Advantage of the DNG file format

[Photo Imaging]

"What's the difference between Raw & DNG and why?"
This is a frequently asked question at Photo Imaging from amateurs and professionals alike, here's a link to a great explanation by Julianne Kost if anyone's interested.
http://bit.ly/dwUxk2

Joan

[Barrie Harwood]

I feel that one problem with the DNG file is your dependency on Adobe whereas the manufacturers own flavour of the RAW format is made available as an SDK to anyone who wants it so you get a plethora of third party vendors providing RAW conversion software for all of the RAW formats that are available. :)

[Photo Imaging]

Horses for courses ;) most (if not all) of our customers are using Adobe software be it Photoshop or Lightroom so hopefully Julieanne Kost will demystify the DNG v RAW debate for them.

SDK's ....lordy that would just send them deeper into anguish, very few even read their manuals!!!.

[Paul Smith]

I like the theory of an open source format that will last for eternity and can contain the original proprietary raw file but tbh I think it's more likely that adobe will go belly up before Canon and Nikon. I think it's pretty safe to say that whatever file format you use you're going to be able to find something that decodes it.

Is it just me or the link in the original post not working? Is it meant to be

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-complete-picture-with-julieanne-kost/the-advantages-of-the-dng-file-format/

[Photo Imaging]

OOOO my bitly's bummed, this should be right. http://bit.ly/drixh3 yes it's Adobe TV, personally I think that Julieanne Kost is one of the better bods from Adobe, doesn't take herself too seriously..

[Paul Smith]

Not familiar with the name but her site looks very good. Will have a thorough browse through that later.

[Barrie Harwood]

SDK's ....lordy that would just send them deeper into anguish, very few even read their manuals!!!.

:D I was referring to the fact that Canon / Nikon et al release the SDK so that software developers (including Adobe) produce their own RAW conversion software (e. g. BreezeBrowser, Apple's Aperture, Corel etc). I wouldn't expect a photographer to do it :D

I can understand why Adobe have done it (good marketing ploy) but the other disadvantage of going down the DNG route is to do with future proofing. Future software technology may well be able to bring out information from a RAW file that currently cannot be seen or at least improve upon it. If the file has already been converted into another format (which is what you are doing by using DNG), this opportunity may not be available to you.

I cite as an example my RAW files take with my old Nikon D1X many years ago. The latest Lightroom version enables me to get so much more out of the file than I was initially able to do :)

[Photo Imaging]

Something to be said for good ol' film then......

[Barrie Harwood]

Film? Oh I can't keep up with these new fangled things.. give me wet plates any day :D :D :D