DCR File Format (.dcr)
A DCR file stores raw, TIFF-based sensor data from Kodak's professional DCS-series digital SLRs, the raw format Kodak wrote on cameras from the original 1991 DCS 100 through models like the DCS 760 and DCS Pro Back Plus.
DCR at a glance#
| Full name | Kodak Digital Camera Raw Image File |
|---|---|
| File extension | .dcr |
| Category | Image Files |
| Developer | Eastman Kodak Company |
| First released | 1991 |
| MIME types | image/x-kodak-dcr |
| Compression | Lossless |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .dcr file can hold#
These are the things a DCR file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Embedded metadata | Yes |
|---|
Strengths and limitations of DCR#
What DCR does well
- Preserves full sensor data from Kodak's DCS line, one of the earliest professional raw workflows in digital photography
- Built on the TIFF container, so basic tags like camera model and exposure settings are readable even by generic TIFF tools
Where DCR falls short
- Every DCS-series body it was written by has been discontinued since 2005, so no camera has produced a new DCR file in two decades
- Only Kodak's own DCS Photo Desktop software and a handful of raw converters ever supported it fully
There's no reason to shoot DCR today; it only matters when opening or archiving images captured on a Kodak DCS-series camera.
Convert DCR to DNG or TIFF for long-term storage, since Kodak's DCS bodies are long discontinued and fewer raw converters keep testing against the format.
How to open a .dcr file#
A .dcr file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts DCR into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | RawTherapee, darktable |
| macOS | RawTherapee, darktable |
| Linux | RawTherapee, darktable, dcraw |
| Web | FileFlip |
DCR questions people ask#
What camera made this DCR file?
A DCR file was written by a Kodak DCS-series professional digital SLR, the line Kodak built on Nikon and Canon film bodies from 1991 to 2005. The exact model, such as a DCS 760 or DCS Pro Back Plus, is recorded in the file's TIFF metadata.
What still opens a DCR file today?
DCR files open in raw converters built on the LibRaw library, such as RawTherapee and darktable, which keep support for Kodak's DCS-series cameras. Kodak's own DCS software, which originally handled the format, is no longer maintained.
What should I convert a DCR file to for long-term storage?
Convert DCR to DNG or TIFF, since both are widely supported archival formats and DCR support in current software depends on a shrinking set of raw converters that still recognize a discontinued camera line.
Converting DCR files#
Convert DCR to another format
- DCR to AsciiDoc
- DCR to AVIF
- DCR to BBCode
- DCR to BibTeX
- DCR to BMP
- DCR to BMP2
- DCR to BMP3
- DCR to CBZ
- DCR to Djot
- DCR to DocBook
- DCR to DOCX
- DCR to DokuWiki
- DCR to EPUB
- DCR to FB2
- DCR to GIF
- DCR to GIF87
- DCR to Haddock
- DCR to HDR
- DCR to HTML
- DCR to ICML
- DCR to ICO
- DCR to ICON
- DCR to IPYNB
- DCR to Jira
See every DCR conversion (38 more)
FileFlip does not write .dcr files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.