DNG, or Digital Negative, is an open raw image format that Adobe introduced in 2004. Like other raw formats, it stores unprocessed data from a camera’s sensor. Unlike most, its specification is public and royalty-free, so any software can support it without reverse engineering a manufacturer’s private format.
Where DNG comes from
- Cameras from Leica, Pentax/Ricoh, Hasselblad and some others that record DNG natively
- Smartphones: iPhone ProRAW and many Android phones’ raw modes save DNG
- Adobe Lightroom and the DNG Converter, which can convert other raw formats to DNG for archiving
Why raw files exist
A camera’s own JPG is a finished, compressed picture with colour and sharpening already applied. A raw file keeps the full sensor data, typically 12–14 bits per pixel, so photographers can adjust exposure, white balance and highlights later with far more latitude.
What DNG is good at
- Long-term archiving: an open format is less likely to become unreadable
- Editing flexibility, like any raw format
- Embedded previews and metadata in a documented structure
Where DNG falls short
- Large files, often 20–80 MB
- Not viewable everywhere: most web services and many apps can’t display raw files
- Needs developing: a raw file must be processed to look like a finished photo
DNG and other formats
Convert DNG to JPG to share or print photos without raw software. The raw data is developed neutrally, so edit it in a raw editor first if you want a particular look.