Problem with third party DNG-to-JPEG image converters

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
August 20, 2024
2 replies
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I have a new, more powerful desktop PC with Windows 11 and with it comes a problem I have never encountered before on my old PC and Windows 10.

The problem: third party image converters, such as XnConvert and a bunch of others I tried in the last days, fail when it comes to converting DNG files edited in and exported from Lightroom Classic into JPEG files. In all cases the DNG-to-JPEG conversion runs seemingly normally, but the produced JPEGs contain absolutely none of the edits featured in the DNG files. Instead, the produced JPEGs appear to be the converted versions of the unedited, raw files (Nikon NEF). Notably, exporting to DNG or JPEG from LRC works just fine, but LRC is not the best option for batch conversions.

I would be thankful for any ideas or explanations.

Windows

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Lumigraphics

Legend

I'm not surprised, you need a converter that can read the DNG and the Adobe-proprietary edits to correctly create a new file. I'm not sure if anything other than Adobe products will do that, especially things like the new AI features.

Try exporting from Lightroom, either directly to JPEG or to an intermediate rendered format like TIFF.

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pavlek99107747Author

Participating Frequently

Hi,

Thanks for all responses. I want to empasize again that the conversion of LRC-edited DNG to JPEG has worked perfectly well for years, with XnConvert and a bunch of other convertes. The porduced JPEGs were of excellent quality despite the lesser size. The conversion stopped working properly after my switching from Windows 10 to Windows 11. I doubt it to be the cause of the problem though, perhaps it has to do with the latest LRC updates. Anyway, I have checked and rechecked all settings, everything is as it is supposed to be. In the meanwhile I have sent a LRC-edited DNG image to XnConvert asking them to check it and inform me what the problem is. Still waiting for their answer.

johnrellis

Legend

johnrellis: none of the software sou suggested managed to convert DNGs with LRC edits into JPEGs. I tend to change my mind and start believing that this conversion problem has to do with LRC after all; be it the import or export settings, new updates, etc. I can understand Adobe’s lack of interest to go into this, but the easiest way to find a solution would be to ask an Adobe expert to try to convert a DNG with LRC edits to JPG, using either XnConvert or any other third-party converter. Any chance for that, Adobe? If it works, please let us know the proper settings, and if not, please explain why.

"johnrellis: none of the software sou suggested managed to convert DNGs with LRC edits into JPEGs."

All these viewers read the fully rendered previews embedded in the DNGs -- they don't attempt to interpret the LR Develop settings and apply them to the raw image. I know of no image viewer/converter that tries to interpret LR Develop settings. If Xnconvert was at some point displaying the rendered edits of DNG, it was surely reading the embedded previews.

I've attached a screen recording of LR 13.5 / Windows 11, showing edits being applied to a DNG, the DNG exported from LR, and the following apps correctly viewing the edits in the exported DNG: Photos, Irfanview, Faststone, Snipping Tool.

All my testing with these viewer/converter apps and many versions of LR indicates that LR Export of DNGs has continued to work as expected and includes fully rendered previews in exported DNGs that the apps access. I don't know what explains what you're seeing. As a next step, I suggest the following troubleshooting steps:

1. In LR, select a DNG and apply some edits to it.

2. Do Metadata > Save Metadata To File.

3. Export the DNG with the settings Image Format: DNG, Compatibility: 15.3, JPEG Preview: Full Size, Embed Fast Load Data.

4. Upload the original DNG and the exported DNG to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here. We can see if these apps on other systems correctly display the edits.

dng.zip

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dj_paige

Legend

Edits created by Lightroom Classic and stored in a DNG are proprietary, and can only be interpreted by certain Adobe software. Non-Adobe software can't use these edits at all.

... but LRC is not the best option for batch conversions.

LrC does batch exports of JPGs from DNGs.

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pavlek99107747Author

Participating Frequently

dj-paige,

Thank you for the response. As a matter of fact, I have used XnConvert for years to convert LRC-edited & exported DNGs into high-quality JPEGs without any issue. All the edits made in LRC were contained in the produced JPEGs. As said, those were Windows 10 times, but I am not quite sure that the trouble has to do with Windows 11. I have checked all export settings in LRC (version 13.5, new) and all output settings in the latest update of XnConvert (and some other image converters) to no avail. Neither XnConvert nor other converters can convert edited DNGS anymore. As to the batch conversion DNG-JPEG in LRC: yes, it can be done, but once the DNGs are exported to folders outside LRC, it is much easier and faster - for me at least - to convert them from there with other software such as XnConvert.