d200 nefs to DNG

[Oliver]

Can a nef file from a d200 adjusted in nikon capture be made into a DNG?

Oliver.

[AlanDunne]

Oliver,

I am 99% sure that the answer is no. After the DNG conversion, the DNG image will not reflect any NC modifications.

I will test it out in the next day or so to be sure, unless you beat me to it. I have only had my D200 for a few days and am working through the settings and testing the effects. By the way, the camera control feature is really useful for programming the setting in the 4 banks. Much easier than doing it in camera.

Cheers ... Al

[peterkrogh]

well, yes and no.
You CAN make it into a DNG, but it will NOT show the changes made in Nikon capture.  And the DNG cannot be openid back up in Capture to convert or readjust.

This is a decision by Nikon to not support DNG files.  It is not a limitation of the DNG format.  If you find DNG to be useful, you might want to let Nikon know that they should support the format.

Peter

[AlanDunne]

Peter,

I presume the DNG converter tool from Adobe uses the same rendering values as the built in camera default values in ACR, even if ACR/CS2 is not installed on the computer? Obviously the rendering values cannot be tuned as they could in ACR. If this is true then Oliver would have to use the new version DNG 3.3 for converting D200 NEF's to DNG format, and they would look like Adobe's interpretation of "out of camera".

Cheers ... Alan

[AlanDunne]

Oliver,

just so you know, the new ACR version does now support D200, in case you were waiting for that option. See the thread at

http://thedambook.com/smf/index.php?topic=237.0

[peterkrogh]

Alan,
The DNG converter will respect any custom Camera Raw settings you have made to the image file.  It is my understanding that for images that have not had a custom adjustment, or Camera Raw Defaults applied by the user, it will pick up the current Cameras Raw defaults.  I have not tested this as I suggest that you ALWAYS APPLY CAMERA RAW DEFAULTS THE FIRST TIME YOU SEE YOUR IMAGES.

It would be interesting to confirm what actually happens in the case where custom Camera Raw Defaults exist, but have not actually been applied to the images.  If anyone cares to test, I would set a new Camera Raw Default with saturation turned all the way down.  Then, take a RAW file with no CR defaults and make a DNG.  What does it show?
Peter

[AlanDunne]

Peter,

that is my question exactly. If someone uses the DNG converter tool, but does not have CS2/ACR3 installed, what would be the outcome. It is a theoretical question for me since I use ACR3 but the idea was triggered by Oliver's post.

Cheers ... Alan

[peterkrogh]

If no ACR is installed, it would convert with the shipping options.  And of course no defaults would be applied, so the images would show the current defaults when opened in Bridge on any computer that DOES have ACR installed.
Peter