DXO Photolab 5

£199/$219 (Elite edition) Superb Raw processing and local adjustments

Dxo Photolab is a combined image browser and Raw processing/editing tool designed to deliver the best possible lens corrections and Raw processing, together with local adjustments. It does integrate with DXO Viewpoint 3 (perspective corrections) and DXO Filmpack 6 (analogue film and processing simulations), but these cost extra.

It’s a non-destructive ‘parametric’ editor, so if you want layered image composites, which can only be achieved by direct pixel adjustments, you will still need to send images to a program like Photoshop.

An interface redesign has made Photolab 5 easier to use than it was, but it’s still a pretty technical program suited to experts rather than beginners – though its default corrections require no user input and make a big difference on their own.

The quality of the results makes up for everything, however, including the cost and the complexity of the program. Only Capture One can equal Dxo’s regular processing, however, it can’t match its DEEPPRIME high-iso processing.