Comments on: To DNG or Not to DNG? That is the question! http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/ Tips, Tricks and Lightroom Updates Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:24:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Huntley Paton http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-676 Huntley Paton Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:38:00 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-676 Will do! And will report back if I learn anything interesting -- or disturbing. Most grateful for your help! Will do! And will report back if I learn anything interesting — or disturbing.

Most grateful for your help!

]]> By: Huntley Paton http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-675 Huntley Paton Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:38:08 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-675 Thank you very much for that answer -- looks like I will have to stick with JPEGs only as output when doing RAW processing in DXO. Sounds like it would still be a good idea to convert all my raw files to DNG within Lightroom, though. Think I saw an explanation somewhere about how to do that in batch. <em>[Yeah, sounds like a plan. The raw files - select them in Grid view and you'll find the Convert to DNG under the Library menu. Just double check that DXO will be able to read those DNG files as I haven't checked that lately. - VB]</em> Thank you very much for that answer — looks like I will have to stick with JPEGs only as output when doing RAW processing in DXO. Sounds like it would still be a good idea to convert all my raw files to DNG within Lightroom, though. Think I saw an explanation somewhere about how to do that in batch.

[Yeah, sounds like a plan. The raw files - select them in Grid view and you'll find the Convert to DNG under the Library menu. Just double check that DXO will be able to read those DNG files as I haven't checked that lately. - VB]

]]> By: Huntley Paton http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-674 Huntley Paton Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:36:30 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-674 I found this very useful, thank you. My question concerns file size. You wrote that DNG files tend to be significantly smaller than their RAW sources (if I read you correctly) but the opposite seems to be happening to me. Here's my workflow: I import RAW cr2 files into Lightoom 3 beta and then do processing work on them in DxO Optics Pro v5.3.7 for Mac. The RAW file that goes into Lightroom is usually around 23-25mb in size .... when I process it in DxO and import back into Lightroom, however, I now have a DNG file about 70mb big ... that's just way too big for my hard-drive budget. I suppose I can change setting either in DxO or Lightroom to save a smaller version of the file, but does that mean I am saving at a lower quality? I don't want to do that either! (that's why I'm trying to get away from jpegs.) Any advice much appreciated. <em>[Standard DNG of raw data, yes, are smaller. There's a different type however - linear DNG - which are demosaiced data, which could be described as being half way between a true raw file and a TIFF. Those are the kind of DNG that DXO produce as DXO has to demosaic the data in order to apply its settings, and they are much much larger, as you've noted. There's no easy way round that I'm afraid, when you're going to another program.- VB]</em> I found this very useful, thank you. My question concerns file size. You wrote that DNG files tend to be significantly smaller than their RAW sources (if I read you correctly) but the opposite seems to be happening to me. Here’s my workflow: I import RAW cr2 files into Lightoom 3 beta and then do processing work on them in DxO Optics Pro v5.3.7 for Mac. The RAW file that goes into Lightroom is usually around 23-25mb in size …. when I process it in DxO and import back into Lightroom, however, I now have a DNG file about 70mb big … that’s just way too big for my hard-drive budget. I suppose I can change setting either in DxO or Lightroom to save a smaller version of the file, but does that mean I am saving at a lower quality? I don’t want to do that either! (that’s why I’m trying to get away from jpegs.) Any advice much appreciated.

[Standard DNG of raw data, yes, are smaller. There's a different type however - linear DNG - which are demosaiced data, which could be described as being half way between a true raw file and a TIFF. Those are the kind of DNG that DXO produce as DXO has to demosaic the data in order to apply its settings, and they are much much larger, as you've noted. There's no easy way round that I'm afraid, when you're going to another program.- VB]

]]> By: Steve S http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Steve S Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:15:55 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-398 Does anyone know of a DNG plugin for MS Internet Explorer that would allow me to see thumbnails in IE? This is available for NEF files. <em>[For Internet Explorer? You don't mean Windows Explorer? - VB]</em> Does anyone know of a DNG plugin for MS Internet Explorer that would allow me to see thumbnails in IE? This is available for NEF files.

[For Internet Explorer? You don't mean Windows Explorer? - VB]

]]> By: Phil http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-216 Phil Fri, 29 May 2009 01:12:12 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-216 Hello, I am having troubles when exporting to DNG via LR2. The files I am editing and attempting to export are .CR2 files. My issue is that all of the exported files do not display any of the changes made to them while in LR2. I have done as you suggested to Pat above ie Update DNG Metadata & Preview. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Regards Phil <em>[Phil, that sounds a bit odd. Are you selecting DNG as the file type in the Export dialog? If it's still not working, drop by www.lightroomforums.net and we'll get you sorted out in no time. - VB]</em> Hello,

I am having troubles when exporting to DNG via LR2. The files I am editing and attempting to export are .CR2 files.

My issue is that all of the exported files do not display any of the changes made to them while in LR2. I have done as you suggested to Pat above ie Update DNG Metadata & Preview. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Regards

Phil

[Phil, that sounds a bit odd. Are you selecting DNG as the file type in the Export dialog? If it's still not working, drop by http://www.lightroomforums.net and we'll get you sorted out in no time. - VB]

]]> By: TheShape http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-128 TheShape Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:35:37 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-128 Very interesting. I am going to have to delve into this a little bit. Thanks for all the info. Very interesting. I am going to have to delve into this a little bit. Thanks for all the info.

]]> By: Pat http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-119 Pat Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:43:16 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-119 Read your article in the latest NAPP magazine and found it very informative. What I have not seen written about to any extent is saving the DNG files after precessing in LR. Can you address the full finish to the LR work flow. I know images can be printed, exported, saved as various files but I seem to end up with a lot of images that I've spent time editing but right now don't need to export or print. They are DNG files and the adjustments are stored in the catalog. Even though I back up my catalong on another drive, it seems I'm missing something to finish off this process and it doesn't seem secure to me to leave them at this stage. It seems I should be saving these images as a completed master in some format so I can resize, sharpen and output as I need. Does this saving process have to be done image by image or can it be done in groups? Thanks for addressing this. <em>[Hi Pat! As you noted, all of your changes that you do in Lightroom are stored in Lightroom's catalog, and they should be quite safe there as long as you follow sensible backup plans. That said, you can update the DNG files themselves with that information, without creating another file or affecting the raw data. To do so, select the files in Grid view, and go to Metadata menu > Update DNG Metadata & Preview. All of your settings will be written out to the file itself, and the preview updated, as well as still being stored in the catalog. Let me know if you have any more questions. - VB]<em> Read your article in the latest NAPP magazine and found it very informative. What I have not seen written about to any extent is saving the DNG files after precessing in LR. Can you address the full finish to the LR work flow. I know images can be printed, exported, saved as various files but I seem to end up with a lot of images that I’ve spent time editing but right now don’t need to export or print. They are DNG files and the adjustments are stored in the catalog. Even though I back up my catalong on another drive, it seems I’m missing something to finish off this process and it doesn’t seem secure to me to leave them at this stage. It seems I should be saving these images as a completed master in some format so I can resize, sharpen and output as I need. Does this saving process have to be done image by image or can it be done in groups? Thanks for addressing this.

[Hi Pat! As you noted, all of your changes that you do in Lightroom are stored in Lightroom's catalog, and they should be quite safe there as long as you follow sensible backup plans. That said, you can update the DNG files themselves with that information, without creating another file or affecting the raw data. To do so, select the files in Grid view, and go to Metadata menu > Update DNG Metadata & Preview. All of your settings will be written out to the file itself, and the preview updated, as well as still being stored in the catalog. Let me know if you have any more questions. - VB]

]]> By: Rob Sylvan http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2009/02/01/to-dng-or-not-to-dng-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-105 Rob Sylvan Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:14:35 +0000 http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/?p=216#comment-105 Can't wait to see it! :-) <em>[Thanks Rob! It's already available on the Zinio download, so hopefully the printed ones will arrive soon too! - VB]<em> Can’t wait to see it! :-)

[Thanks Rob! It's already available on the Zinio download, so hopefully the printed ones will arrive soon too! - VB]

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