Convert to DNG or stay with RAW

Thought on converting to DNG in LR5 or keeping the RAW file?

Personally I just stay with the RAW files. I understand that there may be some advantages in loading time but not really sure that there is anything else that is advantageous. I know that if you are using an older version that converting to DNG is the only way to use a new camera, but at the moment LR5 is the current version.

Alan

http://damiensymonds.b​logspot.com …to-dng-or-not-to-dng.html

I was told the need would arise to convert all my RAW files back when I owned a then current 10D (circa 2003)

Now even though I still sometimes shoot with an even older EOS D60 (circa 2002) I have yet to need to convert a single RAW file to .dng

Despite the sky is falling predictions of the early millennium, all current RAW converters I use will read these oldest cameras' RAW files just fine.

My attitude is that when or if the newest software stops reading these old camera files, THEN I will still have plenty of time to do any possible conversions. In the meantime I have plenty other things to keep my occupied.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17441292
I was told the need would arise to convert all my RAW files back when I owned a then current 10D (circa 2003)

Now even though I still sometimes shoot with an even older EOS D60 (circa 2002) I have yet to need to convert a single RAW file to .dng

Despite the sky is falling predictions of the early millennium, all current RAW converters I use will read these oldest cameras' RAW files just fine.

My attitude is that when or if the newest software stops reading these old camera files, THEN I will still have plenty of time to do any possible conversions. In the meantime I have plenty other things to keep my occupied.

Pretty much how I've approached it. If new RAW converters ever move to drop support for older files then I will take the time to convert.

I take a "sitting on the fence" approach: my working files are .dngs with Quick Load Data and the backups are .CR2s. If you select the option during import to LR to make a second copy to another drive, that copy will always be in the original format.

Colorblinded wrote in post #17441325
If new RAW converters ever move to drop support for older files then I will take the time to convert.

+1 . I am an other one in this club. This also grantees that the conversion will be as current as possible (e.g. transferring as much info as possible into the latest standard format).

From what has been said here and some research, I will stick to saving the RAW files.

I save to my HDD as DNG files from DXO Pro, then i open them this way in Lr4.4 to finish off, they do save as large files 40mb + so i trust they are as good to work with in LR as a Raw would be?

P.

If I happen to use a camera that CS5 raw doesn't work on then I use DNG to convert to CS5 raw type and then process. I refuse to pay to rent anything more than CS5. CS6 got rid of a few good things I really used so if I can't use CS5 I use DNG then CS5 on the converted one.

One offsite location has RAW, another offsite location has DNG. Onsite I keep both. Each location has jpeg.

Storage is cheap, photos are priceless.

I convert to DNG on saving from the camera card. The original CR2 gets renamed and then a DNG copy is made. I work with the DNG but can always get back to the CR2 with the same name if needed (VERY seldom). I like that the side care info is in the DNG rather than a separate file.

Tom_D wrote in post #17444471
I like that the side care info is in the DNG rather than a separate file.

This is the only reason I started converting to DNG upon import instead of keeping things in RAW. When I first started shooting RAW I somehow managed to misplace or dissociate the side-car files from their respective RAW files...all of my editing changes were lost and I was left with the SOOC RAWs. With a good workflow this is 100% avoidable, but it can get confusing when moving files from one location or HDD to another. For me, DNG just makes things more simple.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17441292
...My attitude is that when or if the newest software stops reading these old camera files, THEN I will still have plenty of time to do any possible conversions. In the meantime I have plenty other things to keep my occupied.

Exactly. It appears that Adobe will continue to support the DNG spec and produce a free conversion tool, should the need ever arise to convert your ancient raw files to something else. The problem occurs when you've committed to the DNG-only workflow and the newest raw converter than everyone tells you you should be using does not support DNG fully.

Backing up is probably a lot more important than having two copies in two different file formats.

kirk