Anyone using DNG?

Just wondering if anyone here is committed to DNG? I finally tried it out
last night and really like the fact that the files converted from my Rebel
XT RAW files are 75% the size of the original RAWs. Adobe says the
compression is lossless, does anyone know for sure whether all info is
retained?

My current workflow is Canon DPP to Photoshop CS but I wouldn't mind
switching to DNG Converter to Adobe Camera RAW to Photoshop if my images
will be safe.

Comments?

Thanks,
Greg

G.T. wrote:

Just wondering if anyone here is committed to DNG? I finally tried it out
last night and really like the fact that the files converted from my Rebel
XT RAW files are 75% the size of the original RAWs. Adobe says the
compression is lossless, does anyone know for sure whether all info is
retained?

My current workflow is Canon DPP to Photoshop CS but I wouldn't mind
switching to DNG Converter to Adobe Camera RAW to Photoshop if my images
will be safe.

I use it to reduce file size and make what I think will be a better
supported archive for future use. My Nikon D70 files lose a few odd ends
in the EXIF data, that is common for some of the shooting information to
be in a non-standard format and no other program can recover it all
either. I forget what exactly, do a comparison & check for yourself.


--
Paul Furman
http://www.edgehill.net
Triteleia Natives
http://www.triteleia.com
(415) 722-6037

G.T. wrote:

Just wondering if anyone here is committed to DNG? I finally tried it out
last night and really like the fact that the files converted from my Rebel
XT RAW files are 75% the size of the original RAWs.

I convert my NEFs to DNG after they come off the camera. The files are
smaller (more like 50% for me), not proprietary, and I don't have to install
Nikon's crappy software to use them in things like iView MediaPro.

I delete the NEFs after conversion.

Adobe says the compression is lossless, does anyone know for sure whether
all info is retained?

Yes, the compression is lossless.

--
Jeremy |

"Jeremy Nixon" wrote in message
...
G.T. wrote:

Just wondering if anyone here is committed to DNG? I finally tried it
out
last night and really like the fact that the files converted from my
Rebel
XT RAW files are 75% the size of the original RAWs.

I convert my NEFs to DNG after they come off the camera. The files are
smaller (more like 50% for me), not proprietary, and I don't have to
install
Nikon's crappy software to use them in things like iView MediaPro.

I delete the NEFs after conversion.

So you're completely on-board with DNG. I was wondering who has enough
faith in the format to get rid of their originals. I definitely like the
idea of a standard RAW format and the smaller file size is a bonus. And it
looks like DNG is gaining at least a little traction with 3rd party RAW
converters.

Greg

G.T. wrote:

I delete the NEFs after conversion.

So you're completely on-board with DNG. I was wondering who has enough
faith in the format to get rid of their originals. I definitely like the
idea of a standard RAW format and the smaller file size is a bonus.

Not having to install Nikon's software just to get the libraries to be able
to preview in iView MediaPro (and whatever other software uses the Nikon SDK)
is a big bonus, considering that even installing and never running Nikon's
worthless excuse for bundled software silently does things to your system
configuration files and runs an invisible background process all the time
without even telling you. You can reverse the damage (if you know what
you're doing in the deep innards of system files), but I'd rather not
install software at all made by people with that kind of attitude toward
my system.

(And Nikon Capture, well, no thanks -- it sucks very badly, and it installs
a frigging *kernel module*. No, Nikon, you don't get to run in kernel space
on my system, thank you very much, especially when the only purpose for doing
so is copy protection. And especially when you install it in secret.)

And yes, despite Adobe being a huge, faceless corporation, I trust them a
hell of a lot more than I trust Nikon with my files at this point. No
matter how slow the acceptance of DNG may be so far, the fact that it's
non-proprietary makes me a lot more comfortable. And since Nikon's
software is worse than useless, not using a format that software can use
is no loss at all.

--
Jeremy |

Ed Ruf wrote:

Not sure what "library" you're talking about. Do you mean the PS plugin?

No. When you use an application that calls Nikon's SDK to do things like
preview NEF files, you need to have Nikon's libraries installed, which get
installed with the bundled software. If you don't have that installed,
iView, for example, can't display NEF files and will simply show an error
message that it can't find the media importer.

I don't know if any software that uses Nikon's SDK actually ships the
Nikon libraries along with the software, which would make that unnecessary.
But iView MediaPro in particular can't work with NEF files unless you have
installed Nikon's software.

--
Jeremy |

Ed Ruf wrote:

Still not clear, you mean what bundled software? NikonView, Picture
project? Which?

Either one. Bundled as opposed to Nikon Capture, which is nefarious in
other ways.

--
Jeremy |

In article ,
Jeremy Nixon wrote:

Not having to install Nikon's software just to get the libraries to be able
to preview in iView MediaPro (and whatever other software uses the Nikon SDK)
is a big bonus, considering that even installing and never running Nikon's
worthless excuse for bundled software silently does things to your system
configuration files and runs an invisible background process all the time
without even telling you. You can reverse the damage (if you know what
you're doing in the deep innards of system files), but I'd rather not
install software at all made by people with that kind of attitude toward
my system.

Such as, say, Adobe? One of the things I really, *really* dislike about
Photoshop Elements 3.0 is that it goes ahead and installs an alert listener
that insists on popping up and looking at your compact flash cards when you
plug one in to the system. No options during the install - it just does it.

In article ,
G.T. wrote:

"John Francis" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jeremy Nixon wrote:

Not having to install Nikon's software just to get the libraries to be
able
to preview in iView MediaPro (and whatever other software uses the Nikon
SDK)
is a big bonus, considering that even installing and never running
Nikon's
worthless excuse for bundled software silently does things to your system
configuration files and runs an invisible background process all the time
without even telling you. You can reverse the damage (if you know what
you're doing in the deep innards of system files), but I'd rather not
install software at all made by people with that kind of attitude toward
my system.

Such as, say, Adobe? One of the things I really, *really* dislike
about Photoshop Elements 3.0 is that it goes ahead and installs
an alert listener that insists on popping up and looking at your
compact flash cards when you plug one in to the system. No options
during the install - it just does it.

Doesn't do that on OS X.

That's not really an option. For a start, it doesn't run on this hardware.

Ed Ruf wrote:

That sucks, as if I read this correctly you only get the raw processing
capability of these apps, which is minimal.

It doesn't affect other software, if that's what you mean -- you can still
use Adobe Camera Raw, provided you remove the Nikon plugin from Photoshop.

--
Jeremy |