DNG (camera RAW)
What is a DNG (camera RAW) file?
The DNG (Digital Negative) format is a royalty-free, open standard raw image container developed by Adobe Systems to address the fragmentation of proprietary raw formats. It is based on the TIFF/EP standard (ISO 12234-2) and supports linear raw data, uncompressed sensor data, or losslessly compressed JPEG streams. DNG files embed XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) metadata directly within the file header, eliminating the need for sidecar files. It serves as an archival format and is natively utilized by Leica, Hasselblad, and Pentax cameras.
How to open a DNG (camera RAW) file
DNG files benefit from broad native support across operating systems; macOS Preview and Microsoft Photos (with the Raw Image Extension) can render them directly. For professional editing, Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Capture One provide full support. The format's open architecture also allows for seamless viewing in non-Adobe applications like Google Photos and various open-source Linux editors such as Darktable.
- Full Name
- Digital Negative
- Developed By
- Adobe Inc.
- Initial Release
- 2004
- MIME Type
- image/dng