Move over, Lightroom
With an updated image library and revamped tools, DxO’s PhotoLab 2 could be your new favourite raw editor. James Paterson explores its key features
James Paterson explores DxO’s PhotoLab 2 – it could be your new favourite raw editor
The first version of DxO PhotoLab was introduced at the end of 2017, and it has quietly won over plenty of amateurs and pros looking for a viable alternative to a Photoshop/Lightroom subscription. Now there’s a new version that further enhances DxO’s status as one of the front-running developers in the image-editing world.
What sets DxO apart is the way it implements raw processing, and the quality of the raw images it produces straight off-the-bat is rather special. Raw processing has always been DxO’s thing. Over years of scientific research into optical lens flaws and camera sensors, and through several versions of PhotoLab’s predecessor – DxO Optics Pro – the raw-processing engine has been calibrated and refined to produce excellent results.
Think local
Things had become very interesting when the first PhotoLab arrived,
complete with a new set of Local Adjustment tools. Drawing from similar features in the much-loved Nik Collection (which DxO acquired from Google) these tools let us selectively alter tones and enhance different areas of the photo – either by painting freehand or through intelligent targeting of tones and colours. This is the real game-changer that makes PhotoLab a serious contender against the likes of Lightroom and Capture One. Now the evolution continues with a new version that combines the already excellent raw processor and local adjustment tools with a revamped image organiser.
New library
Accessed via a handy button at the top left of the interface, it’s called the DxO PhotoLibrary. While it can’t compare to the library and workflow features in Lightroom, it offers an array of useful tools for image organisation. Much like Photoshop’s Adobe Bridge, it
works primarily as a file browser, and lets you carry out metadata searches of your image library. So you can search for images with a specific ISO, focal length or shutter speed. You can also add star ratings to tag your favourite images quickly, then filter them out. Like Lightroom, DxO’s PhotoLibrary also lets you make useful virtual copies. These let you try out different treatments without creating memory-hogging duplicates on your hard disk.
Raw power
While the new PhotoLibrary feature is a useful addition, it’s the raw-processing engine that has garnered PhotoLab its reputation. Every time an image is loaded into PhotoLab, the application automatically employs a range of tools to enhance it, based on the extensive data DxO collects about cameras and lens performance. You’ll notice this immediately on opening the application, as it asks you to initiate a series of ‘Modules’ specific to the cameras and lenses it detects that have been used to take your photos.
Auto- correct
When you open an image several corrections are automatically applied. First, an array of optical imperfections are fixed such as barrel distortion and chromatic aberration. Second, the raw image is sharpened, noise and haze is reduced, and the tonal range is optimised – the raw image is enhanced immediately and imperfections are corrected before you even have to lift a finger. The Compare button can be a useful feature at this point because it lets you see the original image, so you can assess what PhotoLab has done to it. What’s more, nothing is set in stone so you can go on to turn each correction on or off, or refine things further manually.
Hold off haze
One of the most impressive features in the latest version of PhotoLab is ClearView Plus. Similar to the Haze Removal feature in Lightroom, it pulls detail out of hazy or misty scenes. But the results far exceed what can be achieved in Lightroom or
Photoshop. Not only does it cut through atmospheric haze and fog, but it can also be used to enhance a subdued sky or pull detail from the blown- out areas of an image.
Who’s it for?
PhotoLab is a direct competitor to other raw editors like Lightroom and Capture One. It’s not one for those who like to create montages or add other graphics and effects to their photos – for that you’ll need Photoshop. It’s primarily for making a raw image look as impressive as possible, which it does very well.
PhotoLab is available in two versions – Essential (£99) and Elite (£159). The Elite edition includes the Prime noise reduction and ClearView features. As well as a stand-alone app PhotoLab also works as a plug-in for Lightroom, so you can round-trip images between the two. A free 30-day trial version is available to download from dxo.com.