DNG editing - colour difference is staggering

[Mr.36079513kur2]

Hi All!

So, I finally have time to edit some pictures I took on my phone with the .dng format, which is 10-15% worse than .raw. Also, I'm using Lightroom Classic - 10.0 Release - 13.0 Camera raw

My issue is: When I open the .dng files on the pc (the picture on the right) looks so much different than when I open it in lightroom (left hand side).

Is there a way to make the lightroom side look like the one on the right, so I can edit it further, or do I have to adjust it manually to try and get as close as possible to the desired effect?

Also, Does anyone know why the difference appears in the first place?

Thank you to anyone who replies!!! I really appreciate it!

.dng file on the left in lightroom AND .dng file on the right in photo viewer (the darkest picture)

the .dng file in lightroom on the left and the jpeg file in photo viewer on the right. still different, but the dng looks more like the jpeg file

[GoldingD]

On the PC, outside of LrC, what application are you using to view the photographs?

[Mr.36079513kur2]

Windows version 11 home edition, if it matters
and windows photo viewer

[Mr.36079513kur2]

so this is the image after being exported as a .dng
it looks exactly how the .dng opened in lightroom. after opening it in windows photo viewer - the dng doesn't look like the original (the darker image from the post)

[JohanElzenga]

Do not export as DNG if you want to use the image outside Adobe software. The reason is as follows. Export as DNG will export an unedited pixels DNG, with the non-destructive Lightroom edits stored in the metadata of the DNG. Adobe apps can read this, and will apply the edits on opening of the image, so it looks like what you saw in Lightroom. Other apps cannot read the Adobe-specific non-destructive edits however, and so they will show the unedited image.

[Mr.36079513kur2]

Hi Johan,

I usually export my pictures to the JPEG format.

I was just wondering why the photo viewer was showong me the opened DNG file as it did. So I exported the lightroom DNG to see if it's the windows photo viewer settings. I'm still puzzled as to why it's happening. I can recreate the effect as close as possible in lightroom, but it's a lot of work.

[JohanElzenga]

Why are you still puzzled? I think I explained it. Windows Photo Viewer cannot read the edits that are in the metadata, so it shows the unedited image. In fact, I suspect it does not even do that, but shows the embedded preview of the DNG. So I repeat: do not use DNG if you want to view the image in non-Adobe software.

[Per Berntsen · Accepted solution]

Windows Photos does indeed display the embedded jpg preview, it cannot display DNG files.

To make a DNG display the edits in Photos, select the image in Library, then go to Metadata >  Update DNG preview & metadata. If you do further edits to the DNG, you have to use that menu command again to update the preview.

There is no reason to go to all that trouble to view your work in a basic image viewer, so I suggest that you forget about Photos, and view your work in LrC.

[ricky336]

@Per Berntsen hit the nail on the head. Windows Photos is displaying the embedded JPEG preview.

LRC is not; it is displaying the raw data (without edits). This is why you are seeing the difference.