DXO Optics Pro 5.3 for Mac - Are my Canon L lenses that bad!

[budjames]

I've been playing around with the demo of DXO Optics Pro Elite, using it as a 2nd external editor for LR 2.1. I love the distortion and perspective correction capabilities. I have to keep my original camera RAW files around now because it does not work with DNG files.

I can't believe how bad my expensive Canon "L" lenses are after looking that the amount of distortion correction that DXO does to some of my images. It seems that they have a very unique product.

I'm curious how others are using DXO in their workflow with Canon DSLRs. Please share your experiences.

Thanks.
Bud James

[marcmccalmont]

I've been playing around with the demo of DXO Optics Pro Elite, using it as a 2nd external editor for LR 2.1. I love the distortion and perspective correction capabilities. I have to keep my original camera RAW files around now because it does not work with DNG files.

I can't believe how bad my expenses Canon "L" lenses are after looking that the amount of distortion correction that DXO does to some of my images. It seems that they have a very unique product.

I'm curious how others are using DXO in their workflow with Canon DSLRs. Please share your experiences.

Thanks.
Bud James

I have used DxO as my primary RAW converter since V3 and am very happy with it. 5D + L lenses, Xsi + Sigma 18-200 OS, G9, 80D + 18-200 VR  I cannot go back to ACR
Marc

[Sigi]

I've been playing around with the demo of DXO Optics Pro Elite, using it as a 2nd external editor for LR 2.1. I love the distortion and perspective correction capabilities. I have to keep my original camera RAW files around now because it does not work with DNG files.

I can't believe how bad my expenses Canon "L" lenses are after looking that the amount of distortion correction that DXO does to some of my images. It seems that they have a very unique product.

I'm curious how others are using DXO in their workflow with Canon DSLRs. Please share your experiences.

Thanks.
Bud James

Hello,

I have worked with ACR and DPP and DXO. I am using now DXO 5.3 and it is my primary converter. The new presets in 5.3 ae amazing. My workflow:

- import with Imageingester pro
- Label and Keyword in Expression media
- use DXO

Sigi

[Steven Draper]

I'm using DXO 5.3 for some trials at the moment. It certainly seems very impressive and the optically corrected images certainly look much better!

I have tweaked a pre-set to come up with a look that I like and that fits into an overall workflow. I'm not 100% convinced on what is auto and what is my settings! Lots of switches and boxes to click and tick, the UI needs some further explanation. The notes are much better than they used to be though; certainly good enough to get started.


General Workflow:

NEF into LR2.1 sorted and named according to my file naming standard.

DXO selector to select my images - (it would be possible  to pre-sort in LR for different processing - I haven't used the plug-in yet.)  

Process away, thankfully an 8core mac so it doesn't take all night, DXO does seem to like lots of computer power!

DXO Review, teak WB, Keystone, etc, extra versions, BW, other looks etc.

Back to LR, RE-sync Lightroom folder.

Crop and final tweak with other creative things LR has!

Master file created.


I'm yet to do a complete side by side print analysis but on screen the process appears very good. Personally better than LR for general conversion.  I have some CS3 actions specific to certain required effects. The only REAL pain is when you have files created with lens / camera combinations that do not have any corrections yet...

[Baxter]

A useful thread.

I just downloaded v5.3 over the weekend and have been amazed at the difference it makes in terms of optical correction. My Learner plates are very much in place, but can see the advantages the software offers.

Good to see how others have tackled the Workflow. I too see LR2 as better way to select/delete images. Limitations of losing RAW status if in LR2, exporting to DXO then back again didn't appeal. So was contemplating a quite convoluted approach: Card import into LR2, doing selection, deleting files not worthy of processing, renaming files then removing keepers from LR2 library. Processing them in DXO saving as DNG, then reimporting these DNG files into LR2.

Concur presets look good. Also this is the only RAW converter I have seen which minimises some posterisation/banding issues I've been having with D700 files of grey skies. Whereby there is a shift to green and magenta at some tonal values. LR2 (and ACR 5), Aperture, C1V4.5 and Nikon NX2 all see this banding from card download.

Would love to find a source of decent tutorials so that I can get up to speed with minimum hassle! Any advice gratefully received.

First real hiccup encountered. Have been processing some images and there seems to be a colour management issue between appearance in DXO which appears very intense colours and LR2 which appears more normal. When I export DNG, then import this into LR2, the colour is significantly different than when viewed in DXO review mode. I'm on a Mac. DXO Help says that Colour management settings are automatic on Macs. I've looked in Prefs and in other menu items, but cannot see anything to check/alter CM settings. Any solutions/recommendations please?

[NikosR]

First real hiccup encountered. Have been processing some images and there seems to be a colour management issue between appearance in DXO which appears very intense colours and LR2 which appears more normal. When I export DNG, then import this into LR2, the colour is significantly different than when viewed in DXO review mode. I'm on a Mac. DXO Help says that Colour management settings are automatic on Macs. I've looked in Prefs and in other menu items, but cannot see anything to check/alter CM settings. Any solutions/recommendations please?

You have to manage DxO settings vs LR settings. A LR preset will alter the look you get on the imported DNG file.

Maybe the below can also help (I have posted this in a couple of DxO threads also). In short what it tells you is that it is better not to touch colour too much in DxO if you're going to output a DNG to LR. If you feel you MUST, then make sure that you only use the 'as shot' colour rendering space in DxO.

'...
I posed a question related to what DxO Pro outputs as a DNG file. The answer from tech support might be of interest to anybody contemplating using DxO Pro as the first program in the processing chain to perform demosaicing and basic corrections before outputting a DNG file to be imported in LR (or other DNG aware apps).

Here's what DxO's tech support had to say about this:


'Well, you raised a good questions as indeed it is not clear... and I was wrong in my initial answer.

As a matter of fact, just like for any other other output format, the entire processing chain is applied to the image before it is exported to DNG. One reason is correction such as vignetting have to be performed after delinearisation. Also, the user interface would need to be radically different for DNG if the output did not take certain functions into account. Furthermore some people wanted to take advantage of DxO lighting or other features in DOP in their DNG exports so it was decided that everything would be supported.

During export, the "as shot" color chain is reversed on the image which is then relinearised to DNG format. Now, if another color space was used, the color space reversal will be incorrect and the difference will carry over into the DNG.

In conclusion, when using DNG, it is best not activate panel such as color rendering, tone curve, HSL, white balance... that would conflict with the processing performed in the second DNG to RGB conversion. To be safe, use DOP to correct for the optics and for the noise only before exporting to DNG.'

'

[Baxter]

Thanks Nikos

I haven't had a chance to look into the theoretical side of it all. Mad on other projects. Did note that the LR appearance changed when in Library/Develop modules on the above 'quirk'.

Just processed loads of pictures from a Theatrical shoot in DxO and very pleased with the results. Investigated different controls one by one, got image looking pretty good, discovered how to make a preset and once I'd done this it was easy to do the other pictures.

Output as DNG, imported into LR2, (having had NEF files originally there for selecting best images). Then able to use burn/dodge and a few other tweaks to get them looking really striking (by my standards!)...

Looks like I shall have to invest in the DxO in a few days once the trial license runs out.

[tudor8king]

I've been playing around with the demo of DXO Optics Pro Elite, using it as a 2nd external editor for LR 2.1. I love the distortion and perspective correction capabilities. I have to keep my original camera RAW files around now because it does not work with DNG files.

I can't believe how bad my expenses Canon "L" lenses are after looking that the amount of distortion correction that DXO does to some of my images. It seems that they have a very unique product.

I'm curious how others are using DXO in their workflow with Canon DSLRs. Please share your experiences.

Thanks.
Bud James

I am finding the same with my Nikon 70 - 200 vr 2.8.

[alainbriot]

Hello,

I have an essay on this site about DxO 5.  It shows my workflow and goes through all the processing functions:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/DXO-5-Review.shtml

Regarding DNG I believe you can also resize the image prior to exporting in DNG format.  You can make the file smaller for example.  I may be wrong but DxO 5 is the only converter that can do that.

Alain

[AlanG]

I've been using DXO for about two years. I just updated to 5.3.1 (I was waiting to make sure most of the reported issues had been resolved.)  It seems to work very well and is a refinement over version 4.  I especially like how well the dust brush works.

Besides all of the optical correction that DXO is well known for, I have always been impressed by the "DXO Lighting" which lets me bring out detail in shadows.  This is very powerful and effective for an architectural shooter.   I suggest users examine all of the control available there.  Even though other programs have ways to open up the shadows, they are more limited or don't give the "pop" that DXO does. (Often they bring up detail but look flat.)

What I'd like to see DXO implement is a way to let us manually adjust vignetting, distortion, volume anamorphosis, etc. for unsupported lenses since now these things can only be adjusted for lenses that have support modules. Why not let us do it ourselves and save the preferences? It would be better than nothing

[Baxter]

One of the drawbacks I am finding with the software is the lack of information and tutorials. I'm fairly adept at picking up new software and making it work, but DxO optics has tremendous power which I want to harness effectively - and quickly!

I've not looked properly at maximising the DxO lighting yet Alan, so thanks for the heads-up. I've just had an issue with being unable to open a file where I'd used a teleconverter with a lens for which I had the module. The software is unusable for such images - When confirming this with their technical support, I did request that they look to calibrate lenses such as Zeiss which are gaining a toehold in the landscaping market because of their high optical quality. Agree it would be good to have a manual mode and maybe exchange information amongst users.

Alain, yours is a helpful feature which I had seen before making the DxO purchase (just before the 33% discount was announced.....) I see that you have chosen not to use the colour rendering and colour mode controls. Given that the lens modules are so well researched, I was hoping to make use of the camera feature too. However the user manual gives very little information about them. Gaining a fundamental understanding in colour management was a major turning point in my Large Format photography; but because of the power of such controls I think it requires batter documentation so that the user is better able to select the option most relevant to the task.

Many thanks

Baxter