CR2 Converting to DNG

When I started teaching myself Photoshop I used Stephen Laskevitch's Photoshop CS4 Photographer's Handbook as my first guide. He suggested that when downloading I should convert Canon's proprietary RAW files to Adobe's open source DNG format. He states the reason as being (a) "Adobe has said it will be the 'steward' of this open source format, but if they should cease to be, the instructions to read a DNG will be publicly available." AND (b) "DNGs hold all of the sensor data recorded by the camera. They do not require additional files to be created to hold their metadata, as is the case for camera proprietary RAW formats".

I have been doing this for a year now, but it does take and long time, and I can take over a thousand images in one day. He also suggests that the DNG conversion can be deferred to a folder, and the conversion can happen later by using Adobe Lightroom or the Adobe Photo Downloader launched from Bridge. Since I don't have Lightroom and choose not to use it, I would have to rely on the Adobe Photo Downloader.

Question #1: I would like to hear opinions regarding the conversion to DNG.

Question #2: When I download the Camera proprietary RAW format to a folder, I can't figure out how to go back, using Adobe Photo Downloader and convert to DNG. When I am in the Adobe Downloader I only see the option to download from a camera/card reader. I don't see an option to go to a 'folder' where the images reside.

Thanks,
Dottie

For what it's worth, I went to the Richard Bernabe school of processing. I'll review all photos taken in Adobe Camera Raw, rating them based on usability. With any editing in ACR, the changes I make are stored in a separate file with the ".XMP" file extension. So with every photo, I end up with two files, the original raw file, and the small xmp file with edits. When I have the adjustments made in ACR, I can click on the "Save Image" button in the bottom left of the screen. That gives me the option to save in several formats. If I select "Digital Negative" it will save the image in the DNG format along with the changes I made in ACR (as one file). I can then delete the original raw file, and any xmp file that was created. I would stress that I only do this to photos that are keepers. That may be 5-10% of the day's shots on a great day. Sometimes it is only 2-3 shots.

I like Wick's approach and I may start testing it out. What I have been doing is to download the raw photos into a folder under a larger folder that I call "RAW Originals". I then copy those files into another folder that I call "DNG Originals". I then use the Adobe DNG Converter (a free conversion program from Adobe) to convert all the files that I have just copied to "DNG Originals" to digital negatives. This process leaves me with both DNG files and RAW files in the same folder. I erase this second set of RAW files and work from the DNGs. This process is a bit cumbersome and converting all at once does take some time, but then I don't shoot as much as you.

As I have said, Wick's approach seems more streamlined and elegant. But with my approach, I have a RAW backup of my files if I make a mistake and erase some DNGs, as I did last week.