After mentioning the DNG video from Lightroom Killer Tips I decided to look into it a bit more. During the past few years I’ve amassed almost 20,000 digital images shot with 4 different cameras and 2 RAW formats. Maybe DNG is an appropriate storage solution.

After some informal tests on my D70 NEF files I found the following:

1. Converted files showed about a 10% space saving in the DNG format
2. All metadata was preserved, including items added/changed in Lightroom. (used Lightroom for DNG conversions)
3. Lightroom gives options for changing filenames and whether or not to embed the original RAW file
4. Embedded RAW files in the DNG doubled the file size
5. Extracting the original RAW files was simple and quick
6. Extracted RAW files were easily read in Nikon View, all metadata intact
7. Same results using Olympus ORF files (from C5050), but the resulting DNG files were 15-20% smaller than the originals

Digital photographers will continue to struggle with compatibility issues every time a camera manufacturer puts out a new camera and new file format. Provided Adobe keeps it’s promise and continues to support DNG then we do have a standard file format that works across the board. You’ll have to decide for yourself as to whether this is the right solution for your image storage.