When I am developing an image, I want to get the best possible results. Over the years, I have tried many different programs side by side, and for final image quality, DxO PhotoLab stands out. Here’s why anyone serious about their photography should consider it.
What Is DxO PhotoLab 8?
Although image development and editing are often used interchangeably, I distinguish between them. Admittedly, there is a bit of an overlap. But, for me, development is about making non-destructive adjustments to raw file controls, whereas editing is changing the actual pixels of an image. Together, they amount to processing an image.
DxO PhotoLab 8 is mainly an image development tool. The latest release has brought significant improvements to this program, which was already held in high esteem by its users. That high opinion has been held for a long time for several reasons.
Firstly, DxO’s laboratories have the most accurate lens profiles. With other programs, a single adjustment is applied to all focal lengths, resulting in unnecessary cropping, vignetting, and aberration removal at most focal lengths. However, with PhotoLab, those profiles are individually tailored for each focal length along a zoom’s range. Furthermore, each camera and lens combination is tested in the DxO Laboratories.
Secondly, and probably more importantly for most photographers, the tone and color adjustments are precise and give first-class results. PhotoLab has long been hailed as having the best noise reduction function using its DeepPRIME algorithm. The latest version comes with DeepPRIME XD2s (standing for eXtra Detail v2s), which has an improved denoising and demosaicing function.
Most people know that denoising is the removal of the usually unwanted graininess in a photo, with colored grains considered particularly ugly and unwelcome. If you shoot with an older camera, at very high ISOs, do longer exposures at night, or underexpose and increase the brightness when developing the image, you will encounter noise in your images.
Meanwhile, demosaicing is how the mosaic of red, green, and blue pixel values is converted into the colors we see. Poorly executed demosaicing can introduce numerous visual artifacts at the pixel level. These might include color distortions like fringes along sharp edges and moiré patterns in high-frequency details, resulting in artificial-looking results. Consequently, fine textures such as hair, fur, and feathers can lose their clarity and display maze-like or random pixelation instead.
Using a top-quality demosaicing program can increase the effective visual resolution of the camera without increasing the pixel count. Therefore, a camera with a 20 MP sensor using the DeepPRIME XD2s demosaicing algorithm can produce an image that is more detailed than one with a 40 MP sensor using poorer-quality demosaicing. That difference is clearly seen in the results.
What Else Is New in PhotoLab 8?
Besides the DeepPRIME XD2s, there are some other new features in PhotoLab 8.
The new large magnifier previews the noise reduction and other changes to the image in real time. Previously, the preview was small and a bit cumbersome to use. The new version can be dragged around the image to inspect pixels at magnifications up to 1,600%.
The new version also includes a hue range mask for more precise adjustments of colors within images. Then there are big improvements to the tone curve. That includes a tone picker and a luma channel. The latter allows you to make changes to tones without affecting saturation. It also has a histogram with numeric values for each point, plus user-defined presets that make the tone curve more intuitive.
DxO PhotoLab downloads the optics modules only for the specific combination of lenses and camera models when you open a photo with that combination. Additionally, the new improved softness compensation included in the program has been upgraded. It shows increased detail without adding fringing or other unwanted artifacts.
There have been improvements to the workflow too. In the new Compare Mode, you can set any image as a reference and match your adjustments to other images. You also get a preview whenever your mouse rolls over the color renderings, LUTs, tone curve presets, etc.
Finally, browsing and image loading is now faster across the board.
PhotoLab 8 In Use
PhotoLab does have a catalog, but I tend to open it as a plugin from either Lightroom Classic (File > Plug-In Extras) or On1 Photo Raw (right-click > Send to DxO PhotoLab). That’s mainly because I have extensive libraries set up in those programs and haven’t bothered to learn all the keyboard shortcuts in PhotoLab yet. That’s my shortcoming, not the program’s. However, PhotoLab could be greatly improved by standardizing its shortcuts with other programs, making it easier to jump between them.
Thinking back to when I first used PhotoLab, it took me a little while to get used to the layout of the Customize tab. Customize is the module that other programs call Develop. Once I became used to it, however, it actually made more sense than other programs. That's because the tonal settings are in a different tab from the color settings and are not mixed. All the detail corrections, such as noise reduction, repairing lens softness, removing chromatic aberrations, and similar functions, are together in a single tab, as are the crop, horizon leveling, distortion, and perspective tools.
All the special effects are grouped too, as are the local adjustments. While mentioning the local adjustments, if you’ve not come across them before, it’s worth learning how two unique masking tools work. A control point, once placed, automatically creates a mask based on the colors and tones directly under its center. This mask determines the areas of the selection that will be affected by the adjustments. Control lines work similarly. There are other more commonly found masking options too.
What I Liked and What Could Be Improved Next Time
What I Liked
- Amazing photographic results.
- Good integration with other programs.
- The Customize module is well thought-out.
- The new features mentioned above are a big improvement on the previous versions.
- DxO Optics modules give far superior lens corrections compared to other programs.
- The DeepPRIME XD/XD2s noise reduction is second to none.
- There are presets available in PhotoLab 8, including an enormous range of accurate film simulations.
- Adjustment sliders are precise and applied instantaneously.
- It’s a perpetual license, not a subscription.
What Could Be Improved Next Time
- Simplifying and standardizing keyboard shortcuts would be welcome. Why is Ctrl/Cmd + 5 required to add five stars instead of just pressing 5? Why doesn’t the Tab key open and close the sidebars of the workspace?
- The PhotoLibrary isn’t as easily accessible as others. Moreover, you cannot import Lightroom’s catalog as you can with ON1.
- PhotoLab’s removal tools are not using AI masks. While I personally don’t mind that, others might miss this feature.
In Conclusion
Although cameras are getting better at not introducing noise to images, having top-notch noise reduction coupled with outstanding demosaicing and fabulous tonal and color controls makes this software attractive for serious photographers who push exposure limits.
As a plugin, it’s nearly perfect. It runs smoothly and gives great results that, arguably, are second to none. As a stand-alone program, it’s great as a development tool. However, if DxO wants to attract users from other programs, the designers should consider making it easier for photographers to migrate. The PhotoLibrary is functional but not as intuitive as other programs. Plus, the keyboard shortcuts are not standard.
I think PhotoLab 8 is a program aimed at competent photographers who want to get the best from their images. I can see a substantial improvement in the outcome between this program and Lightroom, and, for me, the investment in time learning to use the software was worthwhile.
Good for you - I'm sticking with LRC.