A Question for Colin...

How do you save/archive you photographs? Raw+JPEG? Raw+DNG+JPEG? Do you use Adobe DNG and if so why?

I used to shoot Raw + small Jpeg because I used an image viewer which wouldn't accept Raw for my initial sorting, and thinning out, of shots.

After being able to view direct Raw images, with different software, I only shoot Raw now.

My Raw files are converted to Tiff, and also saved as Tiff (which supports layers etc) after final editing. I don't use other possible formats because some software still won't accept these and I sometimes want to burn images onto CD's for other people. Just using Tiff (as my universal format) prevents these possible problems.

I also save the original Raw files onto an external drive plus a DVD.

DNG does offer a good alternative which many people prefer.

Thanks Geoff, like you I now shoot only the Nikon raw. After post processing the raw I save it as a jpeg. I also save the raw (Nikon NEF) with it and the xmp file. What concerns me is that each camera manufacturer has their own format for raw, and different cameras from those manufacturers have a different format for raw. The camera I have now, a Nikon D90, has been discontinued from production. I wonder how long that raw format will be supported by Nikon and Adobe. I read that Adobe would like their DNG to be accepted as the raw format across the board. So the question is what is the best format to save in that will be widely accepted in the future.

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Originally Posted by jprzybyla

Thanks Geoff, like you I now shoot only the Nikon raw. After post processing the raw I save it as a jpeg. I also save the raw (Nikon NEF) with it and the xmp file. What concerns me is that each camera manufacturer has their own format for raw, and different cameras from those manufacturers have a different format for raw. The camera I have now, a Nikon D90, has been discontinued from production. I wonder how long that raw format will be supported by Nikon and Adobe. I read that Adobe would like their DNG to be accepted as the raw format across the board. So the question is what is the best format to save in that will be widely accepted in the future.

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Only the camera model has been discontinued, the software for other Nikon models remains the same. If you switch to another camera model, such as the Canon or Olympus then you will have to worry about other RAW formats. However, each camera manufacturer supplies software that will convert their RAW formats to a TIFF file so that you can easily finish your post processing with Adobe Elements or Photoshop.

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Originally Posted by jprzybyla

How do you save/archive you photographs? Raw+JPEG? Raw+DNG+JPEG? Do you use Adobe DNG and if so why?

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Hi Joe,

I shoot RAW 100% of the time, with the only "exception" being in the studio where the camera saves the RAW file to 1 card, and a "low quality" JPEG to the other (the reason I use JPEG in this way is because we fire the shots up onto a 40" TV in real time, and the small jpegs transfer across the wire in 2 seconds as opposed to 7 for a RAW shot. But that's it - the JPEG isn't used apart from in that situation).

From there I convert the RAW files to DNG and then discard the originals (since I'm a 100% Adobe user I have no hesitation in doing that, but folks who use other RAW products need to be aware that not all of them can open a DNG - like DxO for example).

For storage (which I now see is what you were actually asking) (Doh!) I keep all of my DNGs. Usually in a folder like "SMITH, John" then "111230 - Studio Shoot" and then seperate folders for each keeper (DNG, PSD, and JPEG) and another for "bulk DNG". I back up all files in a variety of ways, but only upload the files that were actually used online.

Why do I use DNG? Because I know and trust the format and I'm a huge fan of standardisation, and have a passionate dislike for sidecar files!

Hope this helps!

Thanks Colin, I am going to save the raw files as DNG. I strictly use Adobe also and like you hate the sidecar xmp files. Fortunately having only begun shooting digital the task of converting the raw files I saved into DNG is not a major task. Thanks again for your advice and help.

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Originally Posted by jprzybyla

Thanks Colin, I am going to save the raw files as DNG. I strictly use Adobe also and like you hate the sidecar xmp files. Fortunately having only begun shooting digital the task of converting the raw files I saved into DNG is not a major task. Thanks again for your advice and help.

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You're very welcome Joe :)