I'm a big believer of Adobe's DNG Converter to bring all the various proprietary camera raw file formas under one roof so to speak, so here's the link to the download of the latest and greatest, ver. 7.3. This should cover pretty much all new camera raw files.
If you prefer to cut-and-paste:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/thankyou.jsp?ftpID=5518&fileID=5529
Showing posts with label dng. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dng. Show all posts
Friday, March 15, 2013
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Converting RAW to DNG - an absolute necessity now
Back in April I posted a discussion of the rationale for converting proprietary RAW files to DNG. Now, it appears I'm going to have to do just that.
It's not space that's the issue but the wonky relationship between Bridge CS4 and some of the RAW file formats, particularly Nikon's NEF. For some weeks now I've been unable to update the metadata in NEF files; I would continually get an error message when I attempted to update a group of files -- and, if this has ever happened to you you know what a serious hassle this is. On several occasions, when I tried to update a large group of files I would have to force quit Bridge since it wanted to show an error message for each file and each message had to be closed out manually. Not a pretty picture when you're trying to update 608 files. And this seemed to happen with each and every NEF file I was working on.
But this problem does NOT occur when working with DNG RAW files.
So, in addition to reducing overall file size (and consequently space concerns), I now have cleaner files. Or will have.
Since there are more than 8k RAW files in our central library I'll be at this for a while, to be sure. But I suspect it will be time well spent in not only making accessibility and searchability that more effective but also paving the way for archiving these image files for years to come.
It's not space that's the issue but the wonky relationship between Bridge CS4 and some of the RAW file formats, particularly Nikon's NEF. For some weeks now I've been unable to update the metadata in NEF files; I would continually get an error message when I attempted to update a group of files -- and, if this has ever happened to you you know what a serious hassle this is. On several occasions, when I tried to update a large group of files I would have to force quit Bridge since it wanted to show an error message for each file and each message had to be closed out manually. Not a pretty picture when you're trying to update 608 files. And this seemed to happen with each and every NEF file I was working on.
But this problem does NOT occur when working with DNG RAW files.
So, in addition to reducing overall file size (and consequently space concerns), I now have cleaner files. Or will have.
Since there are more than 8k RAW files in our central library I'll be at this for a while, to be sure. But I suspect it will be time well spent in not only making accessibility and searchability that more effective but also paving the way for archiving these image files for years to come.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Using DNG File conversion to maintain control over Image Library Size
Out of more than 110,000 photos in our image library nearly 8,600 are Camera RAW files (NEF, CR2, DCR, RAF primarily). Although they make up less than 8% of the total number of files, they account for more than 12% of the total space taken up on the drive (68 gigabytes out of 526 gigs of space occupied by the library).
The challenge is how to preserve the integrity and optimize the size of the library, reduce the multiple file formats and standardize the image files, while acquiring the best quality images for use over the coming years.
Camera RAW files are the obvious answer but the file space these would require prohibit our organization from using RAW files.
Adobe's DNG file format system is widely touted as achieving smaller RAW files while protecting the integrity of the image data -- unlike with jpgs.
Moreover, DNG files also combine the metadata into the image itself unlike RAW files which use the sidecar method of storing xmp information, and the problem with sidecar files is you risk loss of that data if the sidecar file becomes separated from the image file.
Recently I undertook a series of in-house tests using 30 random camera RAW images from a variety of different RAW formats. Bridge's built-in DNG converter made the process simple and easy.
Results:
Orig RAW: 30 images (238.5 mb)
DNG convert: 30 images (181.8 mb) - with no loss of information
Moreover, the DNGs open up just like a camera RAW file in PS CS4.
Several options are now available:
All contract photographers would be required to send the "keeper" RAW files on disk, and we convert to JPG for uploading to the library (thus keeping the library at a reasonable size). If a larger, more robust copy of that image is needed, the metadata in the JPG will direct the designers to the specific disk where they can find the RAW file. (Professional digital photographers shoot predominantly in Camera RAW in any event.)
Another scenario would be to request that all contract photographers convert their final images to DNG instead of jpg before sending them to us. This would require no additional steps on their part, since they convert the images to something after color correcting, reviewing, etc. And we get the added benefit of the BEST quality image. Of course, the photographer could send us the RAW files and we can convert in-house. With Adobe's PS and Bridge the process is quick and easy, and we can even add our own metadata information during the conversion process.
Lastly, the photographer could send us BOTH the RAW and JPG files, since DSLRs today are capable of shooting images in both formats at the same time. No conversion is needed -- however this does not take into account those files that were color-corrected.
The challenge is how to preserve the integrity and optimize the size of the library, reduce the multiple file formats and standardize the image files, while acquiring the best quality images for use over the coming years.
Camera RAW files are the obvious answer but the file space these would require prohibit our organization from using RAW files.
Adobe's DNG file format system is widely touted as achieving smaller RAW files while protecting the integrity of the image data -- unlike with jpgs.
Moreover, DNG files also combine the metadata into the image itself unlike RAW files which use the sidecar method of storing xmp information, and the problem with sidecar files is you risk loss of that data if the sidecar file becomes separated from the image file.
Recently I undertook a series of in-house tests using 30 random camera RAW images from a variety of different RAW formats. Bridge's built-in DNG converter made the process simple and easy.
Results:
Orig RAW: 30 images (238.5 mb)
DNG convert: 30 images (181.8 mb) - with no loss of information
Moreover, the DNGs open up just like a camera RAW file in PS CS4.
Several options are now available:
All contract photographers would be required to send the "keeper" RAW files on disk, and we convert to JPG for uploading to the library (thus keeping the library at a reasonable size). If a larger, more robust copy of that image is needed, the metadata in the JPG will direct the designers to the specific disk where they can find the RAW file. (Professional digital photographers shoot predominantly in Camera RAW in any event.)
Another scenario would be to request that all contract photographers convert their final images to DNG instead of jpg before sending them to us. This would require no additional steps on their part, since they convert the images to something after color correcting, reviewing, etc. And we get the added benefit of the BEST quality image. Of course, the photographer could send us the RAW files and we can convert in-house. With Adobe's PS and Bridge the process is quick and easy, and we can even add our own metadata information during the conversion process.
Lastly, the photographer could send us BOTH the RAW and JPG files, since DSLRs today are capable of shooting images in both formats at the same time. No conversion is needed -- however this does not take into account those files that were color-corrected.
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