Dng, the file extension for the Adobe Digital Negative file format, is meant to be a universal raw file format that offers a number of advantages over the multitude of proprietary digital camera raw file formats that exist today. The idea of creating one open-source universal file format that can hold the original sensor data from any type of digital camera is simple enough but this file formats use remains very controversial.
I will teach you how to convert your proprietary, meaning camera-branded, raw files into the Adobe dng file format using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic in the video tutorial below.
Although I demonstrate all three options for dng conversion inside of Lightroom, at no point in this video tutorial do I take a stance on whether or not you should choose to use the dng raw file format. I’m here to teach you how to make use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic’s dng conversion tools if, or when, you are ready but dng conversion is not for everyone. You may well decide that this feature has no place in your workflow and that is okay.
There are some very good reasons why you might not want to convert to dng right now or ever. There are also some really good reasons why using the dng file format instead of your camera’s proprietary raw format might make your life better.
The central message that I hope that you will get from today’s video tutorial is that there is no ticking clock here. There is no time limit on this decision. Adobe Lightroom Classic does not force you to reach a decision on dng file conversion right now.
Since Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic allows for dng conversion at anytime I urge you to do some research and think hard about this topic. I encourage you to follow all of the links below to learn more from experts on both sides of the dng conversion debate. Figure out if, or how, dng conversion might benefit you and then follow the steps in the video tutorial above whenever you are ready to move further down this road.
Dng Conversion Information:
- Should I Convert To Dng? from Victoria Bampton
- Dng Pros, Cons, and Myths from Martin Evening
- Why I Don’t Convert to Dng from Matt Kloskowski
