Since upgrading my M1 MBP and M1 Studio to Tahoe 26.2 I can no longer open Canon CR3 files with preview. Everything worked fine before the latest update to the Mac OS. Just wondering if anyone else is having this problem. My CR3 files will open in Photoshop 2026, Lightroom Classic, Affinity and Topaz.
Mac Studio, macOS 26.2
Had you read the preceding posts, it was made very clear that this is an issue in Preview that Apple has to fix, and not something anyone here can resolve — other than suggestions to use the free Adobe DNG converter, or another third-party application such as the also free XnViewMP product. Both of these current product versions support the EOS R5 mark II CR3 files.
Had you read the preceding posts, it was made very clear that this is an issue in Preview that Apple has to fix, and not something anyone here can resolve — other than suggestions to use the free Adobe DNG converter, or another third-party application such as the also free XnViewMP product. Both of these current product versions support the EOS R5 mark II CR3 files.
The R5II is listed as supported, but I can replicate your issue with an R5II .CR3 file downloaded from DPR. It appears to be a bug in macOS. It shows up correctly as a thumbnail in Finder, but when I try to open it in Preview I just get a red block of color.
Interestingly, when I use Quick Look (select image, press space bar) the image displays properly...but when I resized the Quick Look view (to try and include it in the screenshot) it changed from the image of the cyclist to the same red block I see in Preview.
Bugs can be reported to Apple here:
In other threads, people are reporting problems with opening CR3 files in Photomator Pro (one-time purchase version) and Photomator. All three applications use macOS's built-in Raw support libraries (although Pixelmator Pro and Photomator might also have support for a few extra cameras).
Since Raw file formats are often camera-specific, and CR3 is a generic extension that Canon uses for many Raw files, whether you run into issues might depend on which particular Canon camera you have.
As a workaround, you could consider installing the Adobe Digital Negative Converter – and using it to create .DNG versions of the troublesome .CR3 files. (You might need to play with which version of .DNG format to use for the conversion.)
I believe that the .DNG converter is free – but this will introduce an extra step, and be less convenient than a real fix (if and when Apple provides one).
gazzaa_54 wrote:
My CR3 files will open in Photoshop 2026, Lightroom Classic, Affinity and Topaz.
Adobe uses their own Raw support code instead of the libraries built into macOS.
Serif also seems to have its own Raw support code.
https://www.affinity.studio/help/supported-raw-files/
"Below is a list of RAW camera formats supported by the native SerifLabs RAW engine. This engine is the default when opening a RAW file.
On macOS, an alternative option is to utilise the built-in RAW image processing capabilities of the Apple (Core Image RAW) engine."
I believe that Topaz uses LibRaw – a third-party Raw support library.
So we seem to be talking about no less than four different Raw support libraries: Apple, Adobe, SerifLabs/Affinity, and libraw (Topaz).
Using EXIFtool v13.42, I just extracted the JPG from this raw CR3 and that JPG image was fine in Quick Look and Preview on Tahoe 26.2.1.
If my software encounters a RAW image format that is not supported by Apple's current camera RAW, an empty data structure is returned. The app checks for that and gracefully fails. Only Apple knows how the internals of Quick Look and Preview vary in such a manner that Quick Look may succeed and Preview fails, or in some instances, both fail.
What camera(s)? I am running macOS 26.2 and am able to open .CR3 files in Preview from my R1, R3, R8 and PowerShot V1.
Apple's RAW support for various cameras is listed here:
Look like all Canon mirrorless cameras are supported, including R6III that is the newest Canon body.
I see the same. Even though the thumbnail of the RAW file looks fine in Finder, the thumbnail in Preview does not.
I suppose all that can be done is to report the bug to Apple. I will do so even though I'm not personally affected since the R5II is not among the Canon bodies I own (and even for those, I almost never open a RAW file in Preview).
ivanerickson wrote:
Has anyone heard about anything new about the Tahoe 26.2 OS to 26.03 update and how it might possibly address the problem?
Anyone with such knowledge would be precluded from discussing it here. As previously suggested, reporting it to Apple (which you've done by contacting Support) is all you can do at this point.
Having said that, it might be time to consider a standalone RAW converter. Personally, I shoot a lot at higher ISOs and I find that noice reduction with DxO Photolab gets 1-2 extra stops of usable ISO compared to other converters.
This is the situation I have now with R5M2 CR3 -
Venting here is pointless. a) we, as fellow users, cannot fix Apple application issues, and b) no Apple employees participate here to read your vent.
Apple may or may not fix this issue with raw EOS R5 mark II images, or they may push an update to camera RAW between macOS point updates. No one here can tell you when or if this will get fixed. Don't assume that your calling Apple Support and hearing that they will escalate something, actually will mean that the product team responsible for camera RAW or Preview development will hear about this.
Consider sending direct feedback with a bug report to the macOS product team as they are responsible for Preview and will see your feedback. Whether they respond or not owing to the volume of feedback is unknown, though unlikely.
Is the Preview app the underlying engine for Finder's Quick Look? If so, then it makes sense that the Preview app is the issue. If not, then it's something deeper than an app-specific problem. Here's the file with Quick Look, first as the default size when pressing the space bar, second after resizing the Quick Look pop-up window.
Clearly the initial Quick Look works, and the thumbnail works as well, so it's not an issue with system-level RAW support but rather an issue with rendering the image (presumably one of the JPG images inside the .CR3 container). If your applications are just reading the metadata, it makes sense that they work properly.
Yes does exactly the same with me as soon as installed Tahoe 26.2 I can no longer open up the Raw CR 3 files in Preview from the Canon R5 mk2. I am already subscribed to Premiere Pro so don't have the current wish or budget to also include Adobe LightRoom etc. I can view the files in Jpeg and the preview window, but only get a red & white block screen in Preview. To compound matters it seems Tahoe does not yet support Canon Digital Photo Professional 4 (DPP) or visa versa. Any help appreciated ...?
I am getting the red block. I have a Canon EOS R5 Mark II and I only use Preview on a Mac Air M2 to briefly check and slightly adjust my photos. I then export them as JPGs to share and to keep for my own purposes. I started getting the red block when I attempt to open my RAW CR files about 5 days ago. I can see the system is reading all the meta data because when I click on EXIF it shows all the pertinent information about the photos I just shot. My Canon camera firmware is up to date and I can open the Quick View thumbnail in Finder, but nothing more. I am not getting any error messages at all, just the red block and the inability to work on the image on Preview. I have spoken to Apple Support, but I am not getting any assurances, let alone hand holding guidance for run of the mill Apple users like me. I did see, after searching for any past issues with canon and raw files that there have been many reports and complaints in years past that eventually got attention and were addressed . Has anyone heard about anything new about the Tahoe 26.2 OS to 26.03 update and how it might possibly address the problem?
PelPic wrote:
Any help appreciated ...?
As noted in the previous posts, the only help has to come from Apple.
Preview will no longer open Canon CR3 files
