wjl11 wrote:
I think older versions of the Adobe DNG Converter allowed you to convert jpg files to dng.
The current version will only convert raw files to dng.
I understand that some may not think this conversion is a good idea.
I just want to know how to do it.
Thanks.
Yes, you can still convert jpgs to dng. In grid view, select the jpgs and then go to Library: "convert photos to DNG." Make sure to uncheck "only convert raw files."
Any idea why this won't work under 'Copy as DNG' under 'Import' ?
I may be remembering wrong, but I think you used to be able to do that in earlier versions of LR. That's how I stumbled on this thread, I was trying to import some old photos I shot as JPGs and wanted to convert them to DNG on import and found I could no longer do that.
I'm not authoritative, and I'm not an expert. But my guess is that trying to do that is simply going against logic. By converting a JPEG to DNG you are not creating a raw image. And although you can export as DNG from Lightroom, if the originals are JPEG images you won't have raw files as a result. As I understand it, the main reason for converting a raw file to DNG is to place the raw image data into an open and "common" file container. JPEG images do not contain raw image data.. And converting them to DNG doesn't really accomplish anything.
There are logical reaons for doing this. From LR expert John Nack's blog:
So, editing a JPEG in Lightroom or ACR, then making it into a DNG, allows you to create an envelope that packages up the original bits, the editing sauce, and a rendered preview that any application can see (i.e. DNG = before + after + settings). And, unlike a regular JPEG that contains editing data, a DNG isn’t going to be mistaken for any old file. It stands out as something with special editing properties.
Here Nack quotes Tom Hogarty:
the DNG format offers benefits as a non-destructive editing format in addition to its position as a raw standard. DNG is designed to efficiently store the XMP metadata block and image preview associated with a non-destructive edit. As non-destructive editing capabilities grow, the DNG format has the architecture required to grow with those capabilities regardless of the source format. For example, a JPEG image converted to DNG and non-destructively edited three different ways will be able to store three sets of editing instructions and three distinct previews for each edit.