V3MPhotography Loc: Phoenix, MD

When I got my first 'good' camera it allowed me to start shooting in raw. My problem is that when I converted the raw images to dng files I opted to include the original raw file in the dng.

Well, I'm starting to run out of space on my backup drive and I thought extracting these raw files from the dngs would save me a boatload of space.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Mike

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Mike,

I'm a bit confused by your statement "I opted to include the original raw file in the dng".

Are you using LightRoom? If so, it gives you the opportunity convert your camera's raw image to a DNG, "and store the original raw file in another location". Is this what you have done?

V3MPhotography Loc: Phoenix, MD

The converter program I got from Canon gives you the option to imbed the original raw file into the dng when it gets created so it can be extract it later in case you need to. I realized I've never needed to and have quit doing that but still have a lot of files that have the imbedded raw.

Does this explain it better?

Mike

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

Download the Adobe Digital Negative Converter (Free), there is an extractor featured on one of the buttons.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Ah! I see. Since I use Nikon, I'm unfamiliar with that software, hence my confusion. I see Searcher has given you a remedy to your issue.

Good luck!!

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

Get another hard drive. You should have two and one is a backup anyway.

marvin Klein Loc: upstate NY

All missing the point,
Raw when retouched in bridge or Lightroom it is saved with a side car if you want a smaller file you save as a dng. If you want still a smaller file u save as tiff and yet a smaller file a jpg.
Buy your saved raw file with side car does not destroy org. File.
If you retouch in Lightroom you also do not touch org file.
Unless you resave as dng, tiff, jpeg

So if u want to get a smaller file from your dng resave it as a tiff or jpeg.
Or leave avert thing as is and get a 2 or 3 TB external hard drive

UtahBob Loc: Southern NJ

The feature to embed the original raw file in the dng is part of the dng converter so it is available in lightroom also. Just look at the file handling preferences (LR4) and there is a checkbox to enable the storing of the original. The thought process behind this is to enable the use of the raw at some point in the future (because it contains the true data) as software technology advances. The dng file will of course be enormous.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

Mike,

Many of our digital cameras allow us to save the captured image in various file formats. Canon allows us to save the capture as a High Resolution .jpg file, RAW, RAW + jpg, and lower resolution jpg files. Your question reads to me like; you captured the image in RAW + jpg formats, and you need to remove the RAW file formats.

Most consumer computers cannot open and display camera RAW file formats, these are proprietary to the camera manufacturer. However most digital camera manufactures supply digital editing software that can open and edit their own RAW image files. This is where you look to remove the RAW files only.

To support your decision to stop saving in RAW format. Saving an image in the RAW format is supposed to capture and save the maximum amount of digital picture information possible. However, it may only increase the exposure depth by 10% beyond white blow-outs, to 10% below black blocks of shadows. This is not enough to warrant the extra disk space required for RAW file formats.

Some may argue RAW provides a greater range to adjust Color Balance, but if you set the camera color balance control correctly, save the image in .jpg, you will have enough color balance range in PP software to make any minor adjustments.

If you need additional exposure range to create a well balanced exposed image consider using multiple exposures, each exposure with Exposure Compensation +/- 1.75Ev, and post processing (PP) through HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Michael G

V3MPhotography Loc: Phoenix, MD

Thanks for all the help I've received.

Searcher, I found the extract function on the converter and it does a fantastic job of extracting the original raw file but it remains imbedded in the DNG. It just extracts. It doesn't remove it. I downloaded the latest version just to make sure I wasn't missing any new functionality.

What I have to look forward to now is going folder to folder and extracting the raw from the DNG, deleting the DNG, and reconverting the raw. Not a whole lot of fun but at least the process is fast!

I agree that a larger backup drive and upgrading the LR4 is the long term solution but that's not in the budget for a while so I'll just slog along with my re-conversions.

Again, my thanks to all the comments and suggestions.

Mike

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

What software did you get from Canon to do that? To the best of my knowledge the DNG format is not supported by Canon.

UtahBob Loc: Southern NJ

Mike, remember that if you have any adjustments that have been saved to the dng file by lightroom (similar to saving to the sidecar file for a raw file but the adjustments are embedded in the dng), you'll loose those adjustments when you create the new dng and delete the old unless you copy those adjustments back into the new dng. I have never tried to do what you are doing but I thought what your experiencing would be the case. If you figure out the workflow, let us know - I, for one, would be interested to understand it.

Bob

V3MPhotography Loc: Phoenix, MD

MWSilvers, The software wasn't from Canon. Adobe has software called Adobe Digital Negative Converter that will read the CR2 (Canon raw file in my case) and create a DNG file so Adobe software can read it. The converter supports a lot of different raw file formats so what ever camera you're using, odds are it's supported.

Does that tell you what you need to know?

Mike

V3MPhotography Loc: Phoenix, MD

Sorry all. I meant to say I got the software from Adobe, not Canon. Sorry for the confusion.

Mike

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

Just an aside to this: this issue is one of the reasons that I do not import and convert to DNG at the same time. I save all my RAW files as shot, then if I need to convert I do so later. If storage becomes an issue I get a new hard drive that I simply need to plug in.

The idea behind DNG was to allow access to older digital files when the camera manufacturers stopped supporting that format. I've been digital since 2000 with my D30, and can still access and edit those RAW files. Plus none of the major players are migrating to DNG either. I appreciate Adobe's concern, but wonder what is really gained.