DxO PhotoLab 6.3 was just released and it convinced me to change my workflow. Here’s why you should consider giving it a try.
Various cameras and various types of software passed through my hands. However, I’m rarely convinced to change my workflow. Recently, however, I compared the raw results from different cameras through different software packages and PhotoLab 6 let me down.
DxO PhotoLab is primarily a raw developer, with catalog and browser functions. It is the image quality of the program’s raw engine that is its big advantage.
Photo library
It took me a while to get used to PhotoLibrary. When I do, I can see that it’s a powerful tool. In Lightroom I always use Collections and PhotoLab 6 has a similar function called “Projects”. It’s a quick and easy way to organize and find photos. For those who like to browse, there is also a Folders browser.
Bring your photos into PhotoLab 6
PhotoLibrary does not have an import function. Instead, one uses the browser screen to drag and drop files from your memory card into the Folders browser. This is a good time to add photos to the Project. One can then rate the images, add keywords, set color labels, etc. As with any category, you should do this as soon as possible, making it easier to sort and find the photos later on. much easier.
Helpful Hint: I found it helpful to create a Project called All Photos and add any imported photos to it. As a result, it’s easy to scroll through all of my images, sync metadata, and search for keywords in all of my images.
Use photo gallery
PhotoLibrary is very fast; I found it jumping between images with no lag. Selecting multiple photos at once allows you to add star ratings, color tags, and keywords to all photos at once. There are new keyboard shortcuts to learn for these, and there are more color cards than you’ll find in other apps, including orange and pink.
As a dedicated Lightroom catalog user, you can export photos to PhotoLab as a DNG raw file with PhotoLab adjustments applied to that program. The export function also allows you to send files to another application, burn them to your hard drive, or upload them to Flickr.
If you have a DxO NIK collection, PhotoLibrary will of course be integrated with that collection. Nik software is worth the investment, as it can take your processing to the next level.
What is a DxO Optical Module?
DxO Labs is known for measuring the performance of lenses and cameras. It started when Jérôme Ménière founded Vision IQ in 1994. He and other researchers created a computer-aided monitoring system to detect drowning victims in swimming pools. It took seven years to develop and correct the lens flaws commonly found in camera equipment. It is from these beginnings that DxO Photolab has grown.
The DxO database has thousands of combinations of lenses, focal lengths and cameras. PhotoLab automatically detects the device you are using. It then imports Optical Modules that allow the software to correct your images by eliminating flaws such as sharpness, distortion distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, and perspective errors. The latest release of Photolab 6 has streamlined this process with the Select/Deselect All button.
I was skeptical at first as to whether the changes were significant enough to make a noticeable difference. However, when I compared the results of shooting from the camera (SOOC) with PhotoLab with other software, there was a significant improvement. Even when doing manual editing in other apps, I couldn’t achieve what PhotoLab 6 was able to do.
Such edits are great news for photographers, but put me in a dilemma. When I’m evaluating lenses, I probably wouldn’t use PhotoLab 6 as it would minimize the optical errors I wanted to include in the review, thus giving you a false impression of the quality of the lens.
Developing an Image: Using the Custom Tab in PhotoLab 6
You will find that when developing a raw image, the layout of PhotoLab 6’s image development tools is very streamlined. In the first tab are the tone adjustments and they are separate from the color adjustments located in the second tab. In most other applications, they are mixed and similar tools are scattered between different sections of the dashboard.
PhotoLab 6 is a refreshing change from that. Details, Geometry (cropping, horizon leveling, perspective correction, etc.), Local Adjustments, and Effects (Watermark and Miniature Effects) are in their tabs.
Using the Color and Tone Controls
When it comes to image development, Photolab 6 excels. I found the controls to be subtle and easy to use, and the results were much better than other apps I’ve used, and I’ve loaded many apps onto my computer. Sound controls can be pushed without creating unwanted artifacts. Furthermore, used in conjunction with the color controls, the images really stand out in a way they don’t in some other programs.
Likewise, the hue, saturation, and luminance adjustments of individual colors can be performed precisely and with excellent results. They can be blended with their adjacent colors, so they don’t create unsightly bands or borders along the edges. It is easy to change the color of the person’s fur in the following image.
Sharpen, remove noise and adjust locally
DxO comes with the highly rated AI Noise Reduction feature called DeepPRIME. I have provided some images taken at high ISO with an old camera and it produces clean, sharp results.
Local adjustment is easily controlled with DxO’s unique “U Point” technology. That overcomes the tiring addition of masked selections by applying Control Points or Control Lines to the image. The software defines the colors as a reference and you can adjust them within the radius around the point or line. You can add as many Control Points as you want to the image.
This method of image development is much more efficient and less time consuming than using a masking brush.
Wide color gamut in PhotoLab 6 Elite
The latest version, DxO PhotoLab 6.3, brings many new features. The ELITE version has improved soft proofing, adding paper and ink simulation profiles to produce the most accurate prints possible. The Preserve Color Details slider preserves color detail in areas of high saturation when moving to a smaller color space.
The DxO Wide Gamut feature gives photographers more range by increasing the available color space. That has been expanded to include TIFF and JPEG images, not just raw as before.
Typically, in other applications, cropping occurs when distortion correction is applied. PhotoLab 6.3 allows area retention, so cloning or content-aware adjustments in other applications can fill in empty edges and corners.
Have two versions of DxO PhotoLab 6.3: Essential and Elite. The latter gives access to more tools:
DxO PhotoLab Edition 6.3 ESSENTIAL €139 / 14,900 / £129 / $139
DxO PhotoLab 6.3 ELITE Edition €219 / 23,900 yen / £199 / $219
What I like about DxO PhotoLab 6.3 and what could be improved
As I said earlier, in my work I deal with a wide variety of cameras and lenses, and I also test a range of different software packages. Rarely does something come up that makes me want to change from what I’m used to. DxO PhotoLab has done just that. Why? The resulting image quality is better than other software I have used. That difference was big enough for me to make the necessary sacrifices when changing from one app to another.
There are some sacrifices to be made here. Unfortunately, like ON1 and Capture One, I cannot import my Lightroom catalog into PhotoLab. As a result, I have a variety of options available: I can use PhotoLab as a plugin for Lightroom, because switching between the two apps is easy. I could go through the arduous process of creating new Projects and adding 80,000 images or more to them, but that won’t happen. Or, I can start using PhotoLab now and leave my old photos in Lightroom. I would probably choose that last option. Can I cancel my Adobe Photographer Plan and still have access to the Lightroom library. However, I won’t do that because I train others on how to use Adobe products.
Another thing I wish PhotoLab 6 did is stick to the same keyboard shortcuts as other apps: Ctrl + 5 is needed to add five stars instead of just typing 5, Ctrl + alt + 5 adds a blue label, and Reject the image as Ctrl + 9 instead of the X used by other programs. Standardization would make migration much easier. Also, a lot of the functionality is mouse-based, and I’m used to and like shortcuts to commonly used functions.
However, there are things about PhotoLab’s functionality that I particularly like. Being able to zoom in while cropping and balancing photos is something I’ve come to expect from other apps; it is especially useful to get the horizon of the seascape parallel to the top of the frame. Also, noise cancellation is excellent. Several people have mentioned to me that they are pleased that DxO still sells perpetual licenses for their software; registration has an unfamiliar influence on many people.
What matters most, however, is the quality of the images produced by PhotoLab and the ease of applying adjustments.
Is the best possible outcome your priority? If so, then PhotoLab 6 should be something you should consider switching to. Are you going to try it out to see how it compares to what you’re using? Already a PhotoLab user? If so, listen to your experience.
