DxO PhotoLab

DxO PhotoLab

Developer(s)	DxO Labs
Initial release	February 12, 2004 (2004-02-12)
Stable release	5.1 / December 13, 2021 (2021-12-13)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows, OS X
Available in	English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified)
Type	Photo post-production, image organizer
License	Proprietary
Website	www.dxo.com/dxo-photolab/

DxO PhotoLab (originally called DxO Optics Pro) is a raw image editing and management software designed by DxO for professional and hobbyist photographers. It offers image library management, automatic corrections for lens defects, noise reduction and raw conversion based on deep learning, as well as a range of other editing tools. It can be used as an end-to-end photo editor or in conjunction with other software such as Adobe Lightroom.

DxO PhotoLab is designed for macOS and Windows computers and is sold as a one-time purchase, available for use on up to three computers. Two versions are available: Essential and Elite. Customers receive a lifetime license and no subscription is required.

Features

DxO PhotoLab is a raw, TIFF, and JPEG non-destructive photo editor, often regarded as an alternative to Adobe Lightroom or Capture One. It is compatible with most raw file formats produced by digital cameras. Functionality includes digital asset management, raw processing, lens correction, white balance, tone curve, HSL manipulation, noise reduction, cropping, haze removal, healing and cloning, watermarking, and image exporting (JPEG, TIFF, etc). In addition to brushes and gradients, local adjustments are created through U Point technology, a series of local adjustment tools inherited from Nik Collection (also produced by DxO).

PhotoLibrary

DxO PhotoLab has two modes: PhotoLibrary and Customize. PhotoLibrary is DxO PhotoLab’s digital asset manager. Users are not required to import images but instead browse the folders of their hard drive organizing images using ratings, tags, and metadata. In addition, users can filter images, export images, organize images into Projects, and apply Presets. Virtual copies can be created and metadata can be edited.

Customize

Editing takes place in the Customize interface. A number of panels surround a central image preview and the history panel keeps a list of all changes that a user makes. Image browsing remains accessible via a film strip that can be revealed at the bottom of the screen. Tools typical of most raw photo editing software are present through the panels on the right: Exposure, White Balance, Tone Curve, Selective Tone (Highlights, Shadows, etc), Vibrancy, Saturation, etc.

HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is controlled using DxO ColorWheel, a tool that manipulates color while providing users with instant feedback using a color wheel palette.

DxO PhotoLab includes a number of tools and features that make semi-automated corrections. These include:

• DxO SmartLighting: automatically balances the dynamic range of an image
• DxO ClearView Plus: automatically reduces haziness in an image such as that caused by fog or cloudy water
• Red-eye correction
• Repair tool with automatic source selection
• DxO Denoising Technologies
• DxO Optics Modules for lens corrections

DxO Denoising Technologies

DxO performs research into lens corrections and denoising technology and DxO PhotoLab contains several features that aim to improve image quality. Through DxO’s laboratory testing on photographic equipment, DxO PhotoLab is aware of how much noise is produced by a camera at any ISO, and at any grey level.

The software offers three different denoising options, all of which were added over time and make different trade-offs between processing time and image quality. High Quality (HQ) is the oldest and fastest, and also the only one that can be applied to both raw and JPEG images. PRIME (Probabilistic Raw IMage Enhancement), available since DxO Optics Pro 8 in 2013, claims improved image quality at the expense of significantly longer processing time. It can only be applied to raw images and only be previewed in a small magnifier window. DeepPRIME, introduced in DxO PhotoLab 4 in 2020, claims to produce improved results by performing denoising and demosaicing simultaneously through a deep neural network. It is computationally more complex than PRIME, but makes better use of modern hardware. DeepPRIME can thus be faster or slower than PRIME, depending on the hardware on which it runs. Like PRIME, it can only be previewed in the magnifier window.

Lens Corrections

DxO has a laboratory dedicated to performing measurements on cameras and lenses in order to gather precise data for its DxO Optics Modules. These modules allow DxO software such as DxO PhotoLab and DxO PureRAW to correct chromatic aberrations, vignetting, softness, and geometric distortions. All of these corrections are specific to the lens and camera used to capture an image.

Local adjustments

In conjunction with mask layers, DxO PhotoLab features U Point technology to make local adjustments to factors such as exposure, hue, saturation, sharpness, contrast, etc. Unique to DxO PhotoLab are Control Points: in creating these masks, users mark a central point and then vary the radius of a Control Point’s impact, similar to a circular gradient mask. The area affected is determined by pixels that are spatially close and similar in color. The smaller the radius, the more that the selection will be limited to pixels that are close to the center of the Control Point, and vice versa. Further control over the affected areas can be applied via the Chrominance and Luminance sliders. Control Points combine intelligently and users can add negative Control Points to limit the impact of other Control Points and protect specific regions of the image.

Control Lines are similar to Control Points but blend the functionality of Control Points with a linear gradient mask.

Masks can also be created using:

• a Brush tool where users can vary the size, feather, flow and opacity;
• Auto Mask, an intelligent brush tool that automatically determines borders within a painted area using contrast detection (color or density);
• Graduated Filter where users create masks that divide images into two areas and are characterized by a linear transition.

Local adjustments can be saved as part of Presets.

Exporting

Users can export images as JPEG, TIFF, and DNG. The export dialog window allows users to determine factors such as the location, size, resolution, watermark, and ICC profile. Multiple files can be exported simultaneously according to different criteria.

Plug-ins

Various plug-ins can be used in conjunction with DxO PhotoLab, offering quick access to other DxO Products. These include:

• DxO FilmPack (renderings of classic analog film stocks)
• Nik Collection (a suite of eight creative photo-editing plug-ins)
• DxO ViewPoint (perspective and distortion correction)

DxO PhotoLab can also be used as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom Classic with the intention of giving Lightroom users access to DxO PhotoLab’s lens correction and denoising/demosaicing technology.

Watermarks

DxO PhotoLab can create text- or image-based watermarks as part of the editing process, before exporting.

Support for X Trans

In 2021, DxO PhotoLab for the first time processed raw files from Fujifilm X-Trans cameras.

DxO PhotoLab ESSENTIAL

Two versions of DxO PhotoLab are available to purchase: ELITE and ESSENTIAL. ESSENTIAL is priced lower and can be installed on two machines instead of three. It does not include the DxO PRIME or DxO DeepPRIME engines for processing RAW files, Fujifilm X-Trans support, DxO ClearView Plus, or customizable palettes.

History

Summary and notable developments

DxO PhotoLab was originally released under the name DxO Optics Pro in February 2004 with the intention of giving photographers access to processing based on DxO’s scientific approach to testing cameras and lenses in order to overcome defects. DxO Optics Pro corrected chromatic aberrations, distortions, vignetting, and loss of sharpness.

An engine to process RAW files was first introduced in October 2004. Initially sold separately, it was incorporated into DxO Optics Pro in version 2.2 in February 2005.

Since February 2005, DxO has sold different versions of DxO Optics Pro and DxO PhotoLab, with different features available at different price points, starting with a “Standard” and “Elite” version. In 2006 and 2007, version 4 was available in three versions: Starter, Standard, and Elite before DxO reverted to two versions. In October 2014, DxO introduced ESSENTIAL and ELITE versions of DxO Optics Pro 10, a convention that has continued with DxO PhotoLab.

DxO Optics Pro 1

DxO Optics Pro 1 was released on 12 February 2004. As an photo editor, it offered tools to reduce distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting, and blur (lack of perceived sharpness). Corrections were based on physical characterizations of an image using a DxO Profile (later DxO Optics Correction Modules, then DxO Optics Modules) specific to each camera and lens model. The software was composed of two elements: the Correction Engine, a standalone application for Windows or Mac, and a set of DxO Profiles characterizing the optical properties of body/lens combinations.

DxO Optics Pro 2

DxO Optics Pro 2 was released on 21 October 2004. DxO RAW Engine was released alongside it as a separate purchase and allowed DxO Optics Pro users to process raw image files.

DxO Optics Pro 3

DxO Optics Pro 3 was released on 17 November 2005. It introduced exposure compensation, geometric correction of optical deformations of a specific lens, brightness and contrast correction targeted on certain areas, improvement of sharpness, and noise elimination.

DxO Optics Pro 4

DxO Optics Pro 4 was released on 26 September 2006. It introduced advanced color features, new optical and image geometry corrections, improvements to workflow and speed, plug-in compatibility with Adobe Photoshop, horizon adjustment, keystoning correction, and correction of volume anamorphosis (DxO’s term for the warping of objects placed close to the edge of the frame when photographed using a wide-angle lens).

DxO Optics Pro 5

DxO Optics Pro 5 was released on 4 October 2007. It introduced a new demosaicing algorithm intended to produce better detail and fewer artifacts. The raw conversion sequence was re-ordered so that noise reduction was performed first in order to avoid having noise amplified by the demosaicing process. It also introduced dust/blemish removal, a revamped user interface, customizable workspace, speed improvements, and compatibility with new cameras.

DxO Optics Pro 6.1

DxO Optics Pro 6 was released on 9 December 2009. It introduced support for RAW files from the Nikon D3000 and Canon Powershot G11 and EOS 7D, full-screen display mode, and new shortcuts and presets.

DxO Optics Pro 7

DxO Optics Pro 7 was released on 30 November 2011. It introduced raw support for a number of new cameras and added more than 300 new DxO Optics Modules. An "Edge offset" slider was added to Unsharp Mask tool. It also introduced a Protect Saturated Colors tool and improvements to batch processing.

DxO Optics Pro 8

DxO Optics Pro 8 was released on 24 October 2012. It introduced a printing module, DxO Smart Lighting tool, Selective Tone tool, improvements to color rendering, and interface improvements.

DxO Optics Pro 9

DxO Optics Pro 9 was released on 23 October 2013. It introduced improvements to highlight recovery; creative visual presets known as 'Atmospheres'; PRIME noise reduction technology that claimed to offer significant image quality gains at high ISOs; export to disk feature; and interface improvements.

DxO Optics Pro 10

DxO Optics Pro 10 was released on 30 October 2014. It introduced the DxO ClearView tool for haze reduction; performance improvements; DxO Smart Lighting improvements; and White Balance and Dust Correction interface improvements. It offered support for DNG files that had been converted using Adobe Lightroom or Adobe DNG Converter (as long as the original raw file was supported). Two new editions (priced differently depending on the number of features) were introduced: Essential and Elite.

DxO Optics Pro 11

DxO Optics Pro 11 was released on 3 June 2016. It introduced speed improvements to the PRIME denoising engine; tone mapping using face detection to identify subjects; automatic red-eye correction; micro-contrast adjustment; improved mid-tone control via Selective Tone tool; more responsive sliders; a new full-screen display mode; and keyboard shortcuts for filtering and rating.

DxO PhotoLab 1

DxO PhotoLab 1 was released on 25 October 2017. It introduced U Point technology for local adjustments (taken from Nik Collection which had recently been purchased by DxO from Google). It also introduced an auto masking tool and improvements to the Repair tool.

DxO PhotoLab 2

DxO PhotoLab 2 was released on 25 October 2018. It introduced DxO PhotoLibrary, a digital asset manager. In addition, it provided updates to DxO ClearView Plus.

DxO PhotoLab 3

DxO PhotoLab 3 was released on 23 October 2019. It introduced a new Local Adjustment Masks Manager; an optimized Repair Tool; keyword searches in PhotoLibrary. It introduced the DxO ColorWheel tool for HSL manipulation; raw support for a number of new cameras. It also provided 3,000 new DxO Optics Modules.

DxO PhotoLab 4

DxO PhotoLab 4 was released on 21 October 2020. It introduced the DxO DeepPRIME engine which uses artificial intelligence for simultaneous denoising and demosaicing. Also introduced was DxO Smart Workspace for greater workspace customization; a new Advanced History palette; selective copy and pasting edits across multiple images; instant watermarking; raw support for a number of new cameras.

DxO PhotoLab 5

DxO PhotoLab 5 was released on 20 October 2021. It introduced beta support for 18 Fujifilm X-Trans cameras using DxO DeepPRIME. It also introduced U Point Control Lines; new sensitivity settings for Control Points (and Control Lines); PhotoLibrary processing of IPTC and EXIF data along with third-party synchronization; 605 new DxO Optics Modules; raw support for 26 new cameras.

General references

• PCMag review
• Digital Camera World review
• Shutterbug review
• Release Notes