File format · RAW

.DNG — DNG (Digital Negative)

Adobe's openly documented RAW format based on TIFF/EP. Native on Leica, Pentax, Ricoh, Hasselblad and smartphones; any RAW can be converted to it.

.dng
File extension
RAW
Type
12–16-bit
Bit depth
2004
Introduced
R/W
ExifTool support (R/W/C)

What is a .dng file?#

Adobe's openly documented RAW format based on TIFF/EP. Native on Leica, Pentax, Ricoh, Hasselblad and smartphones; any RAW can be converted to it.

Made by: Adobe (open standard; Leica, Pentax, Ricoh, Apple, Google).

Advantages#

  • Open specification
  • Embedded previews and metadata
  • Long-term archival

Drawbacks#

  • Conversion from proprietary RAW can drop maker-specific data

How to open and convert it#

Open & edit: Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, darktable and RawTherapee (free), or the manufacturer's own free software. Windows and macOS preview most RAW formats natively after updates.

Convert: Adobe DNG Converter (free) turns proprietary RAW into DNG; any RAW editor exports JPEG or 16-bit TIFF.

Read metadata: exiftool file.dng — see the EXIF tag reference.

Best for: RAW archiving and phone RAW (Apple ProRAW, Google).

Other RAW formats#

.3fr.arq.arw.cr2.cr3.crm.cs1.czi.dcr.erf.fff.gpr.iiq.k25.kdc.mef.mos.mrw.nef.nrw.pef.r3d.raf.raw

Frequently asked questions#

What opens .dng files?

Open & edit: Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, darktable and RawTherapee (free), or the manufacturer's own free software. Windows and macOS preview most RAW formats natively after updates.

Convert: Adobe DNG Converter (free) turns proprietary RAW into DNG; any RAW editor exports JPEG or 16-bit TIFF.

Is .dng a RAW file?

Yes — it stores minimally processed sensor data from Adobe (open standard; Leica, Pentax, Ricoh, Apple, Google) cameras.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources