Camera RAW conversion
Convert DNG to HEIC
Updated Jul 2026
DNG is a raw camera file that holds unprocessed sensor data, and HEIC is a finished, compressed image format. To convert DNG to HEIC, open the file in a converter and export it as HEIC. Doing this on your own computer means the raw file, and whatever metadata it carries, never has to leave your machine.
- Extension
- .dng
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Adobe / universal RAW
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .heic
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Default iPhone photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert DNG to HEIC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert DNG to HEIC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the DNG files you want to convert. Add one photo or a whole folder of raw shots at once.
- Choose HEIC as the output format.
- Convert. The HEIC files are written next to your originals, and nothing is uploaded anywhere.
DNG vs HEIC: what actually changes
| DNG | HEIC | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Large, often 20 to 50MB per photo | Small, usually a few MB |
| Quality and editing room | Lossless, full sensor data with room to adjust exposure and white balance | Lossy, a finished image with much less room to recover detail |
| Opens without extra software | No, needs a raw-capable app like a photo editor | Mostly, needs a recent Apple device or a plugin on older systems |
| Ready to view or share as-is | No, needs processing first | Yes, it's a finished, viewable image |
| Keeps date and location (EXIF) | Yes | Yes, unless you strip it |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert DNG to HEIC once you're done editing a raw photo and want a smaller, ready-to-view file to keep on your phone or share, without needing raw software to open it later.
Keep the DNG original if you might want to re-edit the shot later, because a raw file holds detail in the highlights and shadows that a HEIC export bakes in and can't get back.
Why not just use an online converter?
DNG files straight off a camera or phone often carry full EXIF data, including the exact GPS location where the photo was taken. Send that raw file to an online converter and the location history goes with it, onto a server you don't control. Converting on your own computer means the photo, and where it was taken, stay on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting DNG to HEIC lose quality?
Yes, in a real way. DNG holds raw, unprocessed sensor data with room to adjust; HEIC is a compressed, finished image, so you lose the ability to recover exposure or color detail after the fact. For a photo you're done editing, this is usually fine.
Will the HEIC keep the metadata from the DNG?
Generally yes. Date, camera info, and GPS location carry over unless you deliberately strip them during conversion. Worth checking before you share the photo publicly.
Why convert to HEIC instead of JPG?
HEIC stores similar quality in a smaller file and is the native format for recent iPhones, so photos take up less space on your phone. JPG is still the safer choice if you need something that opens absolutely everywhere.
Can I convert DNG to HEIC without uploading the raw file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet processes the raw file on your own computer, so it's never sent over the internet. You can do it with your wifi off.
Should I keep the DNG after converting?
If storage isn't tight, yes. The DNG is your only copy of the original sensor data, and once you convert to HEIC you can't go back and re-adjust exposure or white balance the way you can with the raw file.
Morphjet converts DNG, HEIC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.