RAW Files

Eduard

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Eye-level said:
What I would like to know is how is it that a DNG file is 20% smaller than a NEF?
Click to expand...

ALL camera manufacturers use proprietary settings in their RAW format (NEF, CR2, etc.). They do not share the specifics with the vendors of RAW converters. So Apple, Adobe, DxO, Phase One et al interpret the manufacturer's file formats with their own proprietary approach. That is why you will get different results with Aperture versus Lightroom.

DNG interprets the RAW file and saves what it believes to be the appropriate information to "develop" the image. Along the way, DNG discards the manufacturer's proprietary information because they don't know where/what the proprietary information is in the original RAW file. This results in a smaller file. However, DNG can be set to embed the original file - which results in a larger file than the original.

Have you ever gone back and reprocessed a file that you originally post processed in a previous version of Lightroom or Photoshop? I have and you can see the improvement/difference in the versions of Camera Raw. For this reason, I save my original digital negatives (NEF, CR2, etc.) and do not convert to DNG. I want to ensure that I have all of the information that was originally captured. I have established my workflow to work at a directory level to ensure that sidecar files are always synchronized.

I'm not saying that DNG is bad. Frankly, I would love to see a universal RAW format. IMHO it won't happen as long as camera manufacturers are trying to create or maintain a competitive advantage.
 
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Eye-level

Banned
I posted on another forum that is frequented by many photo journalist/pro types regarding the use of DNG files and there seems to be about a 50/50 split amongst them. One of the comments offered up concerning proprietary RAW files was that Canonikon has made literally millions of cameras the past ten years so it is highly unlikely that their files are just going to disappear which makes a ton of sense. One museum fellow told me that in many institutional settings you will find TIFF and lossless JPEG2000. Another person says DNG is the most flexible. One of the big concerns about DNG is if Adobe abandons DNG or if Adobe ceases to exist in it's current form. Perhaps the most interesting reply of all and there are several on that thread that agree with this is that the absolute best form of archival storage is to print the files!

Regardless of what type files we choose to work with in our digital workflow many folks are one hard drive crash away from photographic oblivion. That is definitely some food for thought there.

I'm am going to continue to study the issue as it is very very important to one's photography. I think about all the photographs and negatives that I have (from 4 or 5 generations of my folks) and the literally hundreds of disks of photos that I have and one thing I know for sure is that the photos of my great great grandparents made in the 1890's are still here, they are razor sharp, and they still look amazing even after all of these years.
 
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Eye-level

Banned
Here is what a member of the other forum posted and I think it pretty much sums the situation up most excellently. From now on I will shoot RAW and save in DNG and now I need to find another type of file for my completely finished work that I will post or whatever plus I am going to try and print the very best ones. (Which will be easy for me because I do not often make "the very best ones". haha)

"Raw files are always subject to the interpretation of a raw processing application.

If you are looking to archive your finished work, it needs to be in a different format, one which can encapsulate in a fixed manner the work you've put into the image rendering.

If you are looking to archive your raw data, DNG is a good, solid raw format, the only one with a publicly distributed format specification.

Archival quality prints might be the best overall way to archive your finished work for the ages, or at least for your kids and friends, but that does not obviate the need to archive and maintain your digital data as well. Even if you personally are the only person who will ever benefit from digital archiving of your work, you sure don't want to lose all the raw AND finished digital photographs you've made while you're still alive. After you pass away, what happens to all of that is up to your descendants and is no longer your concern, same as for your prints."
 
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Stangman98

Senior Member
I have two WD Passports. One for all my NEF/RAW files and one for edited Jpeg's. When I build a new computer I am going to get a Drobo.
 
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Eye-level

Banned
I've been surfing all over that whole link...I think I may be able to start making snaps again after I spend about 30 days studying it...LOL

Look at all of that other stuff there...everything is there...god bless the Library of Congress!

Looks like this is the place to start... http://dpbestflow.org/node/406
 
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sam49

Senior Member
I keep my raw files on a external hard drive and after editing I save the Jpeg on another external hard drive that way I have both in case of an emergence.

Hard drive space is not expensive and I have a double backup
 
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