DNG is the RAW format that outgrew cameras
Adobe published DNG (Digital Negative) in 2004 as an open, documented alternative to each manufacturer's proprietary RAW, and it has since become the most standardized raw format in use. Its real success happened outside traditional cameras: Apple chose DNG as the container for iPhone ProRAW, most Android makers use it for Pro camera modes, and DJI drones write DNG stills by default. Add Leica, Pentax and Ricoh cameras plus everything passed through Adobe's free DNG Converter, and DNG files now come from more device types than any other RAW format. What has not changed is that a DNG is still raw sensor data, not a viewable picture, so messengers, upload forms and most galleries reject or mangle it. Converting to JPG solves that; camera-brand RAW is covered at RAW to JPG, and regular iPhone photos at HEIC to JPG.
An open format decoded by an open library, on your device
Because DNG is openly specified, it is the format the open-source decoding world supports best, and this page uses that world's standard engine: LibRaw, the library behind darktable, RawTherapee and many photo applications, compiled to WebAssembly. It performs full demosaicing and applies the white balance recorded by the device, so the JPG is a developed image built from the raw data rather than an extracted preview. Everything runs in the browser: the roughly 1.4 MB decoder loads only when a RAW file is dropped, and your files never leave your machine, which is worth knowing when the DNGs are drone survey shots of a client's property or personal ProRAW photos. Files from Sony bodies use their own container and convert at ARW to JPG; flat scans and exports belong at TIFF to JPG.
Common questions
What does developing a DNG file mean?+−
Most DNGs store raw mosaic sensor data, the same as any camera RAW, just in Adobe's openly documented container. Developing demosaics that data into full-color pixels and applies the white balance the device recorded. This tool runs the whole process with LibRaw on your device, so the JPG is a genuinely rendered image from the raw data, comparable to the JPEG the phone, drone or camera would have produced itself.
Where do DNG files come from?+−
More places than any other RAW format. iPhones write DNG when you enable ProRAW, many Android phones use it for their Pro or Expert camera modes, DJI drones save stills as DNG, and cameras from Leica, Pentax and Ricoh use it natively. Adobe's free DNG Converter also turns proprietary RAW into DNG, which makes this page a useful second step for formats that lack direct support.
Do all DNG variants convert correctly?+−
The overwhelming majority do, because DNG is an open standard and LibRaw's support for it is mature. Classic mosaic DNGs from phones, drones and cameras are the well-trodden path. Rare edge cases exist, such as unusual compression choices from the newest devices, and if a file cannot be decoded the tool says so clearly instead of producing a broken image. Standard ProRAW, DJI and DNG Converter files are safe bets.
Why is my iPhone ProRAW photo so large, and does converting help?+−
ProRAW keeps the sensor-level data instead of a finished picture, so a single shot runs around 25 MB, roughly ten times a normal HEIC photo. That is the price of editing latitude you may never use. Converting to JPG at the default 90% quality produces a file a small fraction of that size that looks identical in normal viewing, which makes sharing, backups and storage practical again.