DNG Converter
DNG is Adobe's open raw format, used both as an archival container for other makers' raw files and natively by Apple ProRAW and several Android cameras. It is better supported than proprietary raw, but still not something a browser or a messaging app will open.
DNG at a glance
| Full name | Digital Negative |
|---|---|
| Extension | .dng |
| MIME type | image/x-adobe-dng |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Transparency | No |
| Animation | No |
| Colours | 16.7M+ (up to 16-bit per channel) |
| Browser support | No browser support (requires RAW software) |
| Typical use | Adobe open RAW standard, used by many camera brands and smartphones |
| Introduced | 2004 |
Convert DNG to another format
DNG questions
What is a DNG file?
DNG is Adobe's open raw specification. It is used two ways: as a camera's native format, as on Apple ProRAW and several Android phones, and as an archival container that another maker's raw file has been converted into so it stays readable.
Is DNG better supported than proprietary raw formats?
Considerably, because the specification is public rather than reverse-engineered. Most editors read any DNG, whereas a new camera's proprietary raw often waits months for support. It is still a raw file, so browsers and general-purpose software cannot display it.
Does an iPhone ProRAW photo produce a DNG?
Yes. ProRAW writes a DNG that pairs the sensor data with Apple's computational processing, which is why the files are large — often 25 MB or more — and why they hold much more editing latitude than the HEIC the camera would otherwise save.
Can I convert a DNG back to the original raw format?
Not usefully. A DNG created from another raw file can embed the original, but conversion here reads the image data and writes a standard format such as JPG, PNG or TIFF. Keep the camera original if you may need it.