DxO OpticsPro offers a quality alternative to Lightroom'sDevelopmentmodule via a plugin that lets you transfer RAW files. This lets a user of the Adobe software to take advantage of the power and quality of DxO's image processing within a fully-integrated and complementary workflow that is smooth and easy to use.
From DxO OpticsPro version 9.5 and higher, DxO has offered a plugin that allows you to open a RAW file from Lightroom directly in the Customize tab. DxO OpticsPro's Customize tab includes all of the image correction tools and thus can be compared to Lightroom's Development module. Before beginning, you may want to take a look at our tutorial about the workflow between Lightroom and DxO. With its new and improved PhotoLibrary feature, DxO PhotoLab 3 is seamlessly compatible with other photo-editing packages on the market and makes for a faster and more efficient workflow. DxO PhotoLab 3 rounds out the software's existing filters and image processing tools with the new PhotoLibrary feature. Why do I need DxO ViewPoint 1, 2, or 3 as standalone programs if I already have DxO PhotoLab 2? Why can I process fewer photos simultaneously in DxO PhotoLab 2 than I could in previous versions? How do I transfer my custom presets from earlier versions of DxO OpticsPro to DxO PhotoLab 2?
In this tutorial, we will first discuss the approach and philosophy of the two software applications, the way they communicate, and what happens when you open a Lightroom image in DxO OpticsPro. We will then see how to utilize theCustomizetab, and what fundamental advantages using it would offer to a Lightroom user in terms of tools and in photo processing quality.
The same image opened in DxO OpticsPro 10 and in Lightroom
DxO PhotoLab 2, DxO's advanced photo editing software, which was voted Best Photo Editing Software at the 2018 TIPA World Awards, has become even more comprehensive thanks to this latest version, DxO PhotoLab 2.1. After introducing DxO PhotoLibrary, a brand-new image and data management system that lets users search for, select, sort,. 2.1 – Correct a reference photo. Apply your processing settings to the reference photo. In our example, we will proceed as follows: When you open the image in DxO OpticsPro, the DxO default preset is automatically applied.
Contents
- 1 –Finding your bearings in DxO OpticsPro
- 2 –Developing your photos in DxO OpticsPro
From DxO OpticsPro version 9.5 and higher, DxO has offered a plugin that allows you to open a RAW file from Lightroom directly in theCustomizetab.
DxO OpticsPro'sCustomizetab includes all of the image correction tools and thus can be compared to Lightroom's Development module.
Before beginning, you may want to take a look atour tutorial about the workflow between Lightroom and DxO Optics Pro.
At opening
After transferring a RAW file from Lightroom, it will open in the DxO OpticsPro Customize tab, and the export menu on the bottom right of theFile Browserautomatically changes toExport to Lightroommode.
If you go into theOrganizetab by clicking on the top left in the command bar, you will see that your image or images from Lightroom are stored in a numberedProjectthat is automatically created. These projects are grouped with the folders in theSource Browser, which displays the hard drive(s) and directories on your computer.
One of the fundamental differences between Lightroom and DxO OpticsPro is that the latter does not require importing and cataloging images: you have direct access to the contents of your folders, and Projects in DxO OpticsPro are virtual albums that allow you to organize your work. When you click on a folder or project, the contents appear as thumbnails in the File Browserbelow the main pane.
Note
Also note that all of the metadata is preserved when passing through DxO OpticsPro: you can even see the star ratings that you assign in Lightroom (from DxO OpticsPro version 10 and higher).
Let's return to the theCustomizetab. When you open a RAW file in DxO OpticsPro, a number of corrections are automatically applied via a default preset and an Optics Module that is optimized for the camera and lens that you used. These automatic corrections are:
- Tone (exposure, contrast)
- Noise reduction
- Protection of saturated colors
- Optical flaws (vignetting, distortion, chromatic aberration)
- Lens softness (sharpness optimization)
Of course, you can handle all of these corrections using the tools available in theCustomizetab.
When you have finished with your corrections, you can export them to Lightroom in whatever format you choose (among JPEG, TIFF or linear DNG); the images returned to the catalog are automatically stacked with the originals.
Matching tools and features
DxO OpticsPro'sCustomizetab and Lightroom'sDevelopmentmodule have many diverse correction tools in common. In the table further below, we will show how they match up.
Even if a wide variety of tools is a common point in both programs, the underlying philosophy is not the same: DxO OpticsPro is based primarily on automated corrections, whereas Lightroom requires many corrections by hand. These manual corrections in Development can be used as predefined parameters in the same way as DxO OpticsPro's custom presets.
We saw in the preceding paragraph that DxO OpticsPro corrects images as soon as they are opened. Lightroom also applies a certain number of corrections, but only for a few things: basic rendering, chromatic noise reduction, and slight color accentuation. Everything else has to be done manually (with the possibility of creating predefined parameters or changing the default behavior of theDevelopmentmodule, depending on the serial number of your camera).
Table of matching basic tools(* indicates an automatic correction)
DxO OpticsPro facilitates the work of photographers and drastically reduces the amount of time needed to process images, thanks to the automatism contained in itsDxO Standarddefault preset, and its DxO Optics Modules that handle the particularities of shooting equipment.
Of course, the Customize tab provides perfect freedom to photographers who want to do corrections by hand, or who want to create their own custom presets to use instead of theDxO Standarddefault preset.
A package of tools and advanced technologies
DxO OpticsPro also shines with a number of particularly powerful (and exclusive) tools that have contributed to its reputation for outstanding image quality:
DxO SmartLighting's exposure and contrast control, which acts on highlights, midtones, and shadows to extract the maximum possible dynamic range, while offering balanced and attractive results(see tutorial).
Before/after example of DxO Smart Lighting correction
Protection of saturated colors, which prevents clipping bright colors in the image, and which permits you to recover, for example, photos from a concert lit by sets of colored lights.
Noise reduction, already very efficient inHigh Qualitymode, and which lets you go even further withDxO PRIMEtechnology (DxO OpticsPro Elite edition), which corrects noise while preserving the details and colors, and which allows you to shoot at the very high sensitivities (ISO 6400 and higher) now commonly used in photography(see tutorial).
Before/after example of noise correction with the PRIME tool
The elimination or reduction of haze using DxO ClearView (DxO OpticsPro Elite edition), which will help bring out, for example, all of the details in your landscape photos (see tutorial).
Before/after example of haze correction with DxO ClearView
Automatic correction of lens flaws, based on DxO Optics Modules which are developed in the laboratory for each camera and lens(see video)
DxO Lens softness, which automatically optimizes the sharpness of your images by making them more uniform from the center to the edges.
As a Lightroom user, you will find other exclusive tools in DxO's other software which can be integrated into DxO OpticsPro RAW workflow.
For example,DxO ViewPointlets you correct the geometric problems in your images:
TheVolume deformationcorrection, which allows you to restore the natural proportions of the spherical and cylindrical elements in your image, such as people distorted when photographed with a wide-angle lens.
Before/after example of volume deformation with DxO ViewPoint 2
Straightening Vertical and Horizontal perspectives, Force rectangle (correction along four sides) and 8-point correction (correction along four independent sides).
Finally, DxO FilmPack gives you access to a large number of creative effects and also lets you simulate the renderings of an enormous number of analog films (based on meticulous laboratory analysis).
Example of rendering achieved with DxO FilmPack 5's creative tools
Should you develop your photos with Lightroom or with DxO OpticsPro ?
In your Lightroom/DxO OpticsPro workflow, you may want to completely forego working in theDevelopmentmodule, and work instead in the Customize tab.
In this case, it is obviously not feasible to do some basic corrections in the one application and then in the other, for example, to correct white balance in DxO OpticsPro, and then modify the white balance after returning to Lightroom.
However, Lightroom offers you a certain number of specific tools, such as theSpot Removal Brush, theGraduated Filter, and theRadial Filter, which you can use on your files after returning them to Lightroom. Fuel for numbers 1 2.
Important
Don't forget that DxO Optics Pro's and Lightroom's image processing engines are not compatible: corrections made on a RAW file in one application will not be visible in the other. The corrections made in DxO OpticsPro will remain visible in the application, even during a second pass-through, but to see these corrections in Lightroom, you will have to export the image in bitmap format: JPEG, TIFF, linear DNG – with the latter two recommended if you want to perform additional retouching in Lightroom or even Photoshop.
Photo credit: Olivier Revon, Jean-François Vibert, Olivier Lambolez, Bruce Ashford, Eva McDermott
DxO OpticsPro 10 is an application that processes JPEG and RAW files from your camera so as to ensure the best possible image quality.
One of the fundamental advantages of DxO OpticsPro is that it can provide an entirely automatic workflow based on a default preset and on Optics Modules.
The default preset automatically applies a set of corrections as soon as you open an image in the application.
To these corrections are added those provided by a DxO Optics Module that is specific to the camera/lens combination used to take the shot.
All you need to do afterwards is export your images to your hard drive.
To follow this tutorial, you will need:
- DxO OpticsPro 10
- A Raw image
Contents
- 1 –Opening an image in DxO OpticsPro 10
- 2 –DxO Optics Modules
- 3 –The 'DxO Standard' default preset
- 4 –Exporting your images
- 5 –Going further
Preface: Which format should you choose — JPEG or RAW?
To get the best quality from your images when using DxO OpticsPro, we recommend that you use RAW format when shooting. For one thing, doing so will give you much greater latitude when correcting your photos, particularly with respect to hue brightness and contrast. For another, DxO OpticsPro does not modify the RAW file itself, which means that you can always undo the corrections as well as protect the original file.
As for JPEG files from your camera, you need to consider them as finalized images, since they've already been corrected and processed by your camera. Any possible post-processing corrections will be much more limited.
In this tutorial, we will therefore work on a RAW images in order to show you more of what DxO OpticsPro can offer. JPEG image processing is still possible, of course.
DxO OpticsPro 10 is composed of two principal parts:
- The Organize tab, which lets you browse through the contents of your hard drive and image folders
- The Customize tab, which contains all the image correction tools, which are described in more detail in ourtutorial for more advanced users of DxO OpticsPro.
Note
The DxO OpticsPro 10 interface is customizable. You can create your own workspaces (in either edition) as well as create your own tool palettes (Elite edition only).
1.1– The Organize tab
Go to theOrganizetab to browse through the contents of your hard drive. The tab fields consist of aSource Browserto the left, a largeViewerpane for displaying an image, and on the bottom, anImage Browserwhich displays thumbnails of the content of the selected folder. Shredo file shredder and privacy cleaner v1 2 6.
1.2– Source Browser
Located on the left of the Viewer pane, the Source Browser displays the hierarchical list of folders in your computer's disk drive. It functions in the same way as the file browser for your PC or as the finder for your Mac.
Find the folder with the images that you want to correct in DxO OpticsPro, then click on it to select it.
Note
The very moment you select a folder of images and then open it in the Image Browser is when DxO OpticsPro automatically corrects the images using thedefault presetand the Optics Module(s) appropriate for your equipment.
1.3– The Image Browser
Located underneath the Source Browser and the Viewer, theImage Browserdisplays thumbnails of the content of the folder that you selected in the Source Browser.
To display an image in the Viewer, simply select its vignette. You can change from one image to another by clicking on the corresponding vignette, or by using your keyboard arrow keys.
Note
By default, the thumbnails display only the name and the star rating (if used). However, they can also contain a certain number of indicators tied to the status of a particular image and its corrections (e.g., availability of a DxO Optics Module, processing status, processing authorization, etc.).
One of the two pillars of image correction in DxO OpticsPro are its DxO Optics Modules. DxO Labs analyzes camera/lens combinations in its laboratories in order to provide automatic and high-quality corrections for optical defects.
Note
TheDxO Optics Modules librarycontains thousands of camera/lens combinations to which more are added on a regular basis.
2.1– Automatic management of DxO Optics Modules
You don't have to do anything to install and use DxO Optics Modules. Deflection 5 8 1 – structural beam analysis. As soon as you open an image in the Image Browser, DxO OpticsPro uses the information saved in the image EXIF data about the equipment you used to shoot the photo to automatically display a window with the corresponding available DxO Optics Module(s) to download. The automatic installation does not require you to reboot your computer nor to relaunch the application.
The DxO Optics Modules download/installation window.
Note
Dxo Optics Pro 12
Downloading and installing DxO Optics Modules requires an active internet connection.
2.2– Automatic application of optical corrections
As soon as the DxO Optics Module that corresponds to the equipment you used to shoot your photo(s) is installed, DxO OpticsPro automatically corrects:
- Vignetting: Darkening of the edges and in the corners of an image, particularly those taken with lenses at wide apertures;
- Distortion: Pincushion or barrel deformations that are particularly noticeable in images taken at short focal lengths;
- Chromatic aberrations: Colored fringes along contour edges, particularly with high-contrast elements (e.g., tree branches shot against a very bright background);
- Lens softness: Optimization and homogenization of the sharpness from the center of the image out to the edges (lens sharpness being generally more powerful in the center of the image).
Image after correction. Among other problems, the DxO Optics Module automatically corrected the vignetting (the darkened edges) and the distortion (previously visible as a curved horizon line).
The active corrections contained in the DxO Optics Module are found in the Optical Correction palette
3- The 'DxO Standard' default preset
The other pillar of automatic image correction in DxO OpticsPro is itsDxO Standarddefault preset.
Note
DxO OpticsPro offers you a choice of creative presets that you can select by clicking on the Presets button in the upper right corner of the application. You can also create your own presets from your current settings.
3.1– Application of the DxO Standard default preset
As soon as you select a folder containing new images, they will be displayed in theImage Browserwith the corrections of the DxO Standard preset automatically associated with the photos.
3.2– DxO Standard default preset corrections
The DxO Standard default preset automatically applies a certain number of corrections and settings, including:
- DxO Smart Lightingautomatically optimizes the balance between the dark and bright zones of the image (set at 'Slight');
- Color renderingensures that the color is faithful to the camera's original color rendering as designed by the manufacturer;
- Protection of saturated colorsprotects vivid colors from oversaturation (set to 'Auto');
- Noise reductionmitigates and optimizes luminance noise (graininess) and chrominance noise (colored pixels) based on your camera and on the ISO setting (set to 'Auto' inHighQuality mode).
Free Dxo Software
Clicking on the Compare button in the upper toolbar lets you compare before- and after-correction images side-by-side.
Generally speaking, you shoot photos with the intention of displaying, publishing, and/or printing them, and so DxO OpticsPro provides you with the necessary tools for exporting your images to your hard drive (see below), to another image-processing application, to a Flickr gallery, to a Facebook page and, of course, to a printer.
Exporting standard output
DxO OpticsPro 10 gives you a large number of export options. For purposes of this tutorial, we are going to export a RAW image as a JPEG, with the help of a preset option:
- Select one or more images to export in theImage Browser.
- In the lower right corner of the application window, click on the blueExporter to diskbutton.
- In the floating window that displays, you will see that theStandard Outputoption is activated with its default settings (JPEG format, quality 90, folder of origin as destination folder, etc.).
- Click onExport.
- The export progress is indicated by a pictogram that displays to the left of the blue button in the upper bar of theImage Browser.
- As soon as the export is finished, the JPEG file will appear in the Image Browser, ready to be published in your Web gallery, sent by email, or printed.
All of DxO OpticsPro's automatic corrections — those performed by the default preset and those performed by DxO Optics Modules — can be adjusted by using the many tools found in theCustomize tab.
To learn how to effectively make custom adjustments to these automatic corrections, we invite you to follow the next tutorial,'First steps with DxO OpticsPro (advanced user)'as well and to consult the other tutorials available on the DxO Academy's dedicated DxO OpticsPro page, as well as the user guide.
Photos credits : DeMarcus Wood, Jean-François Vibert
