Luckily, nowadays professional photographers no longer have to undertake the painstaking task of writing down a long series of details about the photos they take, since most digital cameras (including the one on your smartphone) can automatically store all the info they might need, as EXIF data.

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) data can be stored for several types of image formats, including JPEG, TIFF and RAW, and it contains a lot of relevant details about when and where the photo was taken (date, time, GPS coordinates), with what camera (brand name, lens type), and how (shutter speed, ISO speed, aperture, white balance, focal length etc.). All this useful information is embedded in the image file and can be accessed using, for example, Windows Explorer (right click on the image and then check the Properties section) or an image editor.

If you plan to convert your image files and are interested in preserving the EXIF date and time, you will need to use a proficient converter. We recommend reaConverter, which lets you opt for keeping the EXIF date and time from the input to the output image during conversion. All you need to do is follow the 3 easy steps of the conversion process:

1. Load all the images you need to convert. reaConverter supports batch conversion for over 400 image formats, including archaic and rare.
    
2. Browse through the image editing options and choose the ones that best fit your needs. Here you can decide to resize or rotate the image, add borders or shadows, adjust colors, add effects or watermarking. And then tune up your options using a comprehensive set of alternatives.
    
3. After picking the location and format for your output file, tick this box: Set converted file date (see below). Then choose EXIF date and time from the dropdown menu, and start the conversion process. You will quickly be able to enjoy your new images, including their input EXIF date and time.

Download and try reaConverter  (~30 MiB)

Advanced users can do the same using command line converter in manual, automated or scheduled mode. You are welcome to contact our technical support when you have any questions about reaConverter.

“I have a bunch of CR2 images downloaded from my camera and I can’t open them with any of the image viewers I have installed! Can reaConverter help?”

One of our website visitors sent us this question by e-mail a few days ago. She had just downloaded the photos she made with her brand new Canon Powershot and was excited to view them on her computer. However, she soon realized this was impossible to do with any of the regular software she had for viewing photos.

Why? As you might have guessed, the reason is related to the extension of the image files: CR2. This is the regular format used by Canon cameras to create RAW images. While generally preferred by amateur and professional photographers because they allow them to apply a large variety of computer editing options to the image, RAW files have a few disadvantages. On the one hand, they are not supported by most regular image viewers. To open them, you probably need Adobe Photoshop or a similar graphics editing program, which is not always easy to use. On the other hand, RAW images are usually huge (up to 6 times larger than a JPEG) so they might prove difficult to store and transfer.

The fastest and simplest way to view and handle your CR2 images is to convert them into a more accessible image format, such as JPEG. And yes, reaConverter will be able to help! All you need to do is download and install the software, which can be tested for free at www.reaconverter.com.

Install reaConverter

Then you probably won’t need more than a minute or two to get acquainted to its user-friendly menu, which will allow you to:

• Easily select the file you intend to convert or drag & drop it. In case you have more than one file, reaConverter also allows you to do batch conversion by simply adding all the desired files on the conversion list.
   
  
   
• Select from the wide-ranging list of image editing options. This converter not only allows you to resize, rotate or crop your image, but also to add image effects or adjust brightness and contrast.
   
  
   
• If you are a professional photographer, you will also like the Watermarking option, which allows you to protect your images from unauthorized use. You can apply text watermarking, by placing the desired letters or numbers on all converted images (date stamps and counter figures are also options), with adjustable opacity level and text parameter. Or image watermarking, by adding an image over your photo, and customizing its transparency level, position and size.
   
  
   
• Choose the extension of the output file. JPG or other accessible image format will help you handle you CR2 files a lot easier. Then just start the conversion and enjoy your images in no time!
   
  

Download and try reaConverter

Advanced users can do the same using command line converter in manual, automated or scheduled mode. You are welcome to contact our technical support when you have any questions about reaConverter.

Online CR2 converter:

ReaConverter is a great solution for efficiently managing a large amount of conversions, on a frequent basis. However, if you are planning to convert only a few CR2 photos and only once in a while, then you can also try IMVERTER – free online converter.

The .NEF extension is used for the RAW images created using Nikon digital cameras. Most photographers opt for taking RAW images because they imply minimally processed data, so they allow computer editing and let you customize your image the way you want. But on the other hand, they are difficult to send by e-mail, print or store, due to their enormous size. Moreover, in order to view them, you need an advanced graphics editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop.

So how can you make you .NEF files easier to handle?

Some people think it’s enough to rename them and change the extension to .JPG, for example. But if you have tried this, you surely noticed it doesn’t work. In order to change the extension of your image from .NEF to a more accessible format, such as .JPEG, .PNG or .TIFF, you need to convert your image files.

Here are 3 essential tips for doing this fast and easy:

1. Choose a simple, yet powerful converter, such as ReaConverter Pro. It has a small size, it is quick to download, install and launch, and you don’t need to be an IT specialist in order to understand in a few minutes how it operates. You can try it for free from: http://www.reaconverter.com/download.html
    
2. Load one or more .NEF files and then choose from the large variety of editing tools available. ReaConverter provides you with basically all the image processing options you might need. For example, you can create a reflection of your image, either horizontally or vertically, by choosing the Mirror option; you can crop the undesired part of your photo; or you can edit the width and height of your output image by choosing to resize it. ReaConverter also allows you to enhance the quality of the output image by removing “noise” or adjusting the color resolution.

    

   

3. Choose an accessible format for your output image.

   

   .JPEG, .TIFF and .PNG are the most popular options, but others are also available. Then simply press the “Start conversion” button and your .NEF images will automatically be transformed into a format you can visualize, store, send and print more easily.

Download and try reaConverter  (~30 MiB)

Advanced users can do the same using command line converter in manual, automated or scheduled mode. You are welcome to contact our technical support when you have any questions about reaConverter.

Online NEF converter:

ReaConverter is a great solution for efficiently managing a large amount of conversions, on a frequent basis. However, if you are planning to convert only a few NEF photos and only once in a while, then you can also try free online conversion service at http://www.imverter.com/

Also known as digital negatives, RAW image files are great to use when you plan to add computer processing to your photos. They provide high image quality and allow you to have more control on aspects such as contrast and saturation, using color filters and generally customizing how you want your image to look. The downside of using RAW images, however, is their size. Such files can be up to 6 times larger than JPEG, which makes them more difficult to store and transfer. In other words, fewer photos will fit on your memory card and sending them by e-mail might prove to be problematic. Not to mention that most regular photo viewers do not support RAW format.

Handling your RAW images can become much easier if you convert them to more accessible formats.

Here are 5 tips for a successful conversion:

1. Use a piece of quality software such as ReaConverter to conveniently manage your conversion. This program not only features a user-friendly menu, but it can also convert RAW image formats used by almost all the cameras in the world. Here is the comprehensive list of all RAW formats it supports.
    
2. Choose the format of your output file. One popular option is JPEG. The conversion from RAW to JPEG will bring some quality loss to your image, but it might prove to be an insignificant one.
    
3. Another viable option is converting to PNG (Portable Network Graphics) or TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). When using ReaConverter, both formats imply a lossless conversion, which means that all the data from the original RAW file is preserved in the output image.
    
4. If you have a whole list of images that you want to convert from RAW to a more easy-to-handle format, ReaConverter is also a great option because it allows you to do batch conversion. Plus, it provides a number of image editing options, including resizing your photo or adding borders and shadows.
   
   
    
5. ReaConverter also lets you apply watermarking on your images, thus helping you protect your copyright, and has the ability to copy the EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) information settings from the input to the output file (Options → Additional settings → EXIF)

Download and try reaConverter  (~30 MiB)

Advanced users can do the same using command line utility in manual, automated or scheduled mode. You are welcome to contact our technical support when you have any questions about reaConverter.

Online RAW conversion

For users who only do occasional conversions that don’t require advanced editing options, reaConverter’s creators have set up a free online conversion tool called imverter, available at http://www.imverter.com/