DNG

DNG, short for Digital Negative, is a publicly documented RAW image format developed by Adobe Systems. Introduced in the mid-2000s as an open standard for camera RAW files, DNG is designed to provide a universal, long‑term, and interoperable container for sensor data and metadata. The format is built around a TIFF/EP‑like structure and aims to be future‑proof for archival use.

A DNG file stores the raw image data produced by a camera sensor together with comprehensive metadata that describes exposure, white balance, color calibration, lens corrections, and other camera settings. It can hold the data uncompressed or in compression schemes such as lossless compression, and many implementations include an embedded JPEG preview for quick viewing. DNG also supports extensive metadata via XMP, enabling standardized inclusion of information like author, copyright, and editing history.

Adoption and usage: DNG is supported by major photo editing software including Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, as well as numerous third‑party tools. Some camera manufacturers offer DNG as an export or archival option, while others rely on their own proprietary RAW formats and may provide DNG conversion utilities. Adobe provides a DNG Converter to convert various RAW formats to DNG while preserving metadata.

Advantages include improved long‑term readability, standardized metadata, and potential archival stability. Critics point to larger file sizes relative to some proprietary RAW formats, uneven support across software and cameras, and the possibility that certain camera‑specific features are not preserved in every DNG conversion.

DNG remains a widely recognized RAW format used for archival and interoperability in professional workflows.