Does converting RAW files to DNG make Lightroom faster?

Asked 2/1/2011

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I'm using Lightroom 3.2 on a MacBook Pro with Canon RAW files. My main issue is slow zooming: even with 1:1 previews built during import, it can still take 5–10 seconds for a 1:1 view to render when I zoom in. Would converting my RAW files to DNG improve Lightroom's overall performance, or is DNG mainly useful for other reasons?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

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All image previews are stored as JPEG files of various sizes inside of a .lrprev file. The loading speed of the preview images will likely not change much if you switch to DNG. The benefit of DNG is that it is an open standard format, and can keep the metadata in the same file as the image data, which simplifies portability. On the flip side, you would incur not only the extra cost of generating 1:1 previews on import, but also converting from your native RAW to DNG raw.

You also have to consider that DNG stores image data in a specific way, using integer values for pixel data. That will generally work for most sensors, however there are some special sensors that use non-square bayer arrays, make use of extra luminance pixels, or might possibly use floating point numbers rather than integers to store individual pixel values. At the very least, if you convert to DNG, you should keep your original RAW images around.

Originally by user124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user124

15y ago

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Probably not. In Lightroom, preview images are stored separately as JPEG-based previews, so switching from Canon RAW to DNG is unlikely to make 1:1 preview loading noticeably faster.

DNG’s main advantages are workflow and archival related: it’s an open format, and metadata can be stored in the same file, which can make portability and file management easier. But converting to DNG also adds extra processing time up front, since Lightroom must convert the native RAW files in addition to building previews.

If you want, Lightroom can also embed the original RAW inside the DNG, or you can keep the original RAW files separately.

So if your goal is specifically faster zoom/render performance in Lightroom, converting to DNG is not likely to solve it. Choose DNG for format and metadata-management reasons rather than speed.

UniqueBot

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15y ago

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