DNG to RAW Converter
Convert DNG to RAW in your browser. You download a Linear DNG (.dng), not a .raw: only a camera can create a genuine RAW, and every editor that opens RAW also opens DNG. 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 RAW
- 1
Add your DNG files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the DNG is written uncompressed. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .dng files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for dng to raw
Where a RAW would go
RAW files are opened by Lightroom, Photoshop Camera Raw, Capture One, darktable, RawTherapee and dcraw-based tools, and every one of them opens the DNG too.
The new DNG next to the original
The DNG stores the camera preview's pixels uncompressed, so it can be as large as the 15 to 40 MB raw file, or larger, depending on the preview's resolution.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the DNG is a camera JPEG; the DNG stores its decoded pixels uncompressed, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
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 RAW
What changes from DNG to RAW
Encoding: the DNG uses lossless (or lossy) JPEG-compressed sensor data, plus optional JPEG previews; RAW uses uncompressed, lossless JPEG or vendor-specific coding of the sensor data, depending on the maker, and the download is a Linear DNG: demosaiced 8-bit RGB with the colour matrices raw editors need.
Bit depth: 8 to 16 bits per channel in the DNG; RAW allows 12 to 16 bits per channel, and the DNG written here has 8 bits per channel, linearised. 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; RAW supports camera-native RGB from a colour filter mosaic, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the DNG can carry EXIF, XMP and DNG tags for colour matrices, calibration and lens corrections; RAW can carry EXIF and vendor maker notes, almost always with an embedded JPEG preview, 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 RAW
Camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RW2, RAF and others) hold the unprocessed sensor data from a camera along with an embedded full-size JPEG preview rendered by the camera.
.RAW is an extension rather than one format. Panasonic and Leica compacts wrote TIFF-like .RAW files before Panasonic moved to RW2, and scanners and scientific cameras use .raw for headerless dumps with no width, height or layout recorded, which nothing can read without being told those values.
RAW files come from older Panasonic and Leica compacts that saved .RAW, and scanners or scientific cameras that use the extension for pixel dumps.
When converting DNG to RAW makes sense
Forms and workflows that ask for RAW usually feed a raw editor, and each of those opens DNG as well, so the DNG can take the RAW's place. Keep the DNG if you only need to view or share the picture.
What RAW offers when it comes straight from the camera: Maximum editing latitude in RAW editors; Includes a camera-rendered preview. Its drawbacks: Huge files; Every brand uses its own format; Phones, browsers and websites cannot display it.
Limitations
- 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.
- 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 DNG holds the decoded 8-bit pixels, so it adds no dynamic range or detail beyond the DNG.
More conversions
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Frequently asked questions
Why do I get a .dng file instead of a .raw?
A real RAW is written by a camera and holds the sensor's own readings (12 to 16 bits per channel, stored as uncompressed, lossless JPEG or vendor-specific coding of the sensor data, depending on the maker) along with EXIF and vendor maker notes, almost always with an embedded JPEG preview. This converter reads the JPEG preview inside the DNG, not its sensor data, so it cannot make one either. The Linear DNG you get instead is Adobe's open raw format, and every editor that opens RAW files opens it with the same raw controls. It holds decoded pixels, so it adds no quality or dynamic range.
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.