Can´t export DNG files from the iPhone

SOLVED‼️

The ONLY way I found to EXPORT THE DNG file is from the macOS Photos App.

1 - Select the image

2 - Clck on Files

3 - Export

4 - Export Unmodified Original

All other paths did not work - Airdrop, etc...

There are two issues discussed in this thread that are loosely related

1. Once a RAW format photo is taken using the default 4:3 aspect ratio it is stored as a dng file on the iphone in the RAW album with the RAW badge in the upper left of the photo. Some methods that transfer this photo will transfer the actual dng file while others will transfer a jpg of the dng file. A good example is if you send the picture in a text message it will always be a jpg. Many users in this thread have posted successful ways to transfer the dng file.
2. If you take a photo in another aspect ratio (for example 16:9) it is stored as a jpg (as far as I can find it is NOT stored anywhere as a dng) . It is also stored in the RAW album and the photo will have the RAW badge in the upper left. Since the dng file does not exist there is no way to transfer it. If anyone finds a way to recover the dng please let us know.

I hope Apple takes note of this, especially tagging jpg files with the RAW badge and placing them in the RAW album if that is actually what is occurring.

Thanks for pointing this out! So, I just tried a couple of things and I think I have potentially found a solution:

1. Took some 4:3 RAW photos, saved them to the Files App - they were saved as .DNG files - as expected per your comment under #1
2. Took some additional photos, but this time in 16:9 with the RAW badge on the photo, saved them to the Files App - they are saved as .JPG
3. I connected the iPhone to my Mac, and started the "Image Capture" app. There the photos in question appear twice. Once as IMG_XXXX.DNG, once as IMG_E6385.JPG. So, the images that are taken in 16:9 ARE indeed stored as .DNG, however so far I wasn't able to download them. When I select the photos inside the Image Capture app and select "Download" it says "Importing", but nothing actually gets imported, and the app just crashes. But now we know that 16:9 images are stored as .DNG - we just can't download them

I have tried everything. They are hiding something. What the DNG file serves for, inside the iPhone?! PRO RAW NOTHING‼️ What a shame!

If iOS won't export the raw file, PRO RAW IS USELESS - pure marketing.

Apple, where is the iOS update that fixes this?

Even exporting (downloading from) iCloud (web) - the download file is a HEIC.

The editor (Big Sur 11.1) inside the Photos app crashes - the pane gets full black if try to edit a RAW file.

Well... Apple is still learning, right?

IF IT'S FOR REAL, LET US TO EDIT THE FILE ON CAMERA RAW.

IF NOT, IT IS A LIE, OR PURE MARKETING.

A RAW FILE INSIDE AN IPHONE IS USELESS - EVEN THIS 12 PRO MAX - WHAT A SHAME‼️

The Apple document that teaches: edit a ProRaw then revert and airdrop to send a .dng does not work. My guess is Apple does not want customers sharing ProRaw .dng files from the native camera app that are unflattering without additional processing.

Make sure your image size in the native camera app is set to 4:3. With this setting, Air Drop will export the 25 MB ProRaw DNG. I have not investigated further but using only the native camera aspect ratio of 4:3 worked for me.

Well maybe solved for you, but what about people that does not have an Apple computer and just want to send some raw file to a person??

I must say, it’s the same **** with Apple - They dont Think that there custumer Can handle file sizes and now dan They not export there Apple Pro raw files to send to somebody to Edit Them. OMG

regards

Jan

Since the ProRaw file exists on the phone, connecting your phone to your Windows PC with a cable may allow access to the ProRaw files on your phone. I found a Senior Advisor at Apple to be helpful and the first tier support to be a waste of time.

Thank you very much for your response! This really helped me to export some of the photos as .dng files.

I also noticed that I was able to send .dng through airdrop if I make the photo 4:3, as it seemed that taking a proRAW photo in 16:9 would not send the photo in any other format than .jpg, which is annoying for me.

yup. The 4:3 is the native ratio of the iPhone’s sensor. That was the first epiphany. Frankly, the image quality of the native 4:3 sensor output exported as ProRaw and processed in LR on the laptop is amazing. “ I have several camera systems but none are as convenient as the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The best camera is the one you have with you.” The second epiphany was to persist with escalating in Apple Support until I reached a Senior-level support person.

Oh, I completely agree. I took a shot outside today where the sky had nice faded blues, but the photo I took was over-exposed. Popped it into PS with the Camera Raw option and sorted that out with ease. I hardly had to do much to the photo to save it as opposed to what I would normally need to do with a DSLR. I came from the X to the 12 Pro Max and the difference is 100% better than I had hoped. As per your second point, I chuckled :D

I found something interesting with the iPhone 12 Pro Max I have. When I tried to send a ProRAW photo through Airdrop, I found it would only send a .jpg image. I realised that I had taken my photos in 16:9; therefore, changing back to 4:3 and taking and sending ProRAW photos through Airdrop worked. I wonder if Apple have not fully supported the ProRAW option for all aspect ratios yet...

Since a 16:9 is actually a crop, not all of the sensor photo sites are used because they are arranged in a 4:3 matrix. Perhaps their algorithm that does the computational magic behind ProRaw is only applied to the full sensor. Just a guess.

That is possible. I understood that the way in which Airdrop allows .dng to be sent through is via an unedited image. Perhaps when you choose the 1:1 or 16:9 ratio, you are ultimately "editing" the image through cropping; therefore (based on Apple's conditions), you are only allowed to send said image as a .jpg because you effectively have made changes to the original image.

That is a guess however.

I think a photo taken as RAW in 16:9 format is actually saved as a jpeg but with the RAW badge. If someone knows how to recover the DNG I would like to know.

For Users with a OneDrive account saving the DNG file to OneDrive using the Photos app works for me. May also want to try Google drive or others but I did not test.