Here are the four critical things you need know about the DNG, the Adobe-developed, open-source Digital Negative:

1. The DNG is the coolest RAW electronic imaging file format on Earth.

2. The DNG is absolutely the best archival format for all your RAW files.

3. The DNG offers amazingly innovative workflow benefits.

4. You should embrace the Digital Negative by converting all of your RAW captures to DNGs as part of your normal workflow.

Like many elegantly simple and powerful inventions, the DNG is sadly misunderstood. And because the majority of photographers are not yet using the DNG and not yet

noticing any workflow dilemmas as a result, the simple fact is that the majority of photographers don’t see the need (or quite understand why) they should add “Convert to DNG” to their digital workflow checklist. But you definitely should.

I’m not going to lie. Converting your camera’s proprietary RAW files (those Canon CR2s and Nikon NEFs) does take some time and does add an extra step to your workflo. And as noted (and frustratingly for the proliferation of DNG), you might not notice any clear payoff to using the DNG—especially at first. But the payoff is there, it’s great and it will become greater over time.

Why is the DNG way cooler than cool? Because:

• DNGs absolutely guarantee you the greatest archival safety for your images.

• DNGs hold ALL your original, unaltered RAW data, exactly as it was captured by your camera’s sensor. However, the nifty DNG has room for securely holding extra critical data, including:

-- All of the critical metadata that is stored in those pesky, easy-to-lose XMP sidecar files, such as rankings, keywords and RAW processing instructions. (When you convert a proprietary RAW file to a DNG, the XMP metadata becomes part of the DNG. This metadata is still completely editable; the RAW image data remains untouchable, just as with all RAW files.

– A full-size JPEG version of your RAW image with your metadata processing instructions applied. (Digital asset management guru Peter Krogh calls this JPEG a “pretty good print.” And having this JPEG embedded in the DNG offers great, time-saving workflow options—like the ability to make quality proof prints and Web galleries from your RAW DNGs in record time. Furthermore, this embedded JPEG also serves as a “guide print” when handing off a RAW file.)

• DNGs are the best, most viable option for a true, standardized “digital negative.” This one, industry-wide “digital negative” would replace the hundreds of proprietary RAW files. This means that no matter which brand or model of camera you photograph with, you will always end up with a DNG, promoting best archival practices, smoothing workflow and giving photographers true control over how we photograph. (Can you imagine, if in the days of film, Canon forced us to shoot with only Velvia and Nikon forced us to shoot only with Kodachrome? We wouldn’t stand for it!)

Caveats regarding using the DNG:
• At this point, very few cameras let you capture in the DNG format. Canon or Nikon certainly don’t support the DNG, and they are really the ones that matter most. Both insist their no-DNG stance relates to issues of quality, but it’s really a money-making thing. Forward-thinking Lieca, Ricoh and Samsung have all developed cameras that provide direct DNG support, and there are even some point-and-shoots that are DNG-friendly.

• Converting proprietary RAW files to DNGs does not make an extra step and some time. So if your workflow does not currently seem to be suffering from a lack of the DNG, you have to get to know the DNG RAW format to understand its short- and long-term advantages.

• The tipping point of industry-wide adoption of the DNG suffers from the ole chicken and the egg conundrum: Until the vast majority of photographers are using and DNG and insisting that camera manufacturers embrace the format, Canon and Nikon will ignore our needs. On the other hand, many photographers will have a hard time seeing the value of using the DNG before Canon and Nikon cameras are able to capture in the DNG mode.

Working Together To Create a DNG World
If I sound like a feverish DNG evangelist, that’s fine by me. Because I am. Since 2004–before the DNG was even publically announced–I’ve done a heck of a lot of research about the DNG and even written a few less feverish articles on the topic. In that time the DNG has proved itself worthy, and the time has come for photographers to fight for the DNG!

As photographers we need the DNG as much as we needed a 35mm film standard back in the ‘30s. But that analogy is kind of weak, as the DNG is much more critical (and valuable) in terms of standardization, archival properties and workflow advantages. So in the name of acting as a DNG evangelist, shouting from my ACMetaforum soapbox, I encourage you to get to know the DNG, then start using it, and then go a step further and start spreading the word yourself.

Resources
• To learn more about why you should use the DNG, go straight to the source and see what Adobe has to say about the Digital Negative and download the Adobe DNG Converter (free, quick, easy).

• To understand more about the ins and outs of the DNG (especially the wicked-cool workflow advantages), read “The Amazing DNG,” an article I wrote for the premier issue of AfterCapture.

• To read a similar article but with a stronger focus on the politics of the DNG as well as some interesting (formally classified) behind-the-scenes information about Adobe’s role and motivation in creating the DNG, take a gander at “Winning the Battle of the DNG,” which I wrote for The Picture Professional.

• To gain a really great insight into the conceptual and practical workflow applications of how the DNG can help you today, check out Peter Krogh’s The DAM Book. The first chapter is available for free download and concisely illustrates cooler than cool DNG workflow advantages

Tags: Digital Negative, DNG, DNG Converter, Peter Krogh, RAW, The DAM Book