DxO PhotoLab is the modern replacement for the old DxO Optics Pro, adding in local adjustment tools when DxO bought the Nik Collection and its technologies from Google. PhotoLab is now a powerful all image browsing, raw processing, lens correction and editing tool, and is renowned for the image quality it can produce.
I’ve been trying out the new PhotoLab channel mixer and black and white mode in DxO PhotoLab 7 and I have to say I’m somewhat underwhelmed. First, it’s a feature that really it should have had before. Second, it’s not very strong in its effect.
DxO has launched a major new version of its flagship DxO PhotoLab raw processing, correction, enhancement and editing tool. DxO PhotoLab 7 brings new color calibration tools, support for LUTs, the ability to use HSL tools for local adjustments and a new black and white workflow.
FilmPack 7 has a number of new features, including luminosity masking for more control over image adjustments, 25 new analog film renderings, new ‘digital’ renderings replicating modern digital camera picture styles, and an ‘enriched’ Time Machine mode where you can browse historical photos and recreate their look with your own images.
That’s an interesting question. PhotoLab 6 offers better RAW processing and noise reduction than Lightroom and more extensive local adjustment tools, but with the improvements to the PhotoLibrary in PhotoLab 6, can it also do the same job as an image cataloguing tool?
The improvements in PhotoLab 6.3 mainly target the Elite edition, with an extension to the soft proofing tools that can no incorporate on-screen simulations of papers and inks, to allow even more accurate color visualization and control over printed output.
Black Friday may be over, but DxO now has a Holiday Magic offer running until December 31. If you buy two or more DxO products during this period it triggers a 30% discount at the checkout. This applies to any permutations of DxO products, including DxO PhotoLab 6 Elite, Nik Collection 5, PureRAW 2, FilmPack 6 or ViewPoint 4.
The star of the show is DxO Nik Collection 5, which is on sale at half its regular price – but there are savings to be had across the full range of DxO software too. But you’ll have to be quick. The DxO Black Friday sale started at 10am CET (9am GMT, 4am ET) on Monday November 21 and will end at 11:59pm local time on Monday November 28.
Verdict: 3.8 stars DxO ViewPoint 4 takes distortion and perspective correction to a new level, with Volume Deformation correction, a new ReShape local warping tool and more. But its core perspective correction tools will likely already exist in any host application you choose to launch it from. For ultimate perspective and distortion control, it’s hard to fault – as long as you do actually need what it does.
PhotoLab 6 brings some important updates, including even more advanced ‘DeepPRIME XD’ processing, a new, wider working color space, a more advanced ReTouch tool and the ability to get Projects better organized with folders, or Project Groups.
Choosing the best image editing software can be complicated. It all depends on what you look for most in your photo editing software. Here are 12 programs with their own distinct strengths.