Dng

justin24justin24 Registered Users Posts: 402 Major grins
edited February 9, 2011 in Digital Darkroom
Do you use DNG now as your "RAW" preference or do you still use the cameras RAW file format? What are the advantages to DNG. I know the files are smaller but not by much vs RAW that your camera saves it as? I have converted some of my RAW (NEF) files to DNG. Should I continue to save in DNG or save as NEF?
www.justinschlesinger.com

Comments

  • run_kmcrun_kmc Registered Users Posts: 263 Major grins
    edited January 27, 2011
    I have Lightroom convert my RAW files to DNG whenever I import something. I don't think it really matters, but I do it so that Lightroom can write its settings to the file itself instead of a separate XML file. I think it makes importing an exported library easier later on.
    photos | twitter
  • arodneyarodney Registered Users Posts: 2,005 Major grins
    edited January 27, 2011
    See: http://www.ppmag.com/reviews/200709_adobedng.pdf
    Andrew Rodney
    Author "Color Management for Photographers"
    http://www.digitaldog.net/
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 27, 2011
    arodney wrote: »
    See: http://www.ppmag.com/reviews/200709_adobedng.pdf

    when I send a wedding to a processor as a DNG and they run it thru LR and then send back to me.....all their changes are contained in the meta-data and comes back to me without any extra files to contend with, but if I send the camera's raw files I must get back an XMP sidecar file to have the changes I paid for...Is that correct??
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • arodneyarodney Registered Users Posts: 2,005 Major grins
    edited January 27, 2011
    Art Scott wrote: »
    when I send a wedding to a processor as a DNG and they run it thru LR and then send back to me.....all their changes are contained in the meta-data and comes back to me without any extra files to contend with, but if I send the camera's raw files I must get back an XMP sidecar file to have the changes I paid for...Is that correct??

    IF they save this yes (in Lightroom, you actually have to use the command/control S, or Update DNG Preview & Metadata command).

    To have this done automatically, check Automatically write changes into XMP from the Catalog Settings preferences.
    Andrew Rodney
    Author "Color Management for Photographers"
    http://www.digitaldog.net/
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 27, 2011
    so they must save the changes to the dng file for it to come back to me with the changes made....this is not done automatically in Lr with a dng?? As I am trying to rid myself of all xmp sidecars if possible....I know they do not take up much actual real estate but they are clutter in my filing system.

    Thanks
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • arodneyarodney Registered Users Posts: 2,005 Major grins
    edited January 27, 2011
    Its done automatically if they have the Auto save XMP preference in Catalog Preference’s on. But that would be true for non DNG’s with sidecar files.
    Andrew Rodney
    Author "Color Management for Photographers"
    http://www.digitaldog.net/
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 28, 2011
    After re-reading your article, it seems my first impression should be correct....if one imports all raw files and has LR to change to DNG and discard (delete) the raw files then all processing, in LR is kept with the dng metadata and these is no need for the xmp side car at all.

    Have I misunderstood this?

    thanx for your patience.
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • arodneyarodney Registered Users Posts: 2,005 Major grins
    edited January 28, 2011
    Art Scott wrote: »
    After re-reading your article, it seems my first impression should be correct....if one imports all raw files and has LR to change to DNG and discard (delete) the raw files then all processing, in LR is kept with the dng metadata and these is no need for the xmp side car at all.

    The XML can be stored within the DNG yes.
    Andrew Rodney
    Author "Color Management for Photographers"
    http://www.digitaldog.net/
  • J.G.McClainJ.G.McClain Registered Users Posts: 32 Big grins
    edited January 28, 2011
    Another good reference is also http://www.dpbestflow.org/ , their book is very informative.
    Jason G. McClain
    Melissa McClain Photography
    www.melissamcclainphotography.com
  • JCJC Registered Users Posts: 768 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2011
    I started converting all my canon raw files to DNG when I got my first DSLR, I like the idea, in general of the open specification file format, and the lack of sidecar files. But since then I've found that I like Bibble as the best Linux compatible raw workflow app, and they don't support converted DNG files :(

    So now I have a few years of DNG files that I can still open in GIMP, or DCRAW/UFraw , but not in Bibble.

    I find that Bibble's support for Linux seriously dulls my annoyance at their lack of support for DNG, so I've traded DNG archiving for the ease of use I find in Bibble.

    I highly doubt that in 50 years anyone will care about my old picture files anyway, but the tag-along .xmp files still bug me.
    Yeah, if you recognize the avatar, new user name.
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