Are you a Windows PC user and are you finding a DxO PhotoLab for your Windows PC? I think you’re in the right place!
DxO PhotoLab is an image processing software that uses artificial intelligence for noise reduction and demosaicing. The company’s proprietary “DeepPRIME technology” performs both processes in one step. This function is useful for improving the quality of images taken in poor lighting conditions. The software has image management, a fully customizable workspace, and other image-processing tools. and a RAW converter.
Overview of DxO PhotoLab
DxO has always been one of the most dynamic photo editing software manufacturers. Now in version 7, DxO PhotoLab continues the company’s tradition of providing photographers with automatic lens and camera body-based photo editing, impressive noise reduction, and other innovative photo tools. The software includes Nik U Point local selection technology for excellent local adjustment. DxO PhotoLab has a place in every serious shooter’s digital photography toolbox and deserves our Editor’s Choice award for intensive photo editing with the latest technology, including more powerful workflow features like Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop.
Features of DxO PhotoLab
ClearView Plus
ClearView can effectively remove haze from landscape photography. This feature eliminates the need to create masks for different areas of the image to adjust them independently. It detects the distance in a photo and adjusts the black level accordingly. In my test landscapes, ClearView, which is fully automatic (though you can adjust its intensity), did a stunning job of extracting detail from distant areas of the photos. In testing, I was unable to achieve such good results by adjusting the black and highlight levels with standard tools.
LUTs
The latest version of PhotoLab includes support for color LUT (lookup table, also called CLUT for color lookup table). These are color filters that are standard in the video production industry and are used to correct certain camera models and create moods and effects. For example, a common type of LUT alters a scene shot during the day so that it appears as if it was shot at night. Other photo apps like CyberLink PhotoDirector have added LUT support in recent years, so it’s not surprising to see it in DxO. PhotoLab now comes with 17 LUT presets, and you can import everything you find using the standard .cube extension.
ReTouch Tool
The legacy recovery tool has been replaced by the ReTouch tool. Like its predecessor, ReTouch allows you to restore or clone a selected object. You can transform and resize the original material to your liking.
The tool allows you to select the source area and has two modes: “Clone” and “Restore”. The blue area is where the eliminated person was before the correction. This tool allows me to move the original area to perfectly align the stripes on the snow.
Watermarking
DxO includes a watermarking feature, which is important for professional photographers who want to spread their brand or simply protect their images. The tool allows you to use text or an image as a watermark. You get a good selection of fonts and can adjust opacity, scaling, and color. Unfortunately, you can’t drag the position of the text, you can just select the center, bottom, etc., and the alignment. Save the watermark as a preset if you plan to use it on other images.
Geometry Correction
Another DxO product, ViewPoint, solves a rather intractable problem in photography: volumetric anamorphism, where objects such as human heads become distorted when they are at the edge of a wide-angle image. PhotoLab automatically performs geometric corrections for barrel, fisheye, and pincushion distortions based on the camera and lens profile, and provides precise adjustments. Starting with version 6, you can also change the slanted geometry of your photos using Guides, selecting two or four lines that you can position to align the contents of the photo.
HSL Adjustments
This PhotoLab update adds an HSL (Hue-Saturation-Luminance) color wheel adjustment tool. If this option is enabled, you can change colors without selecting them. There are eight primary colors, and you can change the range you select on the color wheel. I do wish it had an Eyedropper tool to select a range of colors in your image, but still, you can make some neat color swaps, and for that, you can use the tools mentioned in the previous section. The HSL tool’s Uniformity slider works well with skin tones so a person’s face appears uniform. The right side uses HSL Uniformity technology for a more uniform appearance.
DxO Prime, Deep Prime, and Deep Prime Xd
Probabilistic Raw Image Enhancement (Prime) is a noise reduction tool in PhotoLab that the company claims will add an extra stop of exposure to your digital photos. In most cases, noise correction simply compares nearby pixels to determine which ones represent noise, but DxO examines a much larger area to make this determination, which should remove more noise while leaving more detail. The new level, called DeepPrime, uses artificial intelligence with machine learning to produce even more accurate results in less time.
However, the third level, called DeepPrime XD, is designed for additional detail. Prime only works with raw camera images, and these tools are only available in the more expensive Elite version of the program. If you shoot in low light or at a higher ISO, you can improve the sharpness and detail of your photos. The advantage of Prime is that it allows the program to analyze and correct digital noise for as long as necessary. Tools now run faster than when first launched, even in the newest version of XD.
Correcting Images
DxO is different from most photo software in that it starts with the best settings for your photo based on your lens, camera, and exposure settings. DxO Labs actually takes thousands of photos of test samples under different lighting conditions to create lens and camera profiles to adjust those corrections.
Local Adjustments
Since the acquisition of Nik Software, DxO software has included brushes and other tools for local adjustments, some of which are represented by the U Point tool. In Setup mode, the Local Settings button is located all the way to the right and gives you access to five tools: Control Point, Control Line, Graduated Filter (for gradients), DxO FilmPack (active if you have a separate application), “Automask”. , brush, and eraser. You can adjust the width and feather of the brush, and add multiple selections using various tools.
Final Words
DxO PhotoLab is a highly responsive and well-presented photo editing tool that combines cost-effective, smart tools with highly precise manual adjustments. With custom-designed optical modules, DxO PhotoLab can eliminate the shortcomings of your specific camera and lens pairing and apply highly optimized corrections and enhancements. The result is optimal image quality by default, and editing can be completed before you make a single adjustment. Speaking of image quality, DeepPRIME is about as good as noise reduction.
System Requirements
- Supported OS: Windows 11/10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel® Core™ or AMD Ryzen™ with 4 cores (with 8 cores recommended)
- Memory (RAM): 8 GB of RAM (16 GB of RAM recommended)
- Hard Disk Space: 4 GB available disk space
- Display: 1280 x 768 or more required