Convert DNG Image Free
A raw file holds sensor counts, not a picture
Each photosite under a red, green or blue filter recorded one number. Turning those numbers into an image takes several steps: subtract the black level, scale to the white level, white balance, demosaic (rebuild the missing two colours at every pixel), convert camera colour through a matrix and apply exposure and tone. DNG writes down every input those steps need as TIFF tags. Most other raw formats keep some of them in private maker notes. This page reads DNGs itself, decodes their lossless JPEG tiles and develops them step by step. From other raw formats it identifies the format and pulls out the embedded JPEG previews.
folder_openOpen DNG or rawBayer DNG, daylightTungsten, lossless JPEGLinearRaw (phone-style)
Writing the sample DNG…648 × 424stored raw size
RGGBfilter pattern
11.9 bitsusable range
noneraw compression
565.1 KBfile size
1embedded JPEGs
two pictures in one file
No embedded JPEG in this file.Loading…
Embedded JPEG previewMost raws carry one; this file does not.Developing…Developing…
Developed here from the raw data624 × 408, using only the tags in the file. Change any step in the darkroom and this updates.darkroom · every development step, computed in this tab
From photosite counts to sRGB, one step at a time
Building the sample…
step 1Sensor counts
step 2Filter colours
step 3Black, white, WB
step 4Demosaiced
step 5Colour matrix
step 6Exposure + sRGB
developing…
developing…
Exposure + sRGB · 624 × 408developed in 49 ms
BaselineExposure plus your exposure, clipped to 0-1 and encoded with the sRGB curve. This is a deliberately plain rendering: no tone curve, sharpening, noise reduction or lens correction.white balance · click the image to pick a neutral
As shotDaylightTungstenNonePicked
demosaic
NearestBilinearMalvar, He: Cutler
2.57 / 1.00 / 1.39WB gains R / G / B (AsShotNeutral)
0.06chart error needs the synthetic samples
0.00%photosites at WhiteLevel (clipped)
MHC 5×5demosaic in use
raw numbers
5046045336155136185101203603384589396609386599525523601526631521613509779621388609388602390624381525627509602529595524472598395618401600400607319
ColorMatrix0.472 0.060 -0.083-0.780 1.547 0.248-0.150 0.194 0.665
camera → sRGB2.068 -1.320 0.252-0.038 1.365 -0.327 0.036 -0.379 1.343
colours at 24 points of your imagetop and bottom are the same: no reference exists
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demosaic bake-off · 3× nearest-neighbour crops
Two thirds of every colour value is invented
This is a LinearRaw file: the camera or phone demosaiced it before writing, so there is nothing to compare. Load a Bayer sample.
Truth…The synthetic scene before the sensor sampled it, so every guess can be scored.
Nearest (2×2 copy)…Each 2×2 block shares one R, one B and the average G. Fast, blocky, colour fringes on every edge. 2.0 ms for this crop.
Bilinear…Each missing value is the average of its same-colour neighbours. Smooth, but edges get zipper patterns and false colour. 1.8 ms for this crop.
Malvar, He: Cutler…Bilinear plus a correction from the known channel’s local gradient (5×5 kernels, 2004). Sharper, fewer fringes. 2.2 ms for this crop.
Truth…The synthetic scene before the sensor sampled it, so every guess can be scored.
Nearest (2×2 copy)…Each 2×2 block shares one R, one B and the average G. Fast, blocky, colour fringes on every edge. 1.1 ms for this crop.
Bilinear…Each missing value is the average of its same-colour neighbours. Smooth, but edges get zipper patterns and false colour. 2.1 ms for this crop.
Malvar, He: Cutler…Bilinear plus a correction from the known channel’s local gradient (5×5 kernels, 2004). Sharper, fewer fringes. 1.1 ms for this crop.
inspector · TIFF directories, DNG tags, previews
Where each development input is written
A DNG is a TIFF whose first directory usually holds a small preview and points through SubIFDs to the full-size raw image. Click a directory to list its tags. Tags the darkroom above actually used are tinted. Embedded JPEGs are found both through the tags and by scanning the bytes for JPEG markers, which also works for CR3, RAF and other non-TIFF formats.
…no TIFF
tagnamecountvalue
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No previews14.7 KB at byte 912![Embedded preview]()
Reference
formatmakercontainerfirst byteson this page
DNGAdobe (open)TIFF/EPII*\0 or MM\0* + tag 50706develops; previews
CR2CanonTIFFII*\0 then “CR” 02 00 at 8metadata, previews
CR3CanonISO BMFF (crx brand)…ftypcrx at 4previews by scan
NEFNikonTIFFMM\0* (Make NIKON)metadata, previews
ARWSonyTIFFII*\0 (Make SONY)metadata, previews
RAFFujifilmown header + TIFF/JPEGFUJIFILMCCD-RAW previews by scan
ORFOM System / OlympusTIFF variantIIRO / IIRS / MMORmetadata, previews
RW2PanasonicTIFF variantII U\0metadata, previews
PEFPentaxTIFFMM\0* (Make PENTAX)metadata, previews
X3FSigmaown (Foveon layers)FOVbpreviews by scan
CRWCanon (old)CIFF heapII … HEAPCCDRpreviews by scan
MRWMinoltaown blocks\0MRMpreviews by scan
1.02004First release: CFA and LinearRaw, colour matrices, previews.
1.12005Additional tags and clarifications.
1.22008Camera profiles: ForwardMatrix, HueSatMap, ProfileName, tone curve.
1.32009Opcode lists for lens and sensor corrections.
1.42012Floating-point data, lossy JPEG proxies, transparency masks.
1.52019Depth maps and related tags.
1.62021Third calibration illuminant, semantic masks.
1.72023JPEG XL compression for raw and previews.
MIMEimage/x-adobe-dng is what most systems use; image/dng appears too. No IANA registration.
Extension.dng. Camera formats: .cr2, .cr3, .nef, .arw, .raf, .orf, .rw2, .pef and dozens more.
SignatureA TIFF header (49 49 2A 00 or 4D 4D 00 2A) and DNGVersion (tag 50706) in the first IFD.
Size limitClassic TIFF 32-bit offsets: 4 GB per file. DNG does not use BigTIFF.
Linear dataValues are proportional to light (after black subtraction), unlike JPEG or PNG, which are gamma-encoded.
Bit depthUsually 12 or 14 meaningful bits stored in 16-bit samples; DNG 1.4 adds 16/24/32-bit floating point for merged HDR.
LicenceAdobe grants a royalty-free patent licence to read and write DNG.
PreviewsOptional but common: one or more JPEGs, so file browsers can show the photo without a raw engine.
1976Bayer filterBryce Bayer’s Kodak patent: RGGB, twice as many green sites.
2001TIFF/EPISO 12234-2 defines CFA tags that DNG builds on.
2004DNG 1.0Adobe publishes the Digital Negative in September.
2008DNG 1.2Camera profiles move colour science into the file.
2014Android 5.0Camera2 API’s DngCreator lets phones write raw.
2020Apple ProRAWiPhone 12 Pro stores computational raw as DNG.
2023DNG 1.7Adds JPEG XL compression.
Related formats and tools
TIFF formatThe container under DNG, CR2, NEF and ARW: IFDs, strips, tiles and compression.II*\0 + IFD0arrow_forwardtags and stripsJPG formatThe baseline JPEGs embedded as previews, and what their markers reveal.raw previewarrow_forwardmarkers + EXIFHEIC formatWhat phones store when raw is off: processed, compressed, 10-bit.sensor dataarrow_forwardtone-mapped HEVCPNG formatLossless 16-bit export for developed raws without JPEG artefacts.14-bit rawarrow_forward16-bit PNGImage Color PickerRead exact colours and ΔE from your exported photo.pixelarrow_forwardsRGB + OKLCHImage toolsEvery image converter, compressor and editor on FileFormer.developed JPEGarrow_forwardresized, compressed