Archive notice: This article was originally published on December 28, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Adobe developed the DNG format in response to the growing number of undocumented Raw formats that appear with every release of a new digital camera. These formats are specified by the respective camera manufacturer. To read such formats, you need either the manufacturer’s Raw processing software or third-party software that can do so: Capture One, Camera Raw or Lightroom.
The many different Raw formats supported by Camera Raw or Lightroom can be archived as a DNG file, an open standard (i.e. the file-format specifications, based on the TIFF 6 file format, are freely accessible to every third-party developer).
You do not have to convert every Raw file to DNG, but undocumented Raw files cannot be kept forever, because old operating systems become obsolete within a few years. So convert all Raw files to DNG? What does it achieve and what doesn’t it achieve? An overview.
Advantages of the DNG Format:
- Validate Raw data: The DNG format can identify damaged files in the archive.
- More performance: DNG provides preview images in standard sizes and tiling for faster loading.
- Compact format: DNG files are smaller than the original Raw files.
- Photo-merged compositions: In Camera Raw 9 or Lightroom 6, photo-merged panoramas or HDR shots can be saved as DNG with the original Raw characteristics.
- Always up to date without an upgrade: Users of older Photoshop or Lightroom versions can also use a DNG Converter program.
Disadvantages of the DNG Format:
- Time required: Conversion to DNG costs additional valuable time.
- Compatibility with other software: DNG works excellently with Adobe; other software can cause problems.
- Backup of metadata changes: When metadata is saved directly in the DNG file, the backup porcess becomes slower because the complete file has to be copied instead of only the XMP.
More at: blogs.adobe.com
