RAW or DNG??

[alma111]

Almost 5 years ago I wrote an article on the pros and cons of using RAW versus JPEG and why I was shooting in RAW (see RAW vs JPEG: Is Shooting RAW Format For Me?). These days the argument of using RAW versus JPEG is well… not an argument at all. Most photographers realize that shooting in RAW provides a great number of benefits and many if not all the reasons to avoid using RAW have been nullified thanks to a variety of technical innovations including larger capacity compact flash drives & hard drives, maturation of RAW converters, development of photo specific editing/management software and faster more powerful computers. Now the question that faces photographers is should I convert my RAW files to DNG?

DNG or RAW
Should you use DNG or RAW format? This is one of the most important questions that you as a photographer need to ask yourself, because it will definitely affect your digital photography workflow. Every photographer has their own say on whether to use DNG or RAW, but it is important to know the key differences between the two, along with their advantages and disadvantages. In this article, I will provide as much information as I can about both formats, in addition to my opinion and workflow. If you are looking for more information about how RAW images compare to JPEG images, then please read my “RAW vs JPEG” article.

What is DNG:
DNG (digital negative) is a public archival RAW format developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated. The intent of the DNG format is to provide a common archival standard for software developers and camera manufacturers. DNG has been integrated into a variety of software applications, beyond Adobe products such as Lightroom and Photoshop, and is currently supported as a native file by several camera manufacturers (see DNG Supporters ). Proprietary RAW formats from cameras that do not support DNG natively can be converted via Adobe’s free DNG converter application or through well known programs such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Aperture, GIMP, etc.
what is RAM

RAW images, also known as “digital negatives” are truly “raw”, meaning they are almost unprocessed data coming directly from the camera sensor. Unlike JPEG files that can be easily opened, viewed and printed by most image-viewing/editing programs, RAW is a proprietary format that is tied to the camera manufacturer and sensor, and therefore is not supported by all software products. RAW files preserve the most amount of information about an image and generally contain more colors and dynamic range than other formats.

[robert lamont]

Originally Posted by i speak in math

DNG is raw; just adobe's standard rather than a particular camera manufacturer's proprietary format. My camera natively shoots PEF (pentax proprietary) or DNG (adobe proprietary).

Just to point out as well the pentax software lets you do a fair bit before interpolation, Using a K5, raw is the go. The bigger the file size the more information you have to utilize and manipulate if required.

Flickr: the pentax man's Photostream