Hi,
Recently I have started using a Ricoh camera that uses the dng format as its raw file format file. These dng files have introduced me to some of the benefits of the dng format, so much so that I am thinking of converting all the raw images in my library to dng. However, before I venture down this path I thought I would ask for your opinions and experiences using the dng format.
First here are my pro's and con's:
Pro's
1. Meta data is written into the dng file so can not be lost during file management the way .xmp files can.
2. Photo mechanic will read the high quality jpeg preview for display, which means there is no need to set my camera to raw plus large jpeg.
3. A large number of photo editing applications can edit dng files.
4. dng is an open format meaning that it should be available for decades i.e future proof in a way that camera raws are not.
5. The dng version may also contain the original raw file meaning it may be extracted at any time.
Con's
A. It takes time and an extra step to create the dng version of a camera raw file.
B. Making a minor edit to meta data will force backup systems to rewrite the whole file in the same way as jpegs and tiffs have to be rewritten.
C. The dng version of a raw file cannot be edited in the camera makers dedicated software.
I'm sure there are more, please discuss.
S
