rawformat

DNG support status, April 05

Here is a list of the software that do already support the non-proprietary DNG format:

Raw converters:

Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Win, Mac) or Photoshop CS with ACR 2.3 and 2.4
Adobe Photoshop Elements3  (Win, Mac)
Pixmantec Rawshooter Essentials 2005 (Win) -freeware- DNG support only for supported cameras.
Raw PhotoDesk : (Win) Improved support in V1.12
Dcraw 7.0 (multi platform: coded in C)Mac OS X and Windows versions at insflug.org and optimised builds by Benjamin Lebsanft
Iridient Digital Raw Developer V1.2  (Mac)
VueScan from Hamrick Software (Mac, Win) since version 8.2.02
cPicture, with RAW plug-in ( Version2.2.1249.0)
Lasersoft Silverfast DC Pro partial DNG support for cameras with RGB CCD chips cameras since V6.4.0r5 (Mac, Win)
Helicon filters(Win)

Programs that output to the DNG format:

Camera Raw 3.0 from Photoshop CS2 can save edition settings of RAw files inside the DNG.
Adobe DNG converter  (Mac, Win)
DxO Optics Pro v2.2  (Mac, Win)
Imacon Flexcolor v4.0b10 (beta version)  (Mac, Win)

Image Viewers / Digital Assets Management tools:

BreezeBrowser 2.11  (Win)
BreezeBrowser Pro   (Win)
CameraBits Photo Mechanic 4.3.3  (Mac, Win) supports DNG 2.4
Cerious Thumbs Plus7, with the Digicam Raw Plug-in v 1.5 (Win)
dpMagic Plus since version 1.1.010 (add-on to view your DNG in win explorer)
Extensis Portfolio7  (Win, Mac)
Exiftool by Phil Harvey (exif reader-writer)
IrfanView (versions published on and after 4/22/2005
iView MediaPro 2.6.2 by Multimedia (Mac, Win) DNG 2.4 images in 2.6.3
Photools Imatch  (Win) since version 3.4.0.29
Polybytes PolyView : since version 4.20 (Win)
Proshooters DigitalPro 3 : initial support in 3.1
Rawview by through-the-lens (all OS: Java technology) -free for non commercial use-

Operating systems:

Preview, an application included in Tiger, AKA OSX 10.4 will be able to display DNG files
Windows XP needs a change in the registry to display DNG files

DNG support announced:

Leica should support DNG natively in a forthcoming camera
Phase One  Capture one  (Mac, Win) support in 2005
Qpict Media Asset Management: (Mac) in the next major release

 

Please post a comment if you know another program that can open, convert, or write the DNG format.

Helicon filter works on DNG too.

Helicon Filter was designed for advanced users using digital cameras who want to get high quality images without spending a lot of time in their image processing software to do noise correction, exposure compensation, white balance and saturation adjustments, sharpening, cropping...

It supports many proprietary RAW formats, DNG files and also tiffs, and JPEG 2000. A freeware version is available, limited to BMP and JPEG files, and lacks also the expert mode and batch processings options of the full version. The pro version works also as a Photoshop plug-in.

2 new DNG supporters using Dcraw

Hexcat software's Viewit, as its name suggests, ViewIt is a shareware, OS X native, fast and easy to use image viewer that supports most popular image formats: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD, RAW, DNG (since version 2.8.2) and more. It is able to do fullscreen views, batch renaming, printing, can be scripted, etc. Thanks to its Plug-in architecture, more functions will be added.

LogicalDesigns program, Rawsharp, is a RAW images developer using Neural Networks to produce the interpolation of RAW files, with the lowest noise possible. Version pro 0.74  uses also Dave Coffins' DCraw code in version 7.15, thus offering support of DNG files.

Silverfast DC Pro: partial DNG support since 11/04

Lasersoft did not communicate much about it, but they do indeed support the DNG format, only for RGB CCD chips cameras, since version 6.4.0r5 (released on 11/16/2004), in both their Silverfast DC Pro and DC Pro Studio applications.

The info can be seen in their release history: http://www.silverfast.com/show/history/en.html

We will let you know when they will offer a complete support of DNG.

Apple Tiger will open DNG files

Tiger, the next version (10.4) of MacOS X that will be released on the 29th of April will be able to open several raw formats, including DNG in its Preview application.
More info and other features can be seen on this page.
Preview page here.
It will be the first operating system to natively support the DNG format. (As discussed previously on Rawformat.com, Windows XP just needs an entry in its registry of code to be added to be able to show their thumbnails in Explorer.)

More cameras with DNG support on the horizon

Rawformat saw very strong hints that a company in the digital images processors business is working on the DNG file format.

Digital images processors are the chips that convert the sensor data into RAW, JPEG or TIFF files inside a digital camera.

When the cameras using the chip will be available, it will be another milestone in our combat for an open RAW file format. Photographers will not need to wait for a software update to be able to use their new camera at its full potential.

The state of DNG support, feb 2005

Here is a list of the software that do already support the non-proprietary DNG format:

Raw converters:

Adobe Photoshop CS (Win, Mac) with ACR 2.3 and 2.4

Adobe Photoshop Elements3  (Win, Mac)

Pixmantec Rawshooter 2005 (Win) -freeware-

Raw PhotoDesk : (Win) Improved support in V1.12

 

Programs that output to the DNG format:

Adobe DNG converter  (mac, Win)

DxO Optics Pro v2.2  (Mac, Win)

Imacon Flexcolor v4.0b10 (beta version)  (Mac, Win)

 

Image Viewers / Digital Assets Management tools:

BreezeBrowser 2.11  (Win)

BreezeBrowser Pro   (Win)

CameraBits Photo Mechanic 4.3.3  (Mac, Win) supports DNG 2.4

Cerious Thumbs Plus7, with the Digicam Raw Plug-in v 1.5 (Win)

dpMagic Plus since version 1.1.010 (add on to view your DNG in win explorer)

Extensis Portfolio7  (Win, Mac)

iView MediaPro 2.6.2 by Multimedia (Mac, Win) DNG 2.4 images in 2.6.3

Photools Imatch  (Win) since version 3.4.0.29

Polybytes PolyView : since version 4.20 (Win)

Proshooters DigitalPro 3 : initial support in 3.1

Rawview by through-the-lens (all OS: Java technology) -free for non commercial use-

 

DNG support announced:

Iridient Digital Raw Developer (Mac): in the next dot release

Phase One  Capture one  (Mac, Win) support in 2005

Qpict Media Asset Management: (Mac) in the next major release

 

When asked, some other software manufacturers answers ranged from «When market requires»

«Not until the next major release, if we support it» to «we do not see DNG as an archival format»

 

If you know another program that can open, convert, or write the DNG format, post a comment!

DNG specification 1.1.0.0 posted

The DNG specification is now updated to the version 1.1.0.0
It is available here.

Note that this document is targeted for software developpers, but might be an interesting read to understand what DNG really is. The fact that the DNG file format is properly documented contrasts with the proprietary file formats currently used by camera manufacturers.

Thomas Knoll explains here that the DNG converter 2.4 is still outputting DNG spec 1.0.0.0, with some 1.1.0.0 tags, but that software developpers should read the new specification in order to update their third-party software for future versions of the format.

DNG 2.4 improvements

As Thomas Knoll revealed it in the AdobeForums, the DNG Converter 2.4 now also embeds a 1024-pixel (long side) JPEG preview inside the DNG, in addition to the previous 256-pixel thumbnail.

This results in DNG files that are about 100K larger.

Another great change, in case you missed Jeff Schewe's comment, is that the DNG Converter can now embed the original Raw file inside the DNG, increasing the archival nature of the DNG files, at the expense of filesize.

So, even if your camera was already supported by the first version of the DNG converter, you should be downloading the 2.4 version as soon as possible.

Flexcolor Software Supports DNG

This update just in from Andy Batt:

Imacon's latest beta release of their Flexcolor Software (v4.0b10) adds the ability to export Imacon's RAW file format (3F) as a full fledged DNG file. All the RAW information is preserved, as well as the full complement of Meta data. Currently this software may only be downloaded by registered users of either Imacon's line of scanners or camera backs.

My initial tests are very positive. You open a folder of 3F files in the 'thumbnails' panel of Flexcolor, select all the files you want converted, and choose 'save as' DNG. The export feels very quick on my G5. The new DNG files are marked with the ".dng" extension, but are incorrectly identified in the Mac OSX Finder as "Adobe Photoshop TIFF" files (Adobe DNG files are marked as "Digital Negative"). This does not stop File Browser and ACR from identifying them however, as they open up correctly, and are identified as a "Camera RAW File" in File Browser.

A quick side by side comparison of a Flexcolor processed file and the same file exported to DNG and processed in ACR file yielded very little difference. Both files were of extremely high quality. The only significant difference was in ACR's highlight recovery feature that allowed me to pull in some highlights that were blown out in the Flexcolor file. Given my preference to work in File Browser and ACR for my digital workflow, I am very pleased that I can shoot with the Ixpress system, without compromising the speed and methodology I routinely employ.

I am very impressed by Imacon's speed and diligence to the professional photographic community. Companies like Nikon, Fuji, Kodak & Canon have all written letters (in reply) to me explaining why they are not aggressively pursuing DNG, and that while they may eventually support DNG, it won't be until a lengthy time has passed. Hopefully these companies will pay attention to Imacon's commitment to the safety of our digital archives and follow suit.

http://www.imacon.dk