Thanks for the reply. As mentioned, I did search before posting so apologies if this is old ground.
I’ve been exporting drone DNG’s from PL for a while now, and ACR has always opened when opening the resulting files in PS, so I’ve never considered that as unusual, it’s just the dramatic shift in this latest set of files that prompted me to post in the forum.
I’ll reassess my workflow and figure out what works best moving forward.
Thanks,
RZ
DNG’s are a big mess.They cause more trouble then benefits. I searched for some DNG and found one from Mavic 3Pro. They seem to be 8 bit to.
George
With PL directly supporting a lot of DJI drone camera profiles, I’d have hoped they were confident in the handling of the DNG format. I’ve been happy up to now so I’m not sure what, if anything, has changed in the software across my workflow but it seems something has.
Thanks,
RZ
DNG as input should work. DNG as output is a not finished conversion.
George
Let us not forget that DNG is based on TIFF, which also had horrendous compatibility issues that have only really been solved by the passage of large amount of time.
A TIF is a completed image file while DNG is not. It’s meant to create a completed image file. It can contain a raw file or a unfinished RGB file,TIF. DNG means Digital Negative.
I’m not aware with issues concerning TIFF.
George
DNG is literally based on the TIFF format. Its original intention (and name) should not be confused with how it is being used.
TIFF problems? Bit depth, channel count, compression algorithm. Pick any one, or all three. For a lot of years a lot of software could only handle certain combinations. These days I think most software defaults to one of very few variations.
I can’t remember details now but I know I had two applications where neither could read files created by the other. A third application was required for conversion.
Thanks for the reply. I think the waters have become a bit muddy since my first post - TIFF is actually fine, and the only export method that produces a like for like looking file when opened in other software. It’s the exported DNG files that suddenly seem way out when opened outside of PL, which hasn’t been the case previously so just wondered if anyone had experienced and fixed a similar issue, but it seems I’m in the minority so I’ll just work round it and maybe change my workflow.
Thanks to everyone for taking time to reply though - appreciated.
RZ
Maybe off topic. But I wonder why dng-files from drones and also Leica are 8 bit? I just can’t believe it.
George
Possibly because it helps keep the file size smaller, especially from drones
A lot of drones have 10bit video so no reason they can’t have higher bits for photos.
Also Leica DNG’s.
George
DNG is a -container- not a file format. The whole point of DNG is to -preserve- the image, not to change it, so it encapsulates what it is given. Encapsulation does not change the bit-depth. Linear DNG are usually holding 10 to 16-bit data. TIFFs can be 8 or 16 bit. Additionally, “linear” refers to the data being stored as per-pixel, demosaiced values in a linear scene-referred space, rather than as a mosaic of color filter elements like a Bayer. Linear DNGs are not yet tone-mapped or color-rendered . It is still in a linear state for dynamic range and grading flexibility, not yet a gamma-encoded display image.
hth
Tracy
Modern Leica dngs are 14-bit, as with most digital cameras. They do take jpegs at 8-bit. chatgpt says “The notable oddball is the old Leica M8, which effectively packed its 14-bit data into a kind of compressed 8-bit encoding inside the DNG.”
I believe that immediately. But when I look at the properties of a Leica DNG it mentions 8 bit. How can that be? Maybe I examined a M8 DNG.
Somewhere I read that the compression caused that. When I remember well it was V(4*bitdept). I don’t know if this was serious and true.
George
I downloaded some M10 DNG files. Also 8 bit.
When I use the DNG converter from Adobe and converts a NEF to DNG with the same embedded JPG size, I get exactly the same image size. Maybe a few bit difference. Long time ago I examined it. But I still need specific software to convert it to an RGB image.
I still don’t see the purpose of DNG. Well maybe except as an intermediary file for linear RGB images.
George
I have no idea what you are seeing. Leica files are either DNG or JPEG. If you examined a DNG from a Leica (not some kind of conversion) then whatever you are using is wrong. You can, as I just did, visit the Leica site and learn that a Leica DNG is 14 bit. So either your software is wrong, or you’re looking at a JPEG, or you’re not really looking at a direct-out-of-the-camera Leica DNG.
Plus, the common sense of it is that no one would ever pay $6000 for an 8-bit camera.
Here’s what Wikipedia says:
| Maker | Leica Camera |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital rangefinder camera |
| Intro price | $8,295[10] / £7,100[11] |
| Lens | |
| Lens | Leica M-mount |
| Sensor/medium | |
| Sensor | 35.8 mm × 23.9 mm (1.41 in × 0.94 in) image sensor |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Sensor maker | Leica |
| Maximum resolution | 41 Megapixels(RAW Color Depth:14bits) |
| Film speed | 100 to 50000 |
| Storage media | SD, SDHC, SDXC |
–The purpose of a DNG is a non-proprietary raw format. There was a fear, back in the day, that raw formats were dangerously tied to each camera manufacturer, and a universal format provided a safety net.
Windows properties. I think it references to the embedded jpg.
That’s what I understood too. But converters still need specific software/modules to convert them to RGB.
George
PS. Since the new layout in this forum my return button invokes a double line feed. Does anyone knows how to correct this?
In the top-left corner of the text box, you will find a two part icon…
Clicking on that changes the box to the previous behaviour…
Thanks.
It works.
George
