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Image Format

DNG

Digital Negative

DNG (Digital Negative) is Adobe's open-standard RAW format — a single universal format designed to replace the dozens of proprietary RAW formats from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and other camera makers. It stores the full unprocessed sensor data from your camera, giving you maximum editing latitude in Lightroom, Photoshop, and any RAW-capable editor. When you need to share or upload DNG photos, you'll need to convert them to JPG or PNG first.

What is DNG?

DNG was created by Adobe in 2004 with a straightforward goal: solve the long-term archival problem of proprietary RAW formats. Canon uses CR2 (and now CR3), Nikon uses NEF, Sony uses ARW, Fujifilm uses RAF — every manufacturer has its own RAW format, and there's no guarantee any of them will be readable by software 20 years from now. Adobe published the DNG specification openly and submitted it to ISO, making DNG the only RAW format with an open, documented standard. Under the hood, DNG is based on TIFF 6.0 with additional metadata specifications. It stores the raw, unprocessed data directly from the camera sensor — all 14 or 16 bits of colour information per channel, before any white balance, noise reduction, or sharpening is applied. This is fundamentally different from JPEG, which applies in-camera processing and discards up to 99% of the original sensor data in the process. Adobe Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC both use DNG as their internal RAW format — when you import RAW files into Lightroom and select 'Convert to DNG,' the software rewraps your proprietary CR2 or NEF into a DNG container, often compressing it losslessly to reduce file size by 15–20%. Lightroom Mobile uses DNG as its native capture format on both Android and iOS. Beyond Lightroom, DNG is natively supported by a wide range of cameras and apps. Leica cameras have shot natively to DNG since the M8 (2006). The Ricoh GR series, Hasselblad X and H series, and many Phase One medium-format backs also shoot DNG. On mobile, the Halide app for iPhone saves in DNG, as does the standard RAW mode on many Android phones (Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy in Pro mode). For browser support: Chrome, Edge, and Safari can decode DNG files natively using the operating system's image decoding pipeline. Firefox does not decode DNG natively and will display an error. For guaranteed cross-browser compatibility, convert DNG to JPG or PNG. File sizes vary considerably by sensor resolution and whether lossless compression is applied: a 20 MP camera produces DNG files of roughly 20–35 MB without compression, or 15–25 MB with DNG's built-in lossless compression. This is two to three times the size of the equivalent in-camera JPEG.

DNG pros and cons

Advantages

  • Open standard — documented publicly by Adobe and submitted to ISO for long-term archival
  • Universal compatibility — Lightroom, Photoshop, darktable, RawTherapee, and most RAW editors support DNG
  • Native support in iOS 10+ and macOS Sierra+ (Photos app opens DNG without extra software)
  • Lossless compression option — reduces file size 15–20% with no quality loss
  • Supported by Lightroom Mobile as the native capture format on Android and iOS

Limitations

  • Large file sizes — 15–35 MB per image vs 4–8 MB for in-camera JPEG
  • Requires RAW-capable software to edit or view with full quality
  • Firefox cannot decode DNG natively — browser compatibility is incomplete
  • Converting from proprietary RAW to DNG adds a processing step and takes time
  • DNG conversion from CR2/NEF may not preserve all manufacturer-specific metadata

When should you convert DNG files?

Convert DNG to JPG when you need to share photos, post to social media, send by email, upload to web services, or print without a RAW editor. Use JPG for everyday sharing and web delivery; use PNG for screenshots, graphics, or images where you need no compression artefacts. For archival storage and serious editing, keep the DNG and convert only when needed for output.

Convert DNG files

DNG→JPG
DNG→PNG

All FormatDrop conversions run entirely in your browser — no file upload, no server processing. Your files stay on your device.

DNG FAQ

What cameras shoot DNG natively?
Leica M, Q, and SL series cameras shoot DNG natively and have done so since the M8 in 2006. Ricoh GR series, Hasselblad X-System and H-System medium format, Phase One backs, Sigma dp Quattro, and DJI drone cameras (Mavic, Phantom, Zenmuse) also save DNG. On mobile, Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy (Pro mode), and iPhone via Halide or similar third-party camera apps save DNG. Most Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm cameras save proprietary RAW (CR2/NEF/ARW/RAF) — you can convert to DNG in Lightroom after import.
Is it worth converting RAW files to DNG?
For long-term archival, yes — DNG's open specification means it will be readable by future software even if your camera manufacturer's proprietary format isn't. For everyday use, it depends on your workflow: if you're working entirely within Lightroom, converting to DNG gives you slightly smaller files (lossless compression) and slightly faster editing performance. The downside is irreversibility — once you convert and delete the original RAW, you can't get the proprietary file back. Most professionals keep the original RAW and DNG sidecar for archival.
Why can't I open a DNG file in Windows Photos?
Windows Photos requires a codec to open DNG files. Install the 'Raw Image Extension' from the Microsoft Store (search for it by name, it's free) — this gives Windows 10 and 11 native DNG support in File Explorer thumbnails and the Photos app. Alternatively, download Adobe DNG Converter (free from Adobe) to batch-convert DNG to JPG, or use darktable (free, open-source) which supports DNG from nearly all cameras.
Does DNG preserve all the data from my original RAW file?
DNG preserves all the sensor data from the original RAW file. When you use Lightroom's 'Convert to DNG' with the 'Embed Original Raw File' option enabled, it embeds a full copy of the proprietary RAW inside the DNG — lossless and completely recoverable. Without that option, DNG stores the sensor data in an open format but doesn't include manufacturer-specific processing profiles or proprietary metadata that the camera vendor's software might use. For most photographers, DNG without embedded original is sufficient.

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