Introduction
DxO PhotoLab is considered one of the most dynamic and innovative photo editing programs. DxO PhotoLab continues to provide automatic lens and camera body corrections for photographers, along with excellent noise reduction techniques and other innovative photo tools. The software uses Nik U Point technology to superbly edit local area selections. DxO PhotoLab deserves a spot in the digital photography toolkit of every serious photographer and has received the Editor’s Choice award over Adobe Lightroom Classic, which is known for its stronger workflow features, and Adobe Photoshop for intensive photo editing using the latest technologies.
How much does DxO PhotoLab cost?
DxO PhotoLab does not require a subscription like Adobe programs—pay once and own the software until you need to upgrade. The cost of the basic version of DxO PhotoLab is $139 and lacks some of the newer and more powerful features. The cost of the premium full version (the version tested in this review) is $229. Upgrading from version 5 or 6 costs $109. You can install the application on up to three computers compared to two for Adobe software.
Requirements and starting DxO PhotoLab
PhotoLab runs on Microsoft Windows 10 version 20H2 or Windows 11 (64-bit), and macOS 12.6.8 (Monterey) or later. The size of the installer is 826 MB, which is not excessive considering that Lightroom Classic is around 2 GB.
DxO PhotoLab interface
Version 7 of DxO PhotoLab features support for color check patterns for accurate colors and a new options panel for presenting black and white images, as well as support for Look-Up Table (LUT) effects with 17 basic effects and an updated U-Point local adjustment panel with HSL color wheel editing.
Organizing photos using PhotoLibrary
PhotoLab has made some progress in the organization section in PhotoLibrary mode, although it still lacks some features available in Lightroom Classic in this regard. The program indexes folders containing images to enable you to search by shot settings. You can enter date, focal length, aperture, and even ISO settings. You can also search based on the lens used, which is helpful when looking for wildlife photos versus landscapes, for example. Lightroom allows you to search by camera but not settings, whereas Lightroom Classic offers all of the above.
Photo corrections in DxO PhotoLab
DxO differs from most other editing programs in that it begins with the best automatic correction for your photo, based on the lens, camera, and exposure settings. DxO Labs actually photographs thousands of images under different test patterns in various lighting conditions to create lens and camera profiles to adjust these corrections. The files include DSLR body and lens combinations, as well as smartphone cameras, although my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra—purchased for its superior camera—does not have a profile.
DxO Prime, DeepPrime, and DeepPrime XD
Probabilistic Raw Image Enhancement (Prime) is a noise reduction tool in PhotoLab that increases digital image exposure by an extra stop. Most noise corrections compare neighboring pixels to determine which represent noise, but DxO examines a much larger area to make this decision, which should eliminate more noise while preserving more detail. A newer level called DeepPrime uses artificial intelligence for cleaner results in less time. A third level called DeepPrime XD is for additional detail. Prime works only on raw camera images, and these tools are available only in the more expensive premium version of the software. If you’re shooting in low light or at higher ISO settings, you can achieve more clarity and detail in your images. Prime allows the software to take the time it needs to analyze and correct digital noise. These tools now work faster than the initial release, including the latest XD version.
ClearView
Plus
The ClearView tool can effectively remove haze from landscape images. This feature eliminates the need to create a mask for different areas of the image to adjust them independently. It determines the distance in the image and adjusts the black level accordingly. In my tests, ClearView, which works completely automatically (although you can adjust its intensity), did a great job restoring details from the distant areas in the images. I was unable, in the test, to achieve such a good result using standard editing tools.
LUTs
The latest version of PhotoLab offers support for Look-Up Tables (LUTs). These are standard color filters in the video production industry, where they are used to correct specific video camera profiles, but also to create mood and effects. LUT support has been added in other photo applications like CyberLink PhotoDirector in recent years, so it’s no surprise to see it in DxO’s software. PhotoLab now comes with 17 basic LUT effects, and you can import any effects you find that use the standard .cube extension.
Local Adjustments with DxO
Since acquiring Nik Software, DxO includes brush tools and other local adjustment tools, many thanks to the U Point tool. In customization mode, there is a local adjustments button on the right side that gives you access to five tools: Control Point, Control Line, Graduated Filter (for gradients), DxO FilmPack (active if you own a separate application), automatic masking, brush, and eraser. You can adjust the size of the brush and feather it, and you can add multiple selections using the various tools.
Geometry Correction with DxO
DxO’s ViewPoint software addresses a tricky problem in photography: distortion of the size of objects, where things like human heads may distort when at the edge of a wide-angle image. PhotoLab corrects the fundamental geometry of the camera and lens based on lens and camera profiles, allowing you to adjust it precisely. You can also reshape the geometry of tilted images using guides, with the option to position two or four lines to rearrange the contents of the image.
DxO Watermark
DxO includes a watermarking feature, which is an important tool for professional photographers who wish to promote their brand or simply protect their images. The tool allows you to use text or an image as a watermark. You get a good selection of fonts, and you can adjust the transparency, scaling, and color. Unfortunately, you cannot drag the text position; you can only choose center or bottom, and so on, along with alignment. Save your watermark as a preset if you plan to use it in more images.
Output and Sharing in DxO
Once you complete your image in PhotoLab, the blue bar at the bottom right allows you to output it directly to disk, to another photo editor, or to Facebook (only on macOS), or to Flickr, or to Lightroom Classic. The Facebook source lets you choose the destination album but not the privacy level or tagging. Exporting to Flickr offers better control, as you can select an album, add keywords, and set privacy. It even fetches the layout
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/photo-editing/20996/dxo-photolab
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