DNG settings ?

For those who use DNG, do you save the full size preview, or medium size ? A full size preview adds a couple MB and the resulting file is just a tad smaller than CR2, but it's nice to be able to open the full size in a viewer.

Also, did anybody run into any issues using DNG vs CR2 ?

Finally, what's the easiest way in LR to convert all CR2s to DNG and delete the CR2s while maintaining the catalog integrity (I have them all backed up so I don't need to duplicate them on my HD).

I'm not in front of my own computer at the moment, so I can't answer your first question, but as for your second, I haven't run into any issues. I converted to the DNG format about 6 months or so ago mainly because I was sick of having that .xmp file. I know there's some proprietary information you're going to lose in the DNG conversion, but that has been 100% transparent to me so far.

As far as how to convert, I actually haven't bothered yet with most of my photos that are still in Canon's raw format, but there is a dedicated function for that in Lightroom, and I'm pretty sure it will get rid of the original file format either as a default or an option. If no one responds with where that option is, I'm sure I can find it fairly quickly when I get back home this evening.

IslandCrow wrote in post #16131184
As far as how to convert, I actually haven't bothered yet with most of my photos that are still in Canon's raw format, but there is a dedicated function for that in Lightroom, and I'm pretty sure it will get rid of the original file format either as a default or an option. If no one responds with where that option is, I'm sure I can find it fairly quickly when I get back home this evening.

In grid view: Select CR2 files, go Library > Convert photo to DNG…
This will convert all selected CR2 files to DNG (duh) and reference the DNG files in the library. The CR2 files will remain where they were on the HDD (unless you tick "delete originals after successful conversion), but they will be removed from the LR library regardless of tickboxes.

I don't know of any loss. The complete Canon Maker's Notes (the real nitty-gritty stuff that is there for Canon techs and nosy geeks) is still there and displayed in ExifTool just like for CR2s. If you want to know what the internal temperature of the camera was at the time of the shot, it's still there.

René Damkot wrote in post #16132104
In grid view: Select CR2 files, go Library > Convert photo to DNG…
This will convert all selected CR2 files to DNG (duh) and reference the DNG files in the library. The CR2 files will remain where they were on the HDD (unless you tick "delete originals after successful conversion), but they will be removed from the LR library regardless of tickboxes.

Also, don't tick the lossy compression option unless you are SURE you want to do this. I use "lossy" DNGs in place of JPEGs in some instances.

Thanks ! Will try.

I switched from Canon to Sony and I will likely switch again at some point - makes sense to keep the same RAW format.

Update: found it, thank you all !

I think I will convert all raw to DNG on import, this way I don't have to worry about different file formats.

That's fine, provided you don't (ever) want to use DPP on those files…

René Damkot wrote in post #16135375
That's fine, provided you don't (ever) want to use DPP on those files…

I sold all of my Canon gear, so I will probably just use LR from now on.

tzalman wrote in post #16132564
I don't know of any loss. The complete Canon Maker's Notes (the real nitty-gritty stuff that is there for Canon techs and nosy geeks) is still there and displayed in ExifTool just like for CR2s. If you want to know what the internal temperature of the camera was at the time of the shot, it's still there.

I guess I shouldn't have said I "know", as that's simply what I've heard from a few sources I consider reliable. Of course I've also been told in the same breath that the information that's "lost" is insignificant to the image itself. So, I guess the answer is most likely either that nothing is lost, or whatever is lost is completely irrelevant. Win, win.