convert DNG to TIFF, good or dumb idea?

[Scott Root]

I'm considering converting all of my DNG to TIFF so I can peruse them more easily in Vista. Is this a good idea, or dumb idea?

[mumu]

hi,
i belive, a better idea is to convert vista to OSX 10.5.xx :-))))

regards
reimar

[Photoskeptic]

Scott, depends on if you are thinking of sending your DNG's to the recycle bin.

[ndjambrose]

This question doesn't make any sense to me.

The idea is you keep your DNG file. It's the digital negative (the input). But when you post-process it you save your changes in another file format (the output). If you want TIFF as your output format then no problem.

[jaapv]

I'm a bit puzzled by this question. What file browser do you use that it does not support DNG? The idea behind DNG is an universal platform that can incorporate other formats like Tiff and Jpeg. In that sense you are retrogressing. If all goes the way it appears to be going, DNG will be more future-proof than Tiff. And you can always convert your individual DNG file to tiff for post-processing, keeping the original data safe in the DNG format.

[stunsworth]

Bad idea, very bad idea.

[chris_tribble]

Bad idea in general - especially if you're thinking of chucking the DNG away! However, if you're preparing images for press it can be essential.... (or to JPEG)

[jaapv]

I wish I had to convert all my images to TIFF or Jpeg for press in one go. I'd chuck my dentistry job and retire to the Bahamas on the proceeds.

[Scott Root]

Ok, it's a bad idea--but what is the best way to review DNG thumb nails since this is not possibel with Vista?

[jaapv]

There are a number of viewers, Afaik Bridge runs under Vista, I suppose the (rather rudimentary) viewer of C4 does, Picasa does, iView does, etc.

[Scott Root]

Originally Posted by jaapv

There are a number of viewers, Afaik Bridge runs under Vista, I suppose the (rather rudimentary) viewer of C4 does, Picasa does, iView does, etc.

What is the best viewer for the money? Any of the reputable viewers freeware, not that I want to sound cheap?

[jaapv]

Picasa is freeware, and bridge comes with CS3. Photoshop Elements has an embedded organizer. C4 comes with the M8 (upgrade from C1)
I'm surprised Vista does not recognize the embedded Jpeg thumbnails of DNG btw.

[sm23221]

Picassa - it's free!

[wparsonsgisnet]

Scott, if you are looking for an ADDITIONAL file to make viewing easy, and not planning on throwing the DNG away, that makes a lot of sense. In additional to being your original negative, The DNG is the only format that allows you to use linear editing on the image (in a raw processor). When you edit in Photoshop, editing can be destructive of the image (stuff changes).

In order to have an easy viewing facility, I shoot jpg + hi-res when I take the picture. This gives me the somewhat smaller jpg that I can use with any viewer, without having to use a raw converter. I happen to use ACDSee as my viewer. It came free with my D2 and shows pictures as large images and allows scrolling thru the pix.

If you are want an additional copy of your negative, this also makes sense. However, a DNG is 10MB and the corresponding tiff is about 25MB. Also, you can't edit a tiff in the digital domain (that is, in a linear fashion and without changing the image, possibly harmfully). Depending on the software you are using, you might choose a compressed tiff, using lossless compression. However, such a compressed file may not be viewable by some viewers, so that would defeat the first purpose.

The reasons I use jpg _ cng are twofold:

(1) I get a backup of the image at capture time. In 16 months of picture taking with the M8, I have lost 1 of the pair on four occasions. I can't determine where the fult lies because it might be the SD card or the camera. I am just happy to have an alternative image.

(2) The jpg is about 1/3 the size of the dng and is easily handled by photo viewers. I also have an Apple G4 laptop and have used iphoto to view these images at some shoots. There is no raw processor on that computer.

If you are looking for backup solutions, you might search the Forum for that topic. There have been at least 2 very informative threads on the subject, with lots of discussion about mirroring, RAID, external arrays, and the like.

Is any of the answers in this thread what you were looking for?

[jaapv]

Bill, I've always been a bit confused about the destructive vs non-destructive editing. Exporting from Bridge to ACR does nothing, Raw conversion is natturlly destructive of that file, and CS3, well, I understand what that does, as far as my understanding goes, that is. But the original RAW remains unchanged on disk, does it not? ACR may add a little file with settings to the DNG, but that is all as I understand. Enlighten me please.

[Scott Root]

Originally Posted by wparsonsgisnet

Scott, if you are looking for an ADDITIONAL file to make viewing easy, and not planning on throwing the DNG away, that makes a lot of sense. In additional to being your original negative, The DNG is the only format that allows you to use linear editing on the image (in a raw processor). When you edit in Photoshop, editing can be destructive of the image (stuff changes).

In order to have an easy viewing facility, I shoot jpg + hi-res when I take the picture. This gives me the somewhat smaller jpg that I can use with any viewer, without having to use a raw converter. I happen to use ACDSee as my viewer. It came free with my D2 and shows pictures as large images and allows scrolling thru the pix.

If you are want an additional copy of your negative, this also makes sense. However, a DNG is 10MB and the corresponding tiff is about 25MB. Also, you can't edit a tiff in the digital domain (that is, in a linear fashion and without changing the image, possibly harmfully). Depending on the software you are using, you might choose a compressed tiff, using lossless compression. However, such a compressed file may not be viewable by some viewers, so that would defeat the first purpose.

The reasons I use jpg _ cng are twofold:

(1) I get a backup of the image at capture time. In 16 months of picture taking with the M8, I have lost 1 of the pair on four occasions. I can't determine where the fult lies because it might be the SD card or the camera. I am just happy to have an alternative image.

(2) The jpg is about 1/3 the size of the dng and is easily handled by photo viewers. I also have an Apple G4 laptop and have used iphoto to view these images at some shoots. There is no raw processor on that computer.

If you are looking for backup solutions, you might search the Forum for that topic. There have been at least 2 very informative threads on the subject, with lots of discussion about mirroring, RAID, external arrays, and the like.

Is any of the answers in this thread what you were looking for?

This is helpful, but for for over a year I've set my menu to only record dng and viewing has required I flip through all my pictures using Phase One, which is fine but no longer viable as my wife wants to thumb nail and put some of my pictures in a powerpoint presentation. I've gotten the message loud and clear over the past hour that I would be a fool too discard my dng files, but I hate jpegs because of the poor quality and frankly wasted space. TIFF's are a memory hog, but at least of quality so I thought to convert over to TIFF and save expensive memory--dumb idea is the consensus. Guess I need to create a crop of junk JPEGs for myself and waste the memory for perusal purposes.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Scott, the hi-res jpg's are about 1/3 the size of the dng and have acceptable detail if they are required in a emergency.

If you want just "thumbnails," use the lo-res jpg _ dng in your shooting.

In C1, you can select all the pix in the folder and make them jpg's at the same time. This isn't too painful.

[andybarton]

I think it's incredible that Windows doesn't show thumbnails of graphic images such as DNGs.

[Shootist]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Bill, I've always been a bit confused about the destructive vs non-destructive editing. Exporting from Bridge to ACR does nothing, Raw conversion is natturlly destructive of that file, and CS3, well, I understand what that does, as far as my understanding goes, that is. But the original RAW remains unchanged on disk, does it not? ACR may add a little file with settings to the DNG, but that is all as I understand. Enlighten me please.

ACR will write the changes you make to a Leica M8 DNG file TO THE ORIGINAL DNG as a ADD-ON. Doing nothing to the original, IE those changes/edits can be removed or modified any number of times without actually changing the original RAW/DNG file.
When you open a DNG in PS you have to SAVE it as another format. PS does not write DNG files. So it is, to my understanding, impossible to actually edit (Change) the DNG file.
ACR writes sidecar files for some other file format from other camera makers, NEF (Nikon), CR2 (Canon) and others. These too never change the original RAW file.

[stunsworth]

Originally Posted by andybarton

I think it's incredible that Windows doesn't show thumbnails of graphic images such as DNGs.

Neither does my MacBook.