diff --git a/apps/api/src/lib/file-validation.ts b/apps/api/src/lib/file-validation.ts
index 921d32b9..ddd220a5 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/lib/file-validation.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/lib/file-validation.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,19 @@ const MAGIC_BYTES: MagicEntry[] = [
   { bytes: [0x4d, 0x4d, 0x00, 0x2a], offset: 0, format: "tiff" },
   { bytes: [0x66, 0x74, 0x79, 0x70], offset: 4, format: "avif" }, // ftyp box; verified below
   { bytes: [0x66, 0x74, 0x79, 0x70], offset: 4, format: "heif" }, // ftyp box; verified below
+  { bytes: [0x66, 0x74, 0x79, 0x70], offset: 4, format: "cr3" }, // ftyp box; verified below
+  // Fujifilm RAF: "FUJIFILMCCD-RAW" at offset 0
+  {
+    bytes: [
+      0x46, 0x55, 0x4a, 0x49, 0x46, 0x49, 0x4c, 0x4d, 0x43, 0x43, 0x44, 0x2d, 0x52, 0x41, 0x57,
+    ],
+    offset: 0,
+    format: "raw",
+  },
+  // Sigma X3F: "FOVb" at offset 0
+  { bytes: [0x46, 0x4f, 0x56, 0x62], offset: 0, format: "raw" },
+  // Minolta MRW: "\x00MRM" at offset 0
+  { bytes: [0x00, 0x4d, 0x52, 0x4d], offset: 0, format: "raw" },
   // JXL ISOBMFF container
   { bytes: [0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0c, 0x4a, 0x58, 0x4c, 0x20], offset: 0, format: "jxl" },
   // JXL raw codestream
@@ -64,7 +77,31 @@ export interface ValidationError {
 }
 
 /** Camera RAW extensions that share TIFF magic bytes. */
-const RAW_EXTENSIONS = new Set(["dng", "cr2", "nef", "arw", "orf", "rw2"]);
+const RAW_EXTENSIONS = new Set([
+  "dng",
+  "cr2",
+  "cr3",
+  "nef",
+  "nrw",
+  "arw",
+  "orf",
+  "rw2",
+  "raf",
+  "pef",
+  "3fr",
+  "iiq",
+  "srw",
+  "x3f",
+  "rwl",
+  "gpr",
+  "fff",
+  "mrw",
+  "mef",
+  "kdc",
+  "dcr",
+  "erf",
+  "ptx",
+]);
 
 /** Formats that Sharp cannot decode natively — skip dimension check. */
 const CLI_DECODED_FORMATS = new Set(["raw", "ico", "tga", "psd", "exr", "hdr", "bmp", "jxl"]);
@@ -219,6 +256,13 @@ function detectMagicBytes(buffer: Buffer): string | null {
         const brand = buffer.slice(8, 12).toString("ascii");
         if (!["heic", "heix", "mif1", "msf1", "hevc", "hevx"].includes(brand)) continue;
       }
+      // For ftyp, verify CR3 brand at bytes 8-11.
+      if (entry.format === "cr3") {
+        if (buffer.length < 12) continue;
+        const brand = buffer.slice(8, 12).toString("ascii");
+        if (brand !== "crx ") continue;
+        return "raw"; // CR3 is a RAW format, routed through decodeRaw()
+      }
       return entry.format;
     }
   }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/lib/format-decoders.ts b/apps/api/src/lib/format-decoders.ts
index 49ba3965..c691ca82 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/lib/format-decoders.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/lib/format-decoders.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,22 @@ export function needsCliDecode(format: string): boolean {
 /**
  * Main entry point - routes to the right decoder based on format.
  * Returns a PNG buffer that Sharp can process downstream.
+ *
+ * @param buffer - The raw file buffer
+ * @param format - The detected format string (e.g. "raw", "psd", "ico")
+ * @param ext    - Optional original file extension (e.g. "cr3", "nef").
+ *                 Passed to decodeRaw so the temp file uses the correct
+ *                 extension, which helps ExifTool and ImageMagick identify
+ *                 the RAW variant.
  */
-export async function decodeToSharpCompat(buffer: Buffer, format: string): Promise<Buffer> {
+export async function decodeToSharpCompat(
+  buffer: Buffer,
+  format: string,
+  ext?: string,
+): Promise<Buffer> {
   switch (format) {
     case "raw":
-      return decodeRaw(buffer);
+      return decodeRaw(buffer, ext);
     case "ico":
       return decodeIco(buffer);
     case "psd":
@@ -84,16 +95,47 @@ async function decodeIco(buffer: Buffer): Promise<Buffer> {
   }
 }
 
-// ── RAW decoder (ImageMagick with LibRaw delegate) ─────────────
+// ── RAW decoder (ExifTool-first, ImageMagick fallback) ──────────
+//
+// Strategy: Many camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, etc.) embed a
+// full-size JPEG preview. ExifTool can extract it near-instantly with
+// `-b -JpgFromRaw`. This is faster and more reliable than ImageMagick's
+// LibRaw delegate, which may not support newer formats like CR3.
+//
+// If ExifTool extraction fails (no embedded JPEG, or exiftool not
+// installed), we fall back to ImageMagick + LibRaw.
 
-async function decodeRaw(buffer: Buffer): Promise<Buffer> {
-  const cmd = await findMagickCmd();
+async function decodeRaw(buffer: Buffer, ext?: string): Promise<Buffer> {
   const id = randomUUID();
-  const inputPath = join(tmpdir(), `raw-in-${id}.dng`);
+  // Use the original extension so ExifTool / ImageMagick can identify the RAW variant.
+  const suffix = ext ? `.${ext.replace(/^\./, "")}` : ".dng";
+  const inputPath = join(tmpdir(), `raw-in-${id}${suffix}`);
   const outputPath = join(tmpdir(), `raw-out-${id}.png`);
 
   try {
     await writeFile(inputPath, buffer);
+
+    // Attempt 1: ExifTool embedded JPEG extraction (fast path)
+    try {
+      const { stdout } = await execFileAsync("exiftool", ["-b", "-JpgFromRaw", inputPath], {
+        encoding: "buffer",
+        maxBuffer: 50 * 1024 * 1024,
+        timeout: 30_000,
+      } as never);
+      // stdout is a Buffer when encoding is "buffer"
+      const jpegBuf = stdout as unknown as Buffer;
+      if (jpegBuf && jpegBuf.length > 1000) {
+        // Verify it starts with JPEG SOI marker
+        if (jpegBuf[0] === 0xff && jpegBuf[1] === 0xd8) {
+          return jpegBuf;
+        }
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // ExifTool not available or no embedded JPEG -- fall through
+    }
+
+    // Attempt 2: ImageMagick + LibRaw delegate (full decode)
+    const cmd = await findMagickCmd();
     await execFileAsync(
       cmd,
       magickArgs(cmd, [inputPath, "-colorspace", "sRGB", "-auto-orient", `png:${outputPath}`]),
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/tool-factory.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/tool-factory.ts
index 87055957..b6eb8b94 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/tool-factory.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/tool-factory.ts
@@ -192,9 +192,12 @@ export function createToolRoute<T>(app: FastifyInstance, config: ToolRouteConfig
 
       // Decode CLI-decoded formats (RAW, PSD, TGA, EXR, HDR) via external tools.
       // The decoded buffer is PNG, so update the filename extension to match.
+      // Pass the original file extension so RAW decoder can use the correct
+      // temp file suffix (e.g. .cr3, .nef) for format identification.
       if (needsCliDecode(validation.format)) {
         try {
-          fileBuffer = await decodeToSharpCompat(fileBuffer, validation.format);
+          const fileExt = filename.split(".").pop()?.toLowerCase();
+          fileBuffer = await decodeToSharpCompat(fileBuffer, validation.format, fileExt);
           const ext = filename.match(/\.[^.]+$/)?.[0];
           if (ext) filename = `${filename.slice(0, -ext.length)}.png`;
         } catch (err) {
@@ -314,6 +317,12 @@ export function createToolRoute<T>(app: FastifyInstance, config: ToolRouteConfig
           "image/bmp": ".bmp",
           "image/heic": ".heic",
           "image/heif": ".heif",
+          "image/jxl": ".jxl",
+          "image/x-icon": ".ico",
+          "image/vnd.adobe.photoshop": ".psd",
+          "image/x-exr": ".exr",
+          "image/vnd.radiance": ".hdr",
+          "image/x-targa": ".tga",
         };
         const expectedExt = CONTENT_TYPE_TO_EXT[result.contentType];
         if (expectedExt) {