CRW to PGX Converter

Change CRW to PGX format — simple and free online

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Data Protection

Convertio handles your images securely — CRW uploads are deleted right after processing, and PGX outputs are purged from servers within 24 hours.

All Platforms

Platform-independent conversion — process CRW to PGX on any operating system or device through your web browser, without plugins or installs.

Rapid Results

Speed is central to the experience — upload your CRW and the PGX is ready for download almost immediately after processing.

How to convert CRW to PGX

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose pgx or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your pgx file right afterwards

About formats

CRW is Canon's first-generation RAW image format, based on the Camera Image File Format (CIFF) specification developed jointly by Canon, Kodak, and other imaging companies in the late 1990s. Used by Canon's consumer and prosumer cameras from approximately 1998 through the early 2000s — including the PowerShot G-series, EOS D30, EOS D60, and EOS 10D — CRW files store the unprocessed 12-bit sensor readout in a heap-based container structure that differs fundamentally from the TIFF-derived approach used by most other camera manufacturers. The CIFF container organizes data into a hierarchical directory of heap entries, each identified by type and tag, containing the raw image data, JPEG thumbnail, EXIF information, and Canon's proprietary metadata including White Balance tables and Picture Style parameters. CRW was eventually replaced by the CR2 format starting with the EOS-1D Mark II in 2004, as Canon moved to a TIFF-based container that aligned more closely with industry conventions and supported higher bit depths. One advantage of CRW files is historical completeness: they preserve the full original sensor data from an important transitional period in digital photography, and the 12-bit captures from cameras like the EOS D30 still produce excellent results when reprocessed with modern RAW converters. Broad legacy support is another strength — despite its age, CRW remains readable by Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, RawTherapee, and other modern converters, ensuring these early digital negatives remain accessible.
Developer: Canon
Initial release: 1998
PGX is a simple single-component raster image format defined as part of the JPEG 2000 standard (ISO/IEC 15444) for use in conformance testing and verification of JPEG 2000 codec implementations. Introduced around 2000 alongside the JPEG 2000 specification itself, PGX files store a single image component (one color channel or grayscale plane) with a text header followed by raw pixel data, providing an unambiguous reference representation against which encoder and decoder outputs can be compared sample by sample. The header is a single ASCII line specifying endianness (ML for big-endian, LM for little-endian), signedness (+ for unsigned, - for signed), bit depth (1 to 32 bits), width, and height. The pixel data follows as raw binary values, each occupying the minimum number of bytes needed for the specified bit depth, with one value per pixel. For multi-component images (like RGB), each component is stored in a separate PGX file. The format's deliberate simplicity — no compression, no metadata, no multi-channel support — ensures there are no ambiguities in interpretation that could mask codec bugs. One advantage is verification precision: PGX's uncompressed, exactly-specified representation allows bit-exact comparison of decoded JPEG 2000 output against reference images, essential for certifying that a codec implementation conforms to the standard. The format's role in the JPEG 2000 conformance testing framework means it is implemented by every serious JPEG 2000 codec (OpenJPEG, Kakadu, etc.) and used in the official ISO conformance test suite. PGX files can also be processed by ImageMagick and various JPEG 2000 development tools.
Initial release: 2000

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the benefit of converting CRW to PGX?

Canon's CRW format dates back to earlier camera generations and faces declining support — conversion to PGX preserves your images in a lasting format.

How do I open a PGX file?

Compatible apps include JPEG 2000 reference software, OpenJPEG tools, and IrfanView.

Does converting CRW to PGX affect quality?

Your CRW image data is processed carefully during conversion. The resulting PGX retains the maximum quality the target format can support.

How long are converted files stored?

Files are stored temporarily — your PGX result is available for 24 hours after conversion, then automatically deleted for security.

Can I convert multiple CRW files to PGX at once?

Yes — upload several CRW images at the same time and they will all be converted to PGX in a single batch for convenient download.

Do I need to install software?

No — everything happens in your web browser. There is nothing to download or install for CRW to PGX conversion on Convertio.