mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I have been a user of Lightroom since version 3. However, now that the aging Lightroom 6 is the last stand-alone version Lightroom will be producing I started looking at alternatives. Unlike some here, I have no need for a Digital Asset Management system so that the import functionality of Lightroom is just extra effort for me. Additionally, I have no need for PhotoShop and have decided that $10 a month just for Lightroom is just too expensive.

DXO PhotoLab is a new, updated, and rebranded version of DXO OpticsPro. There are a number of enhancements in sharpening noise reduction and other areas over the previous version, OpticsPro 11. Additionally, PhotoLab now supports the U point technology, from the NIK collection, to add local adjustments to the package. I'm not intended this as a full review, but I'm willing to entertain and answer any questions for those who are interested. While overall it has less functionally then Lightroom or Capture One, the quality of the output is high and the effort taken to achieve it is minimal.

Attached are two versions of an image taken outside my hotel in St. Augustine FL in 2016. The original image was shot in raw on a Canon 7D Mark II With a Canon Efs 15-85mm lens. The first is straight out of the camera with no enhancements to the original raw image. The lighting was less than ideal and the shot is a poor one. Also note the distortion of the wall and trees as they lean in from the sides. The second version was processed in DXO Photolab in less than 5 minutes, and included straightening the perspective. The ability to sharpen in PhotoLab without adding artifacts and use noise processing without loosing detail is fantastic. I believe doing something similar in Lightroom would have taken several times the effort still would not have given me the satisfying results I got with DXOLab.

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

How about posting the raw?

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I've never posted a raw file here. How/where do I post a 30mb file on UHH? I don't have anywhere else on line to post it and provide a link.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Let's test this. I am attaching a PDF. All I did was attach it as usual. If your raw is too big for UHH, how about something like dropbox? I can help you with that if you want.

Attached file:
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mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Thanks. I'm out and about right now, but I'll try to play around with attaching a file later on today.

I also worked on the same file in Lightroom 6, and the latest version of Capture One Pro, which is a trial copy. Getting the results I wanted in Photolab was much faster and easier than either of the other two packages and at the end of the day I was also happier with the results. And although I have less experience with Capture One than with DXO Photolab or Lightroom, it would easily be my second choice. In fact, choosing between Capture One and Photolab can be a difficult choice because each has capabilities and tools the other lacks. Now if I could just meld those two together and add in a couple of the features that I really like in Lightroom I'd be a happy camper.

I will miss Capture One when the trial is over but I'd go crazy having to decide which raw program to use and comparing the results. As it is I also use Canon's DPP on occasion, so 3 raw processors are already more than enough. One thing is for sure though. Even with it more sophisticated interface, additional functionality, and numerous plug-ins, Lightroom just does not do it for me anymore.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

It seem like I was able to attach the raw file. Let me know if you can download it

Attached file:
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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Your file is a tiff. Do you have a raw?

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I got distracted in the middle of the post. I deleted and added a different file. It should be a .cr2 raw file. I didn't create a tiff version of that image.

This is definitely a Canon .cr2 raw file
Attached file:
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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Please attach the raw to your last message.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Done, Let me know. I definitely attached a raw file and I downloaded it myself to check. Have no idea why you were seeing a tiff file. I'm adding it again to this post.

Raw file
Attached file:
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raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

Most impressive!
Excuse my ignorance but am I assuming that DXO is a raw file processor?

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Yes it is a raw file processor. I find I can also get similar results easily in Capture One, but I can only keep one of them and I preferred working in DXO PhotoLab. Here is a Capture one version.

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