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Author Topic: DxO  (Read 6565 times)

OldRoy

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« on: January 29, 2009, 06:00:08 pm »

I downloaded the time-limited evaluation copy of DxO a few weeks go but due to illness I've been unable to spend more than an hour or two trying it. So I'd be grateful for some feedback from experienced users about a couple of points before I shell out for a copy.

I think that the lens distortion mapping is brilliant. My 3 principal 2.8 lenses, nikon 14-14, 24-70 and 70-200VR are all covered and the corrections are a huge timesaver. What I'm wondering is how the vignetting correction in the D700 relates to these mappings. I assume that the vignetting control in the camera applies to both NEF and JPEG - there's nothing about this in the manual and I haven't had an opportunity to test this for myself yet. Obviously if it needs to be switched off for DxO processing that's fine, but it would be useful to utilise the in camera correction sometimes for happy snaps or when using NX2. I'm also wondering what DxO does when my TC 17 is on the 70-200?

I assume that the default geometry corrections for a lens in the database can be switched off? I ask principally because I don't want to defish my 10.5 FE shots when I'm using it for VR panoramas. I wouldn't mind keeping the ca correction although obviously that's a constant that can be dialled out manually without much trouble.

I have been processing bracketed sets for HDR spherical panoramas in ACR up to now and I'm wondering how this software copes with batches of 30+ shots. If it's anything like NX2 (bundled with my D700)... well, I hope it isn't.

And is the support as bad as I'm hearing?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
Roy
« Last Edit: January 29, 2009, 06:01:29 pm by OldRoy »
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daws

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« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2009, 11:00:57 pm »

Quote from: OldRoy
I downloaded the time-limited evaluation copy of DxO a few weeks go but due to illness I've been unable to spend more than an hour or two trying it. So I'd be grateful for some feedback from experienced users about a couple of points before I shell out for a copy.

I think that the lens distortion mapping is brilliant. My 3 principal 2.8 lenses, nikon 14-14, 24-70 and 70-200VR are all covered and the corrections are a huge timesaver. What I'm wondering is how the vignetting correction in the D700 relates to these mappings. I assume that the vignetting control in the camera applies to both NEF and JPEG - there's nothing about this in the manual and I haven't had an opportunity to test this for myself yet. Obviously if it needs to be switched off for DxO processing that's fine, but it would be useful to utilise the in camera correction sometimes for happy snaps or when using NX2. I'm also wondering what DxO does when my TC 17 is on the 70-200?

I assume that the default geometry corrections for a lens in the database can be switched off? I ask principally because I don't want to defish my 10.5 FE shots when I'm using it for VR panoramas. I wouldn't mind keeping the ca correction although obviously that's a constant that can be dialled out manually without much trouble.

I have been processing bracketed sets for HDR spherical panoramas in ACR up to now and I'm wondering how this software copes with batches of 30+ shots. If it's anything like NX2 (bundled with my D700)... well, I hope it isn't.

And is the support as bad as I'm hearing?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
Roy

I can't help you re the D700, and haven't done any batch processing, but you're correct that all the correction parameters of DxO can be switched off.

I've used their email support maybe 4 times in 2 years and have found it to be excellent -- they've always replied within a day, sometimes within hours.

If you haven't yet, you really should read Alain's introduction and tutorial here.
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NikosR

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« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2009, 01:33:17 am »

NO in camera corrections (including the vignetting control) are honoured by any 3rd party converter, including DxO. NX2 honours them indirectly by using them as its default. The vignetting correction is not 'burned' in the NEF data, NX2 just implements a similar (same?) algorithm to the in camera jpeg engine based on the info provided in the NEF as metadata about lens, aperture etc.

When you use DxO vignetting correction you are just using DxO's algorithm which isn't affected by any in camera setting.

Hope this is clear.

Regarding TCs, I don't believe DxO caters for these. Any lens + TC combination should be tested and mapped as an individual lens and I don't believe DxO have produced any such modules yet.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2009, 01:36:43 am by NikosR »
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Nikos

OldRoy

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« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2009, 06:14:22 am »

Thanks to both of you for your replies which are in each case a model of clarity! I had not read Alain Briot's tutorial but I will do so without delay.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2009, 06:17:04 am by OldRoy »
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jjlphoto

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« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2009, 09:23:17 am »

Quote from: NikosR
NO in camera corrections (including the vignetting control) are honoured by any 3rd party converter....

-Some Nikon models have a feature that allows double exposures to be blended together 'in-camera' into one RAW file.
-Also, I believe if I use in-camera NR on my 1Ds for time/long exposures, that gets applied during exposure, hence is part of the RAW file.
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Thanks, John Luke

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NikosR

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« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2009, 10:06:26 am »

Quote from: jjlphoto
-Some Nikon models have a feature that allows double exposures to be blended together 'in-camera' into one RAW file.
-Also, I believe if I use in-camera NR on my 1Ds for time/long exposures, that gets applied during exposure, hence is part of the RAW file.

Yes you are right,  both of these functions (and also Active D-Lighting in a partial way since it modifies actual exposure) affect the raw data directly thus they are equally applicable to jpeg or raw. So, strictly speaking, they are not 'honored' by the 3rd party converters, they are 'baked' in the raw image data.


I didn't have such functions in mind when I talked about in camera corrections.
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Nikos
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