DNG to HDR Converter
Convert DNG to HDR in your browser. A DNG from Adobe DNG Converter may carry only a medium 1024 px preview, and the largest preview in the file is what gets converted. No raw development happens here. You get a Radiance RGBE (.hdr) file, with the 8-bit sRGB values converted to linear light. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
RAW expected · other image formats also work
How to use DNG to HDR
- 1
Add your DNG files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the HDR is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .hdr files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for dng to hdr
Where the HDR goes next
HDR opens in Blender, Photoshop, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Unity and Affinity Photo.
HDR next to DNG
The HDR holds the camera preview's pixels with lossless compression: usually smaller than a 15 to 40 MB raw file, though far larger than a JPEG of the same photo.
No new artefacts
The preview inside the DNG is a camera JPEG; the HDR stores its decoded pixels losslessly, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
DNG vs HDR
What changes from DNG to HDR
Encoding: the DNG uses lossless (or lossy) JPEG-compressed sensor data, plus optional JPEG previews; HDR uses run-length encoded RGBE scanlines, and the download is a Radiance RGBE (.hdr) file, with the 8-bit sRGB values converted to linear light.
Bit depth: 8 to 16 bits per channel in the DNG; HDR allows an 8-bit mantissa per channel sharing an 8-bit exponent (RGBE), 32 bits per pixel, and the HDR written here has RGBE, 32 bits per pixel. The raw data's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the embedded 8-bit preview is converted.
Colour: camera RGB plus the colour matrices that map it to XYZ (demosaiced linear RGB in a Linear DNG) in the DNG; HDR supports linear RGB (or XYZ in the XYZE variant), written here as linear-light RGB.
Metadata: the DNG can carry EXIF, XMP and DNG tags for colour matrices, calibration and lens corrections; HDR can carry a text header with FORMAT, EXPOSURE and optional comments, but nothing is copied across.
About DNG
DNG is Adobe's openly documented raw format. Some cameras and phones record it directly, Adobe DNG Converter turns other brands' raw files into it, and a Linear DNG holds already-demosaiced RGB that raw editors treat like any other raw file.
DNG is built on TIFF/EP. The raw image sits in a sub-IFD marked as the main image, with tags for black and white levels, colour matrices and the colour filter pattern; a Linear DNG (PhotometricInterpretation 34892) stores demosaiced RGB instead of a mosaic. Previews are optional, and Adobe DNG Converter can write a medium (1024 px), full-size or no preview.
DNG files usually come from Leica, Pentax and Ricoh cameras, DJI drones, Google Pixel and iPhone ProRAW, and Adobe DNG Converter.
About HDR
Radiance .hdr stores high dynamic range light values, widely used for 3D environment maps and HDRI lighting.
A Radiance file starts with '#?RADIANCE' (or '#?RGBE'), text lines such as FORMAT=32-bit_rle_rgbe and EXPOSURE, a blank line, a resolution line like '-Y 2048 +X 4096', then the scanlines.
When converting DNG to HDR makes sense
HDR is the better choice for 3D lighting and environment maps, while DNG suits raw editing and archiving raw files in an open format.
HDR strengths: True high dynamic range; Standard for HDRI environment maps. Drawbacks to weigh: Needs tone mapping to view on normal screens.
Limitations
- Phone DNGs such as Apple ProRAW and Pixel raw are already computationally processed; the preview shows that processed result.
- A Linear DNG without a preview, such as one written by this site, is read from its RGB data instead.
- No range is added: the HDR holds the 8-bit picture in linear light, and nothing in it is brighter than the original white.
- 3D software treats the file as linear light, so an ordinary photo used as an environment map may need its exposure raised to light a scene well.
More conversions
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting DNG to HDR lose quality?
HDR is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Those pixels come from the camera's JPEG preview, so its compression stays, but nothing new is lost. The raw data's 12 to 16 bits are not used: the embedded 8-bit preview is converted.
Does saving as HDR make a real HDRI?
No. A real HDRI is merged from several exposures. This file holds an 8-bit image in linear light, so 3D software reads it correctly, but it has no more range than the source.
Which apps open HDR files?
Blender, Photoshop, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Unity and Affinity Photo. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.