We asked camera companies why their RAW formats are all different and confusing

Summary

When you set up a new camera, or even go to take a picture on some smartphones, you’re presented with a key choice: JPG or RAW?JPGs are ready to post just about anywhere, while RAWs yield an unfinished file filled with extra data that allows for much richer post-processing. That option for a RAW file (and even the generic name, RAW) has been standardized across the camera industry — but despite that, the camera world has never actually settled on one standardized RAW format.Most cameras capture RAW files in proprietary formats, like Canon’s CR3, Nikon’s NEF, and Sony’s ARW. The result is a world of compatibility issues. Photo editing software needs to specifically support not just each manufacturer’s file type but also make changes for each new camera that shoots it. That creates pain for app developers and early camera adopters who want to know that their preferred software will just work.Adobe tried to solve this problem years ago with a universal RAW format, DNG (Digital Negative), which it open-sourced for anyone to use. A handful of camera manufacturers have since adopted DNG as their RAW format. But the largest names in the space still use their own proprietary files. And there’s no sign of that changing anytime soon.Why have some camera brands adopted native DNG files?Some smaller camera manufacturers have been using the DNG format for years, while others like Sigma have adopted it more recently. The whole point of DNG is to offer flexibility, ease of use, and ideally, a little more futureproofing — since the format is open to use and royalty-free.DNG was created in 2004 by Thomas Knoll, one of the co-creators of Photoshop, and was based on the even older TIFF image specification. DNG is capable of holding additional camera metadata embedded within it. While other RAW formats are usually coupled with an XMP sidecar file for storing metadata, DNG is slightly streamlined since it’s just one file that allows nondestructive metadata edits within it.DNG is nearly ...