are very small thumbnails, all under 33kb and the original RAW and jpeg are not on my computer. Searched both drives in my PC. It is really strange, was the RAW file changed to a jpeg somehow or was there a jpeg file created and the RAW deleted permanently somehow. Is Bridge capable of doing this? I have since done the same procedures without any issues. Attached is shot of my bridge settings
Thanks for getting back Erik. I have attached two examples of the files I have. I did re-name in Bridge but I don't know how to see the dialogue. I have tried various name changes but the file with RAW.jpg extension remains a jpeg file and what happened to the RAW file ??. I have also done more searches for the missing files but nothing shows up any-ware. I am not too worried about it, as it was two months back and hasn't happened again. I was just curious as to how it happened.
Bridge simply cannot covert a RAW file to a JPEG since it is a file viewer and does no processing as such. It invokes other software to do that job such as Camera Raw or Photoshop. Changing file name extensions is generally ill-advised as then files can become unreadable by the software assigned to do that. The curious file name extensions which you see may well have been accidentally created by inappropriate rename settings but I am just guessing. What happened to the original RAW files I have no clue. Bridge doesn't delete things without you telling it to!
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