Thank you DxO!
First of all I have to say a big thank you to Michael at DxO for giving me access to a pre-release/beta version of the new DxO Photolab 8. This has given me the opportunity to trial the latest iteration of this industry leading photographic software over the last couple of weeks prior to its official release today.
It’s been about a year since I posed the question is DxO PhotoLab 7 the best yet? My unequivocal answer then was yes…and now I find myself asking the same question about Photolab 8.
What I really like about Photolab is the way that DxO have mastered the art of taking an already great product, and making it even better.
They have achieved this year by year by adopting what I regard as an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary approach.
In each iteration of Photolab DxO have refined, enhanced, and incrementally improved all the software features, without compromising performance and stability.
And – surprise, surprise – this has continued with DxO PhotoLab 8!
It IS better than version 7! But is DxO PhotoLab 8 a game changer? I think that depends on each indivual user.
Here are my thoughts…but I’ll leave it to you to download a trial version and find out for yourself.
Is DxO PhotoLab 8 A Gamer Changer – The Top 5 Features
1. Best In Class Noise Reduction With DeepPRIME XD/XD2s
DxO Photolab has long been regarded as a leader in noise reduction for digital photographs.
DeepPRIME first appeared in Photolab 4 and has improved steadily over the years. As impressed as I was with DeepPRIME XD which appeared as an integral part of Photolab 7, it is clear that in Photolab 8 DxO have taken DeepPRIME XD/XD2s to a whole new level – and it is magic.
I don’t shoot a lot of high ISO images, but I have a couple of “go-to” photos shot at high ISO that I sometimes use to demonstrate noise reduction.
The photo of a New Orleans mounted policeman below was shot back in 2014 at night at a modest ISO3200 using a Nikon D5100. ISO3200 on the D5100 left a lot to be desired – but look how DeepPRIME XD/XD2s cleans it up.
An incredibly useful feature is the loupe which can be moved over any part of the image, and offers a magnification factor of up to 1600% to enable close checking of results.
The new loupe feature allows you to see results in real time.
2. Edge To Edge Lens Softness Correction
I remember reading a review of DxO PhotoLab some years ago and the reviewer stated something like – “there is no need to buy a new lens for your camera…just invest in DxO PhotoLab, and take advantage of the powerful lens softness correction features built in…“…or words to that effect.
Back then, as I recall, lens softness correction – improving sharpness – was mostly effective close to the outer edges of photographs.
In Photolab 8, new algorithms based on years of lab research and measurement of thousands of lenses have been designed for lens softness correction – or compensation as it is now called.
Lens Softness Compensation is now effective across the whole image rather not just the edges. The effect of this can be clearly seen when using the new loupe tool mentioned above.
DxO also claim the new algorithms are effective across the whole focal range of a lens.
3. HUE masking
With the new hue masking tool in Photolab 8’s local adjustment panel you now have total control over all aspects of colour in your photos
I’m not good at making video tutorials but I have managed to create a small video showing how the new hue masking works.
And now, instead of having to adjust all hues in a similar range in an image, there is a new, and very useful masking erase tool in the local adjustments panels that lets you erase masked sections that you do not wish to adjust.
Not only does this fantastic new tool have huge implications for colour control in images, I can also see it being extremely useful in a black and white workflow.
4. Rollover Previews
I don’t know what DxO’s official name for this new feature is, but I’ll just call it Rollover Preview.
This is a feature that has been missing from previous versions of Photolab, but its inclusion in the latest version definitely assists your workflow.
This feature applies to nearly all drop down menu options in Photolab 8, whether its LUTs, white balance, colour rendering, etc. And once again, like the loupe tool, you can see changes in real time…and it’s fast – there is no lag at all.
Just check out the short video to see what I mean.
5. Enhanced Tone Curve
Enhanced is a word that keeps popping up with the new DxO PhotoLab 8 and it definitely applies to the tone curve feature.
Tone curve now shows the histogram!
And here’s a great new addition to tone curve – click and drag on an image and see your adjustment in real time as you apply it. This feature alone will make me use tone curve more often than I ever did in the past.
It is also possible to now save a tone curve preset, as well as have access to a series of already-installed presets.
There is one last thing to mention about tone curve – it now sports a dedicated Luma channel meaning that you can make adjustments to tone without affecting the saturation.
Tone curve is powerful!
DxO Photolab 8 In Summary
There is so much more to DxO Photolab 8 than the top 5 features I highlighted above.
Photolab still retains all its awesome basic features:
- best in class optical corrections;
- arguably the best RAW converter;
- LUTs;
- superb working colour space (wide gamut);
- colour wheel;
- accurate local adjustments tools such as control points, control lines, gradient masks, etc.;
- smart lighting and Clearview;
- and Photolab 8 is snappier than previous versions I feel;
- and so on.
But the heart of Photolab for me anyway, is, as I mentioned earlier, it’s evolutionary rather then revolutionary approach to upgrades. In my opinion many software providers tend to try to do too much with their software, too soon. Here I’m talking about the wholesale integration of AI that is:
- resource hungry;
- buggy (and I am thinking specifically of one brand in particular here);
- unimaginative – or at least is intrusive enough to semi-stifle individual creativity (generative fill, sky replacement, etc.);
- theft (?) of images to train AI;
- and so it goes on.
In some respects I personally find the tendency towards overuse of AI in image manipulation/creation as almost unethical.
I also feel that someone else’s interpretation of what my image should look like take my individual creativity away from me…but then, maybe that’s just me.
So go ahead – give the new DxO Photolab 8 a whirl – I’m sure that whether you are a hobby photographer (like me), or a semi-professional, or photography is the way you make your living, you’ll be impressed and maybe will consider it a game changer.
Disclaimer
Yes – I was supplied a pre-release/beta version of DxO PhotoLab 8 free of charge. But no…I have not been paid in any other way to act as a mouthpiece for Dxo.
Opinions expressed here are my own, based on my recent usage of the beta software.
