RAW to DNG on import

[JeffP0830]

Hi,

My current workflow is to copy as DNG directly from my camera directly into Lightroom, with which I am shooting RAW.  It is a Nikon so it is an NEF file on the camera.  My question is when I import from the camera and Lightroom copies and converts the file to a DNG what happens to the NEF file that was initially imported?  Does that get overwritten by the DNG file or is the DNG a copy of the NEF and I now have two "RAW" files on my hard drive, the DNG and the NEF?  If it is the latter where is the the NEF file stored?  Thanks

jp

[Rob_Cullen]

If you use the "Copy as DNG" Import method from camera, then the NEF raw files are converted to DNG raw files. They still contain the original raw data from the camera sensor. There will be no remnant NEF files (except on the camera card). So Yes,- in a sense 'Overwritten' as you only get the DNGs on your hard-drive.

If you use the Menu command on NEFs "Convert to DNG" they will also be "Overwritten".

You can Import NEF files from a Folder on the Hard-drive using "Copy as DNG" and you will have both files on the hard-drive.

From files on the Hard-drive: If you use the free Adobe DNG Converter program to convert folders of NEF files to DNG files, then you do have options. One option is to 'Save' the DNG files to a separate folder, so you have both NEF and DNG files. Another option is to 'wrap' the NEF file inside the DNG file, but this results in a file that is twice the size of the original NEF. Keeping both NEF and DNG also results in 'Twice the storage' needed.

Personally, I have taken the workflow (that many disagree with )  of shooting Nikon NEF raw, Importing with "Copy as DNG",  not retaining ANY NEF files, Keeping as least one (I have 3)  exact mirror copy of my Images drive with Catalog. Thus I could easily restore my entire library very quickly, also I do not have XMP files to worry about. (I do not "Save XMP metadata" to files- all metadata is backed-up in the Catalog).  Think of the impossible? task of a library restoration if the files were a different type and re-named differently!

[elie_dinur]

If you use "Copy as DNG" and also tick the box for "Make a second copy to:" in the right side File Handling panel, the second copy will be a copy of the original Raw on the memory card; so you can have it both ways, both a NEF and a cataloged DNG.

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

Yes- "Make a second copy to:"  does indeed preserve the NEFs in another folder. The conversion to DNG always occurs after the NEFs have been written to the Hard-drive, so the 'Import' files are converted, the "Second copy" files remain as original.

I have never used "Make a second copy to:"  at Import, for the reasons that I believe to be-

1) the "Second Copy" is only intended to be a temporary method of backing up the files. I do that with other software.

2) the "Second Copy" folder is created with a folder name of "Date Imported" which does not 'mirror' the Destination folder in the Import dialog, and apart from holding the files, is almost useless for restoring the folder structure that is in the Catalog if disaster occurs.