Back to forums

Can't open DNG files in DSS

Luc Coiffier DeepSkyStacker (DSS) Smartphone Stacking
9 replies•399 views
EvanSpiesTheHeavens avatar
EvanSpiesTheHeavens avatar
Hello,

I decided to experiment with smartphone astrophotography and took several raw(DNG) images through my telescope with my Samsung Galaxy S24ultra.
When I moved the files to my computer to stack I discovered that when I select my images and click open the program just loads a second and then nothing actually opens. What is wrong and how can I solve it?

–evanspiestheheavens
Well Written
akion avatar
akion avatar
Hi!

darktable can open dng files, and with that you can export them into tif that DSS can read.
EvanSpiesTheHeavens avatar
EvanSpiesTheHeavens avatar
Hi!

darktable can open dng files, and with that you can export them into tif that DSS can read.

I downloaded darktable, but I cannot figure out how to convert my images. I am trying to export them as tiff but for some reason it keeps telling me I cannot but without an explanation. Honestly pretty annoyed by this and any program that throws up error messages like this without any explanation of what is wrong.

Please advise if you know what I may be doing wrong. Keep in mind I have very little knowledge of how to use most photography software. I only know how to use DSS and literally just the few things that I need in photoshop to process an astrophoto. I am pretty illiterate when it comes to anything else.
akion avatar
akion avatar
Please advise if you know what I may be doing wrong. Keep in mind I have very little knowledge of how to use most photography software. I only know how to use DSS and literally just the few things that I need in photoshop to process an astrophoto. I am pretty illiterate when it comes to anything else.

Sure thing! However you need to wait a couple of hours unfortunately, I'm at work atm. Will get back to you in my local evening!
Adel Kildeev avatar
Adel Kildeev avatar
I did also use DSS but switched to Siril, much better program with the AI.DSS has none, very outdated and primitive program, sometimes refuses to stack images made on the same camera the same day (even with 100 per cent acceptance of images).
Bob Lockwood avatar
Bob Lockwood avatar
You say you have photoshop, I have not needed to open a DNG file, but PS says it will open DNG files by export. Then just save it as a tiff.
Peter Graf avatar
Peter Graf avatar
I would also simply recommend Photoshop, as Bob does, also the DNG format has been "invented" by Adobe years ago.
If you have lots of files, you can also automate this via File -> Scripts -> Image Processor. Just select the folder where the files are located and set the format to TIFF, it will put the files to a corresponding sub-folder.
Or even little bit more intuitive, if you have Photoshop, you might also have Bridge installed. There you open the folder and select the files, and then via right click or top menu: File -> Export to -> Custom Export and set it to TIFF.
Helpful
Steven Fanutti avatar
Steven Fanutti avatar
Adel Kildeev:
I did also use DSS but switched to Siril, much better program with the AI.DSS has none, very outdated and primitive program, sometimes refuses to stack images made on the same camera the same day (even with 100 per cent acceptance of images).

I too switched to Siril. I stacked smartphone solar afocal JPG images and was stunned that the results were comparable to my DSLR images taken through a long telephoto. Try converting DNG photos in Darktable to PNG or TIF and stack the exports.
Helpful
Adel Kildeev avatar
Adel Kildeev avatar
Steven Fanutti:
Adel Kildeev:
I did also use DSS but switched to Siril, much better program with the AI.DSS has none, very outdated and primitive program, sometimes refuses to stack images made on the same camera the same day (even with 100 per cent acceptance of images).

I too switched to Siril. I stacked smartphone solar afocal JPG images and was stunned that the results were comparable to my DSLR images taken through a long telephoto. Try converting DNG photos in Darktable to PNG or TIF and stack the exports.

*** I use TIFF - much better quality over PNG or DNG***
Cyril Richard avatar
Cyril Richard avatar
Adel Kildeev:
I use TIFF - much better quality over PNG or DNG***

DNG is TIFF file embedded in another format. So no, TIFF is not better over DNG.