Digital Photography Best Practices

[Alan Goldhammer]

Michael,
Thanks for posting the link to this project; it makes for interesting reading.  I note that they recommend all raw files be stored in DNG format.  I know Leica has made this the default format for their new cameras but Nikon (and I think others; I'm a Nikonian and only know for sure about them) still has the proprietary NEF format.  I wonder if this will now prompt users to convert to DNG prior to workflow and manufactures to move away from the proprietary formats.  I've kept my files in NEF but use Lightroom to convert to work on them but really don't go all the way to full DNG conversion.  I've seen a number of other posts over recent months from folks that also don't go the DNG conversion.  It would be interesting to see how many still keep things in the proprietary RAW file.

Alan

[tokengirl]

I have not converted any of my files to DNG.  I keep thinking I probably should, but I'll probably still keep a copy of the original CR2 files.  Maybe this is a good project to work on over the holidays.

[Tom Montgomery]

As an Aperture user for the last two years, DNG didn't really fit into my workflow. When LR2.5 came out, I decided to make the switch, and at that time I read everything I could find on DNG as well as watching various LL tutorial videos.

Now I import the raw files using Bridge.  Then during import, LR copies the files to DNG and makes an external backup of the original raw file.  The DNGs get manually backed up on a separate external drive.  LR works with the DNG, but I also save XMP sidecars for any image that gets selected to go further along in processing.  I think I'm covered for most eventualities.

Tom