How lucky we are with .dng raw

I just didn't appreciate what an advantage it was with Pentax using .DNG files directly. I have a friend who has a Canon 700D who has been getting more serious about his photography. I gave him an old copy of PSE 7 and told him about Irfan View. Now he wants to try using raw. None of the software can be used unless it is as recent a version as the camera! Or you can use a converter (which doesn't seem to work very well) and then load those files . What a paraphernalia! What on earth are Canon thinking of with all of these different formats for each camera and why don't they get negative reviews for it?

It's a potential problem, or at least a complication, with all proprietary RAW formats, even PEF. Every camera has a slightly different RAW output.

But you're right, DNG is a huge benefit to us and Pentax should be applauded for taking it on board. I suppose considering their continued dedication to compatibility perhaps we shouldn't be surprised!

It's one of Pentax's little known and so little heralded advantages, I reckon. Makes conversion so easy.

I have found that the converter (or update) which you download from the Adobe site is pretty good and in both my downloads, for Nikon D300 (NEF) and Fuji X100 (RAF) files, batch converts to DNG quite simply from the desktop.

Still, thank you Pentax for saving us the bother, small as it is.

Pentax .PEF is exactly the same, as is Nikons .NEF and everyone else's.
It's actually Adobe's fault new software is needed every time, the Camera makers release the RAW updates but Adobe will only allow them to be used in the newest version of the software.

It is handy Pentax licence DNG from Adobe but I have read there is more RAW information in .PEF although how true that is I don't know.