Paris-based software company famous for its optical research, testing systems and software. It publishes DxO PhotoLab (previously known as DxO Optics Pro), FilmPack and ViewPoint, the Nik Collection and the PureRAW RAW pre-processing tool.
DxO leans heavily into more advanced masking tools in this latest release, though color grading, dust removal and new connectivity with Canava Affnity bring some more general updates for photographers.
Verdict: 4 stars Nik Collection 9 is a deep, powerful and inspirational set of creative plug-ins for photographers. Version 9 adds four new filters, AI masking and Photoshop-style blend modes to make this one of the most comprehensive updates yet. It’s fairly expensive, though, and you might not get quite so much use out of Dfine, Sharpener and Viveza, which are starting to look a bit out of place.
Nik Collection 9 is a major update to DxO’s popular plug-in suite. The new Color Grading filter in Nik Color Efex 9 is just one of four brand new filters in this update, and works alongside other new features including AI masking and blend modes.
I’ve been using the Nik Collection for a long time and I thought DxO had already taken this wonderful plug-in suite as far as it could go… but I was wrong! Nik Collection 9 has some spectacular new filters and masking tools that I will give a full and detailed review. In the meantime, here are the highlights.
Verdict: 3.5 stars DxO FilmPack 8 sets out to replicate the look of classic analog films and processes with true scientific and historical accuracy. Does it succeed? Yes, but while its renderings are faithful and evocative, the absence of local adjustment tools can give you some workflow headaches and it lacks the madness/genius of Nik Analog Efex.
Verdict: 5 stars DxO PureRAW 6 is like a RAW pre-processing tool that applies DxO’s trademark lens corrections and DeepPRIME denoising and outputs a RAW DNG file for other programs to use. Version 6 adds key improvements to an already excellent tool. The lens corrections are superb, the denoising and detail enhancement are exceptional and not you get AI dust removal too!
Verdict: 3.5 stars DxO ViewPoint 5 is a specialised distortion and correction tool which has some clever features but is a bit of an awkward fit with most editing workflows, partly because it can’t open and correct RAW files and partly because most applications you might launch it from have distortion and perspective correction tools of their own.
The DxO PhotoLab 9.6 update is not a major version release, so it’s a free update for existing PhotoLab 9 users, and a pretty substantial one at that. And there might be enough here to convince anyone thinking about getting DxO PhotoLab 9 to finally take the plunge.
DxO PureRAW 6 is the latest version of DxO’s clever RAW preprocessing software, and it has two big new features. One is its new ‘high fidelity’ DNG compression option which drastically reduces its file sizes, and the other is a new AI dust removal feature built into the PureRAW process. Who saw that coming?
DxO PureRAW is like a RAW file preprocessor, applying DxO’s now-legendary lens corrections and denoising to produce full-corrected DNG files that can be opened and edited as enhanced RAW files in other programs like Lightroom. And PureRAW 6 fixes a major pain point of its predecessor while adding a brand new and potentially game-changing new feature.