A new version of DxO PhotoLab is now available, the fifth, and this is the one version owners of Fujifilm cameras will remember: for the first-time ever support for Fujifilm X-Trans sensors is included, albeit in Beta. This is the company’s answer to all those who have asked for the feature in the past and even accused DxO of not listening to users; well, it seems that their requests – some of them angry – were not forgotten, it just took a little time extra, due to the specifics of Fujifilm’s X-Trans sensor.
DxO PhotoLab 5 now supports Fujifilm X-Trans sensor cameras, from the recent X-E4, X-S10, X-T4, and X100V through to the older X-E2 and X-70, no fewer than 18 Fujifilm cameras are now supported. Remember: this is a Beta version and work continues, so Fujifilm photographers are welcome to submit their feedback and comments via the following website: www.dxo.com/feedbacks-xtrans-beta.
“We are very happy to finally open our doors to the community of Fujifilm photographers,” said Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Product Strategy. “Our goal is to offer them the best solution available in terms of image quality. To this end, we have created a website specifically dedicated to collecting their feedback. We can’t wait to hear what they think.”
Besides the inclusion of support for 18 Fujifilm cameras – X-E2, X-E2S, X-E3, X-E4, X-H1, X-Pro2, X-Pro3, X-S10, X-T1, X-T2, X-T20, X-T3, X-T30, X-T4, X100F, X100T, X100V, X70 – the software also supports more new cameras – Canon EOS Ra, DJI Air 2S & Mini 2, Nikon Z fc, Olympus PEN E-P7, Panasonic GH5 II, Pentax K-3 III, Sony ZV-E10 – for a total of 26 new cameras.
In addition, 605 new DxO modules have been made available. Created through the exclusive DxO Labs calibration process, these modules automatically remove optical defects such as distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting, and lack of sharpness. In fact, the software offers unparalleled optical corrections through its exclusive lens sharpness technology and many other tools, all of which are designed to inspire artistic expression without compromising on image quality.
The interface is both user-friendly, despite the number of features present, and a lesson in photo editing and technology, as some of the functions are not only explained using a pop-up but offer a link to deepen the understanding of the processes behind the magic. This means that DxO PhotoLab is usable by both those starting their path in photography or seasoned photographers looking for an alternative to their actual photo editor. The fact that the DxO PhotoLab 5 license does not require a subscription and can be installed either on two workstations (DxO PhotoLab 5 ESSENTIAL Edition) or three workstations (DxO PhotoLab 5 ELITE Edition) makes the offer even more appealing.
The first thing users will see when opening DxO PhotoLab 5 is the PhotoLibrary, which is now even better, to the point that I believe I will use it as the starting point to browse through images, even if photo editing them in other software. I have previously used other apps for my “photo library,” but this new version is packed with metadata and keyword management features that make it a good interface to sort through your files.
The new version of the PhotoLibrary has reorganized the management tools, making it easy to explore the content of your drives, and it also processes IPTC and EXIF data and third-party application synchronizations. If you need an advanced method of keyword prioritization, it is also present, via an interactive tree structure.
While on the previous version of DxO PhotoLab you had just a small EXIF panel on the left side of the screen (although movable) when editing a photo, in DxO PhotoLab 5 you have a complete IPTC and EXIF data panel on the right side, while in the PhotoLibrary, showing the keywords added to images through other apps, like Lightroom, and relevant info you may have added to the files. It also allows users to add more data. This is just what I need to start using the app as my “browsing utility.”
In fact, I may do more than that, as the photo editing tools present in DxO PhotoLab 5 are quite appealing, following an evolution already present in previous versions of the software. The set of tools available, some of them offering automated features that work rather well – but can be turned off and adjusted as required – makes photo editing quite exciting, due to the variety of options easily accessed through the base interface.
It´s important to remind those interested in the software that DxO PhotoLab comes from the same company behind Nik Collection, an immensely popular tool that has been a staple in my editing process in recent years. The direct link to the app, which also works with other photo editors, is always present on the screen, a clear invitation to use both apps, as they “talk” directly. Not only that, but the photo editor is also the access key to DxO FilmPack, a plug-in that applies to your digital images the saturation, the contrast, and the grain of the most celebrated analog silver halide, slide and negative films. A new version, FilmPack 6, which we will also cover in detail here at ProVideo Coalition, is launched this month.
One of the key features of DxO PhotoLab are Control Points, which introduced new ways to control local adjustments. Now, with DxO PhotoLab 5 the company further advances its efficient and intuitive local retouching and adjustment technologies by adding a second type of pointer: Control Lines. This new tool complements the technology’s existing Control Points by allowing users to carry out touch-ups on large areas with an easy-to-use selection method. To make them even more precise, Control Lines and Control Points are now equipped with sensitivity settings. Photographers can easily adjust the effect of their edits based on the luminance and chrominance of the targeted areas.
Digital noise reduction in DxO PhotoLab has been an effective but slow process that gets updated now. The company says that its DeepPRIME technology uses artificial intelligence to develop RAW files, and that it drastically improves digital noise reduction while ensuring more efficient demosaicing. Traditionally, these two operations have been carried out separately, each introducing flaws that adversely affect the quality of the other. With deep learning, DeepPRIME takes a holistic approach that combines the two steps into one. One note: you need a RAW original to use the process, so if you’ve a JPEG to start with, you’ll have to go the conventional way.
Trained by deep learning methods using millions of images analyzed in DxO laboratories over the past 20 years, DxO DeepPRIME technology the deep-learning approach of DxO PhotoLab 5 and DeepPRIME in particular has been significantly optimized in terms of reactivity as well as processing and export times, says DxO, adding that these improvements are available to everyone and are up to 4 times faster for Apple Silicon Mac users and 1.5 times faster on the best Windows architectures. My best advice: try to get the cleanest images you can first, because there are no miracles!
Although DxO PhotoLab 5 still misses things like a panorama creation tool – and for that I will have to go to Affinity Photo -, it does offer a whole lot of features that make it even more convincing with this version. If you’re still after a good versatile photo editor offering everything from RAW processing to a good photo library that will serve the needs of most people, this may be the software for you. It does not replace skies… and some may even think its automatic corrections are somehow conservative – something I must say, I like – but it simply works.
DxO PhotoLab 5 (PC and Mac) is available now from the DxO online store (http://shop.dxo.com/) at the following introductory prices until November 14, 2021:
- DxO PhotoLab 5 ESSENTIAL Edition: $109.99 instead of $139.
- DxO PhotoLab 5 ELITE Edition: $164.99 instead of $219.
The DxO PhotoLab 5 license does not require a subscription and can be installed, as already mentioned, either on two workstations (DxO PhotoLab 5 ESSENTIAL Edition) or three workstations (DxO PhotoLab 5 ELITE Edition). DxO PhotoLab 3 and DxO PhotoLab 4 users can purchase an upgrade to DxO PhotoLab 5 by logging into their customer account at https://shop.dxo.com/login_upgrade.php/en. Users who have a version of the software older than DxO PhotoLab 3 are not eligible for an upgrade and will need to purchase a new license.
A full, one-month trial version of DxO PhotoLab 5 is available on the DxO website.Try it!