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DxO has announced the latest versions of DxO PhotoLab and DxO FilmPack. DxO PhotoLab 5 features improved Control Point functionality and new ways to adjust images, more efficient DeepPRIME implementation, improved asset management tools, and for the first time, Fujifilm X-Trans support. DxO FilmPack 6 includes X-Trans support, plus a new ‘Time Machine’ feature, new film stocks, and improved handling of H/S/L adjustments.
DxO PhotoLab 5
DxO’s U Point technology underwent significant improvement in this year’s release of the Nik Collection by DxO. These same improvements, and more, are now coming to PhotoLab in today’s release. In PhotoLab 5, the Control Point now includes sensitivity settings, allowing users to more easily adjust areas of their photos based on the luminance and chrominance of selected areas.
Another new tool, brand-new to DxO software, is a new type of pointer: Control Lines. The new tool complements Control Points by allowing photographers to perform extensive adjustments to large areas of their photos. Control Lines are like a graduated filter, but thanks to the inclusion of sensitivity settings, users retain precise control over how adjustments are applied to their photos.
DxO DeepPRIME technology uses artificial intelligence to develop RAW image files. Unlike traditional RAW processing tools, which perform noise reduction and demosaicing at two separate steps, DeepPRIME uses a holistic approach to perform the tasks simultaneously, resulting in images that promise more detail and lower noise. DxO PhotoLab 5’s implementation of DeepPRIME has undergone significant optimization. On Apple Silicon-equipped Macs, it is up to 4x faster than the previous iteration. On Windows, the performance gains are still impressive, with PhotoLab 5’s DeepPRIME operating about 1.5x faster.
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| DxO PhotoLab 5 includes improved metadata viewing on the right side of the workspace. It can also sync metadata changes via third-party applications. |
DxO PhotoLab is more than a photo editor. It also includes asset management tools. PhotoLab 5 processes IPTC and EXIF data and syncs with third-party applications. For example, if you adjust metadata in Lightroom, it updates nearly instantly in PhotoLab 5. Library management is also improved thanks to advanced keyword prioritization and an interactive keyword tree structure.
For the first time, DxO PhotoLab now supports Fujifilm X-Trans sensors. At launch, 18 Fujifilm X-Trans cameras are supported, including recent cameras like the X-E4, X-S10, X-T4 and X100V, plus many older models.
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There are 605 new DxO modules in PhotoLab 5, plus support for eight additional new non-Fujifilm cameras, like the Canon EOS Ra, Nikon Z fc, Olympus PEN E-P7, Panasonic GH5 II, Pentax K-3 III and Sony ZV-E10. DxO modules are lab-derived and promise to automatically remove optical defects such as distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting and softness for specific camera and lens combinations.
Of the new Fujifilm X-Trans support, Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Product Strategy at DxO, said, ‘We are very happy to finally open our doors to the community of Fujifilm photographers. 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.’ If you use PhotoLab 5 with Fujifilm X-Trans RAW files, DxO wants your feedback.
DxO PhotoLab 5 is available now in Essential and Elite editions. Until November 14, the software is available at a special discounted introductory price. The Essential Edition is $109.99 instead of $139. The Elite Edition is $164.99 instead of $219. For PhotoLab 3 and PhotoLab 4 owners, upgrade pricing is available. A free 30-day trial is available from DxO.
DxO FilmPack 6
DxO FilmPack 6 includes 15 new film renderings. Among these is Kodak Ektachrome Professional Infrared EIR Color Slide Film and Impossible PX 600 Silver Shade instant film for the Polaroid 600 camera. DxO has also added seven Film Simulations from Fujifilm X Series cameras and six cinematic renderings based on current trends in cinematography.
FilmPack 6 also adds 20 new creative effects, including drops and crumpled paper, to give your photos a vintage look. The application includes 15 new light leak effects, like light spots, haze and zoom. It also includes 15 new frames, such as matte, black frame and film border.
When editing your color images, a new color rendering engine offers users access to eight color channels for hue, saturation and luminance adjustments, up from six in the previous version. Users can also now select a hue for highlight and shadow regions, allowing for split toning.
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While new film renderings and editing tools are excellent additions, the new Time Machine feature is perhaps even more interesting. DxO writes, ‘DxO FilmPack 6 provides users with a true journey through time, offering an introduction to the history of analog photography from its creation to the present day. The software introduces a new way of displaying creative and analog renderings separated into 14 periods illustrated by legendary, iconic images, and famous figures in photography. Each photograph is documented from a technical and historical perspective, and users are provided with the closest rendering so they can apply it to their images and recreate a similar style and finish.’ With Time Machine, users can learn about historic photos and the processes used to create them. Users can then apply a similar film rendering to their images.
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‘We wanted to give DxO FilmPack even greater depth,’ said Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Marketing & Product Strategy. ‘To document our Time Machine, we collaborated with the Friends of the French Museum of Photography in Bièvres, an association chaired by the photographer Didier Pilon, who produced fantastic research.’
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DxO FilmPack 6 is available now with special introductory pricing. Until November 14, FilmPack 6 Essential Edition is $54.99 instead of $85. The Elite Edition is $109.99 instead of $139. Special upgrade pricing is available for owners of DxO FilmPack 5. A free trial can be downloaded here.
Author:
Jeremy Gray
Source: Dpreview
