DNG to HEIC Converter
Convert DNG to HEIC in your browser. A DNG from Adobe DNG Converter may carry only a medium 1024 px preview, and the largest preview in the file is what gets converted. No raw development happens here. You get a HEIF file whose picture is JPEG-compressed rather than HEVC, because no HEVC encoder runs in a browser. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
RAW expected · other image formats also work
How to use DNG to HEIC
- 1
Add your DNG files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Set the quality. 85 keeps the picture close to the original at a modest size.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .heic files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for dng to heic
Where the HEIC goes next
HEIC opens in Apple devices, recent Android phones, and Windows with the HEIF and HEVC extensions.
HEIC next to DNG
The HEIC is made from the camera's 8-bit preview, so it is a small fraction of a 15 to 40 MB raw file.
A second JPEG generation
The pixels come from the JPEG preview the camera embedded in the DNG, so they have been compressed once already; keep the quality at or above the default.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
DNG vs HEIC
What changes from DNG to HEIC
Encoding: the DNG uses lossless (or lossy) JPEG-compressed sensor data, plus optional JPEG previews; HEIC uses lossy HEVC (H.265) intra coding, on iPhones as a grid of 512×512 tiles, and the download is a HEIF file whose picture is JPEG-compressed rather than HEVC, because no HEVC encoder runs in a browser.
Bit depth: 8 to 16 bits per channel in the DNG; HEIC allows 8 or 10 bits per channel, and the HEIC written here has 8 bits per channel. The raw data's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the embedded 8-bit preview is converted.
Colour: camera RGB plus the colour matrices that map it to XYZ (demosaiced linear RGB in a Linear DNG) in the DNG; HEIC supports YCbCr, usually tagged Display P3 on iPhones, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the DNG can carry EXIF, XMP and DNG tags for colour matrices, calibration and lens corrections; HEIC can carry EXIF, XMP and an ICC profile, stored as items, but nothing is copied across.
About DNG
DNG is Adobe's openly documented raw format. Some cameras and phones record it directly, Adobe DNG Converter turns other brands' raw files into it, and a Linear DNG holds already-demosaiced RGB that raw editors treat like any other raw file.
DNG is built on TIFF/EP. The raw image sits in a sub-IFD marked as the main image, with tags for black and white levels, colour matrices and the colour filter pattern; a Linear DNG (PhotometricInterpretation 34892) stores demosaiced RGB instead of a mosaic. Previews are optional, and Adobe DNG Converter can write a medium (1024 px), full-size or no preview.
DNG files usually come from Leica, Pentax and Ricoh cameras, DJI drones, Google Pixel and iPhone ProRAW, and Adobe DNG Converter.
About HEIC
HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones and many Android phones. It is about half the size of JPEG, but Windows, many websites and older software cannot open it without converting.
A HEIC is a HEIF file (ISO base media boxes with the brand 'heic'). iPhone photos store the picture as a grid of 512×512 HEVC tiles that the decoder stitches together, with the thumbnail, depth map and HDR gain map as further items.
When converting DNG to HEIC makes sense
HEIC is the better choice for storing photos on Apple devices, while DNG suits raw editing and archiving raw files in an open format.
HEIC strengths: About half the size of JPEG; Stores depth maps, Live Photos and HDR. Drawbacks to weigh: Not supported by most websites and Windows apps; Patent-encumbered codec.
Limitations
- Phone DNGs such as Apple ProRAW and Pixel raw are already computationally processed; the preview shows that processed result.
- A Linear DNG without a preview, such as one written by this site, is read from its RGB data instead.
- The file is a valid HEIF, but its picture is JPEG-coded rather than HEVC, so apps that expect HEVC (Apple Photos, Windows' HEVC extension) may not open it.
- The picture inside is JPEG-coded, so the file is about the size of a JPG at the same quality rather than the half size of a camera HEIC.
More conversions
Related tools
Convert HEIC to DNG in your browser, a Linear DNG that Lightroom, Camera Raw and darktable open as raw. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert DNG to JPG in your browser, made from the full-size preview your Adobe camera stored in the file. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to HEIC in your browser, a HEIF file with JPEG compression inside. Batch, private, no uploads.
Shrink JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and GIF files with MozJPEG, OxiPNG and modern codecs, with a live before/after preview.
Resize to exact pixels, a percentage or a longest side, with Lanczos3 and Magic Kernel resampling. Batch ready.
Strip EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC and comments losslessly. Pixels are never re-encoded for JPG, PNG and WebP.
Convert between 34 image formats in bulk: HEIC, WebP, AVIF, JPEG XL, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, SVG, ICO, PSD, RAW and more.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting DNG to HEIC lose quality?
HEIC is lossy, so detail the eye barely notices is discarded to save space. The DNG's preview is a camera JPEG already, so keep the quality high to avoid stacking artefacts. The raw data's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the embedded 8-bit preview is converted.
Will the HEIC open in Apple Photos?
Not always. The file is a valid HEIF container, but its picture is JPEG-compressed rather than HEVC, because no HEVC encoder can run in a browser. libheif-based apps such as GIMP, darktable and ImageMagick open it; Apple Photos and Windows' HEVC extension expect HEVC and may refuse it. For an iPhone, JPG is the safer choice.
Which apps open HEIC files?
Apple devices, recent Android phones, and Windows with the HEIF and HEVC extensions. It opens in Safari on recent Apple systems; other browsers do not display it.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.