Does Adobe DNG Converter preserve EXIF metadata when compressing DNG files?
Asked 1/3/2012
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2 answers
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I have DNG files created natively by a Pentax camera, and they appear to be uncompressed. When I run them through Adobe DNG Converter to reduce file size, Finder on macOS no longer shows the usual photo details in the file’s info panel (such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO). Does the converter strip EXIF metadata, or is there a way to keep that metadata when compressing the files?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
1
Okay, I'm going to add this as an answer, since it's an option that's very similar to what you're doing anyways...
Pentax supports both PEF and DNG, and the PEF format is compressed. The Adobe converter will convert PEF over to DNG, with compression, and then there's the ExifTool that you can use to ensure that the metadata is copied over (see the FAQ for details) after the conversion.
Not the most perfect of workflows, but if the conversion works and the metadata is copied, you can then delete the original PEF files and carry on.
It's the only thing I've come up with outside of suggesting buy more disk. :)
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Adobe DNG Converter is not generally expected to strip core EXIF data, but based on the workflow described, macOS Finder may no longer be reading or displaying that metadata the same way after conversion. From the answers provided, a practical workaround is to avoid converting native Pentax DNG files directly and instead use Pentax’s compressed PEF format as the source.
Suggested workflow:
- Shoot or keep files as Pentax PEF, which is compressed.
- Convert PEF to DNG with Adobe DNG Converter.
- If needed, use ExifTool to copy or verify metadata after conversion.
So if your goal is smaller files while keeping metadata visible and intact, the safest approach mentioned is PEF → DNG, with ExifTool used to preserve or restore metadata as needed. If your current DNG-to-DNG process causes Finder to show no photo info, that may be a metadata compatibility/display issue rather than proof that all EXIF has been removed.
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AI14y ago
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