DNGs anybody?

Hi, is anyone out there converting their RAW files to DNGs? If so, is it because it might become the universal norm. I have duplicated some of my RAW files to DNGs but still very much at the initial stages and wondering if I'll continue to or not. 

So far if used DNGs in conjunction with a colour checking chart when trying to get accurate shades and tones, as in fabrics for example. 

Any thoughts or advice would be more than welcome. 

"Confused" of Liverpool!

Hi Rod, Presume you are referring to Adobe's DNG which they hoped the big manufacturers would cotton onto and therefore create the 'universal' RAW file. Not many went for it. Although out of the big ones I think Pentax did,but not sure.

I tend to shoot everything in RAW on the Canon so get CR2 raw files, which i work on in Photoshop, got a copy of CS4 courtesy of my mate,  but also have Elements 10 on the laptop

Did try converting CN2 to DNG before I got the Adobe update for the Canon but didn't really get on with it. Seemed time consumimg and laborious, but maybe didn't really give it a chance!

I would have thought whatever software came with your camera would have been the best option. The Canon DDP which comes free with Canon cameras is a very useful piece of software.

Rod, I can see you were obliged to use DNG for the Colour Checker software. You didn't have any other option it seems. Personally, I don't like paying too much for software (I would rather spend money on lenses), and I can see no need to use DNG myself. I agree with Dave John that the Canon DPP software (which comes for free with Canon DSLRs) seems very good for RAW conversion. DPP has the additional advantage of including lens aberration correction for many Canon lenses. Possibly other camera manufacturer's software does this as well for their lenses.

No doubt image file formats will continue to evolve over time, it's just a matter of making sure the saved files will continue to be readable in future. I'm sure the files produced by the major camera manufacturers will be readable for a good while yet, until that day when we really do get a truly universal file format. 

Thanks for that Edward. Nikon have software, as probably do most of the main camera makers,  but I have stuck to Photoshop, wishing to keep things simple. As you say, one day, perhaps a truly universal format will be there, but not, I suspect soon. "There's money in confusion".  

I'll still use the colour checker when I have to be certain of capturing subtle shades plus all the usual calibrations. My main output will still be RAW and covert with Photoshop. I've spoken to a few fellow photographers and DNG is not used much by them either.