Abstract

The study aims to analyze the characteristics and problems of raw image file formats, evaluate its suitability for the management of digital photographic records, and suggest the introduction method to utilize such format in public institutions. Raw image file formats feature reversibility and flexibility. However, most of them are proprietary file formats that depend on the digital camera manufacturer. The DNG format, which was developed to standardize raw image file formats, has received positive reviews from overseas public agencies. However, the DNG format is not fully recognized as a standard; hence, it is appropriate to use it tentatively until the standard raw format appears. On the other hand, the converted digital photo file format is not recognized as an original with legal authenticity. Therefore, in the short term, DNG files created by format conversion and original raw files should be encapsulated and preserved. Furthermore, it is necessary to redefine the baseline of the hash value and file size to recognize the legal authenticity only with DNG files in the long term.