DNG
An openly documented raw container designed as a universal, archival alternative to proprietary camera formats.
Measured in
MB
In depth
Because the specification is public, a DNG remains readable regardless of whether its camera's maker still exists or still supports the model. Conversion can also embed the original raw for safety, apply lossless compression that typically saves fifteen to twenty per cent, and write metadata into the file itself rather than a sidecar.
Examples in practice
Converting a decade-old proprietary raw to DNG guarantees it will still open when the original format loses software support.