If you've looked closely at the Import dialog in Lightroom, you may have noticed an option that says "Convert as DNG." This helpful video will explain the advantages and disadvantages of converting your raw files to DNG to help you decide if it's the right option for you.
Coming to you from Tony and Chelsea Northrup, this informative video will explain to you the process of converting raw files to DNG and why you should consider doing it. The DNG file is an open raw file format without any sort of licensing requirements. Adobe originally designed the format with the hopes that manufacturers would adopt it, thereby standardizing raw files across the industry, but that hasn't happened, as the majority of cameras continue to use a proprietary format. Nonetheless, Adobe has kept the format around and offers users the ability to convert their raw files to DNG when importing them into Lightroom or after the fact at anytime while in the catalog. DNG files tend to be smaller, which can add up when you have multiple terabytes of images, and they also tend to load faster within Lightroom. Nonetheless, there are some downsides to them too. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
