Level 1

23 points

CR3 Previews Not Working in Finder After macOS 15.4 and 15.4.1 Updates

Hello,

After updating to macOS 15.4 (Sequoia), I’ve encountered an issue where RAW files in the CR3 format from my Canon camera no longer display previews in Finder. Both the thumbnail previews and the Quick Look feature (activated by pressing the spacebar) show a black rectangle instead of the image.

I hoped that updating to version 15.4.1 would resolve this problem, but unfortunately, the previews remain non-functional. This issue significantly hampers my workflow as a creative professional, making it challenging to sort and select photos efficiently.

I’ve attempted restarting my Mac, checking for system updates, and verifying security settings, but the problem persists.

I’ve noticed that other users are experiencing similar issues. For instance, on the TidBITS Talk forum, users report that Finder’s Quick Look displays a black rectangle for CR3 files, although the Preview app and Adobe applications can open them without issues.

Similarly, a discussion on Reddit highlights that Canon RAW files appear blacked out in Preview or Quick Look on macOS Sequoia 15.4, affecting users’ workflows.

On the Canon Community forum, users have reported that Preview is unable to open CR3 RAW files from the Canon R6 Mark II on macOS, indicating a broader compatibility issue.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? Are there any known solutions or workarounds?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Model: MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)
Chip: Apple M1 Max
Memory: 32 GB
Storage: 2 TB
macOS: 15.4.1 (Sequoia)

MacBook Pro 14″

Posted on Apr 17, 2025 01:41 AM

Top-ranking reply

menick

Level 1

32 points

Posted on May 1, 2025 09:50 AM

The current solution/workaround in Sequoia 15.4.1 for cr2, cr3, nef files etc... if you are on a laptop (or modern Apple) xdr-type display, is to use the photography preset (or any apple display preset where the brightness is locked). Then quicklook works fine.

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67 replies

rcohn

Level 1

19 points

Apr 19, 2025 04:33 PM in response to mircin

Same for me with 15.4.1. If I hit the spacebar to open the preview it shows. When I close the preview the thumbnail shows until I click away and back to it.

Apr 20, 2025 02:24 PM in response to mircin

Same here. Quicklook and Preview work, but individual file icons are black. So far only with my Nikon NEF RAW files. Have also submitted bug report.

grafobox

Level 1

16 points

Apr 22, 2025 08:22 PM in response to mircin

Updated to mac os 15.4.1 yesterday (April 21) and experiencing the same issue. Previews not available in finder.

Canon R8

Macbook Pro 14 M1 2021

dialabrain

Level 10

133,499 points

Apr 22, 2025 08:30 PM in response to grafobox

Hopefully the problems with RAW images will be fixed with the release of Sequoia 15.5.

dialabrain

Level 10

133,499 points

Apr 23, 2025 04:41 AM in response to carlyle_25

carlyle_25 wrote:

Hard to understand why apple does not check this important function before releasing any update.

It's not hard if you have an understanding of software development and testing.

Ggroen

Level 1

36 points

Apr 23, 2025 07:46 AM in response to mircin

Exactly the same issue here, Macbook M1 pro!!! Work around????

Apr 30, 2025 02:52 PM in response to Sebradlay

Here's something odd: when you select multiple .CRW files, the little stack of preview images DOES appear on the right. 🤔

Ggroen

Level 1

36 points

May 2, 2025 02:00 AM in response to menick

Not working in my m1 macbook pro..

May 9, 2025 06:58 PM in response to mircin

Exact Same Issue! Shafuiiku your advice worked! It is at least a work around for now. Hopefully they fix this soon. I also reported it.

May 13, 2025 01:29 PM in response to menick

That did it. Use the Photography display. Mine was set to XDR 1600 for a sunny coffee shop.

Jun 15, 2025 07:14 PM in response to mircin

My CR2 and CR3 previews are working with Sequoia 15.5.

dialabrain

Level 10

133,499 points

Apr 18, 2025 09:47 AM in response to bezanson

bezanson wrote:

I have a Canon R6 MII and have the same issue where QuickLook is broken in macOS 15.4.x. I submitted a report to Apple as well.

Can you check this Canon R6 Mark II sample gallery and see if any of the RAW files work for you?

Ggroen

Level 1

36 points

Apr 25, 2025 02:03 AM in response to mircin

My work around for my selection in 1000 - 2500 photo’s daily on a Canon R5 mark II:

The iPad pro M4 (bought this year) is not affected. So I put my express card reader on my iPad and select my photo’s, than put them in my iCloud drive. From my Macbook pro m1 i select them and put them in my photo app, mostly through DXO pure. This works for all photo apps I guess, as they are not affected by the Files preview problem.

Apr 25, 2025 08:41 AM in response to mircin

Hello,

I hope this response helps you resolve your issue. I am experiencing the same difficulty in QuickLooking my .cr3 files. Currently, I am compelled to manually open each .cr3 file using Lightroom.

The only solution I have discovered is to zoom in slightly while using QuickLook, and the image will be displayed. I trust this information is timely and helpful.

Apr 25, 2025 09:46 AM in response to mircin

I have the same issue after this recent Sequoia update. I'm using CR3 files from my Canon R7 and quicklook is really vital for my workflow. You *can* see the image, if you manually zoom in a bit, but if you zoom back out again, it returns to a black window. I've submitted a bug report to Apple.

CR3 Previews Not Working in Finder After macOS 15.4 and 15.4.1 Updates