DXO announces Photolab 4, save 30% on new purchases and upgrades

[COBRASoft]

I use dxo for 90+% of my pictures. Photoshop or affinity in very rare (stitch) cases. I hate lrc. I store my pics on my NAS in the folder structure i want. DxO works perfectly this way. Version 4 just came out, no-brainer for me. €58 for upgrading the elite version after buying the r5 is peanuts. From every software i tested, dxo is the best raw converter with enough tools on board to give me final images in most cases.

I just edited most of my r5 pics in a couple of hours with the new version, no problems so far on windows 10.

P. S. : pl3 gave us the hsl tool which i like a lot more than ps or ap.

 

[Bert63]

Can someone who has updated check for me whether they now have a profile for the laowa RF 100mm f/2.8 2x available in the new version? I know such a profile should be available to all versions equally, but I now have my doubts ...

I do not see one.

 

[gtsviper]

Can someone who has updated check for me whether they now have a profile for the laowa RF 100mm f/2.8 2x available in the new version? I know such a profile should be available to all versions equally, but I now have my doubts ...

Canon, Irex , Samyang, Sigma, Tamaron, Tokina, Voightlander, Ziess

 

[gtsviper]

Can someone who has updated check for me whether they now have a profile for the laowa RF 100mm f/2.8 2x available in the new version? I know such a profile should be available to all versions equally, but I now have my doubts ...

Can someone who has updated check for me whether they now have a profile for the laowa RF 100mm f/2.8 2x available in the new version? I know such a profile should be available to all versions equally, but I now have my doubts ...

No Laowa modules for R or R5.

 

[Bert63]

In my opinion, running on my machine, it is a better program in every way.

Absolutely zero issues on my Windows 10 box. Local adjustments also seems to run faster as well. I like the new workspace setup.

I still see no option to export your custom palette so that's a disappointment, but it's the only disappointment so far.

 

[usern4cr]

I tried the new “Deepprime” on some noisy high resolution charts. It is excellent at removing noise but it loses some very fine detail compared with standard prime, but is better thanTopaz. I’ll probably be sticking with the standard Prime noise reduction unless there is excessive noise. I’ll do some testing with some old real images tomorrow.

Do you have a choice between 2 different prime versions in the latest PL4?

 

[AlanF]

Do you have a choice between 2 different prime versions in the latest PL4?

Yes. 3 noise reduction choices of the usual Fast, Prime, and now DeepPrime.

 

[COBRASoft]

I did some tests with 100-2500 iso. Deepprime was always better than prime for me (noise and detail) . It even removed some noticeable moiré that normal prime didn't remove. All R5 files though.

 

[snappy604]

It isn’t the price, it’s the principle. I went round and round with tech support just last week about when the software would be updated to support the R5.

They said it was a priority (eventually) but never mentioned it would be a paid upgrade, or that you’d have to get the entire new version to receive what should be a basic update for all current users.

I hate when a software company holds themself up as an alternative to a subscription service model, then holds updates hostage behind paywall BS.

DxO as a non-subscription option is a lie.

I find the same with On1... there are valid reasons to pay for upgrades and we do have to support to continue development but it gets to the point it feels like you're basically on the subscription model. Most of the upgrades they do are irrelevant to me. The ones that matter to me get ignored (for on1). I cringe but I might give the trial a go.. 30 days at least.. adobe is only 7 days.

 

[Jethro]

I do not see one.

Ain't wasting my money for an update then ...

It's a shame because the noise reduction is genuinely second to none. Although I'll be honest Adobe have improved over the last couple of years.

 

[privatebydesign]

They have to have a continuing income to keep the program updated. Adobe does it by ransomeware, and you have to pay to keep on just using. DxO upgrades at the end of October each year. If you haven't upgraded your camera to a brand new model, you don't have to buy the upgraded software.

How is agreeing to a subscription 'ransomware'?

I can understand not wanting to pay monthly for software even though considering the value of the equipment we talk about paying less than $8 a month is a pittance. But isn't that how cell providers work their contracts? What about insurance, or mortgages, or car loans? If you stop paying you lose the use of that thing regardless of how much you have paid. But that isn''t the case with Adobe, if you stop paying you can still use the software just in a more limited form. All your work is saved, you can export all or any of your photos at any time, you can print your photos etc etc. I really don't think "ransomware" is a fair or accurate description.

 

[privatebydesign]

Yeah, I think Adobe ruined it for us with the subscription thing. At least with the permanent license stuff what ou have will work forever with its current feature set. As far as I understand it, if you stop paying Adobe, you can't even open the program, no matter how many thousands you have spent over the years.

I'd still mostly rather pay to have something, knowing I may have to pay to upgrade versions in the future if I get new gear. But for some I could see how the subscription model is better. Maybe akin to lease vs/ buy on a car - normally its a great deal for the car company, and occasionally its a good deal for the driver.

-Brian

No that is not true. You can open the Lightroom for ever, you can export any or all of your photos, you can print your photos in the Lightroom Print module. All of your Develop settings are maintained and are stored and you can export any or all of your photos as shot or with all your develop settings applied. What you can't do is change the develop settings or import new photos.


Adobe were in deep financial trouble before "the subscription thing" because people simply didn't upgrade which meant little money went into the pot to keep developing features including compatibility for new cameras, formats, file types, lenses etc etc. We, the consumers, forced Adobe into that subscription thing.

 

[AlanF]

I've now done a test of PRIME vs DeepPRIME on a real image. It's a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly taken on the R5 with the 100-400mm II, 2xTC, f/11, 1/160s iso 1000. I did this a week or two ago using Adobe LR, followed by Topaz Sharpen-Stabilize and Topaz Denoise to get the best image then. Now, I did better straight off with DxO PL4, and very quickly. The two full images are at the bottom, reduced by the site to fit. At the top, is a comparison of the eyes at 100% crop. For PRIME alone, the very top (or on the left if your screen is narrow), you can just make out the individual lenses. Below (or on the right), they are less distinct with DeepPRIME. It fits in with my chart testing last night, DeepPRIME does remove the tiniest of detail, but still damn good.

 

[COBRASoft]

Quite some difference in your example indeed. Very interesting and a very nice picture!

Here's an example of the moiré I was talking about. Left/first picture is DeepPrime, bottom/right is normal Prime.
It is 100% crop of a dress. Be sure to watch in original size.

Edit: Taken with R5, 85mm 1.2, 500 ISO.

 

[CDR]

Good to see a non-subscription-based option especially for those of us who have bought the R5 as a retirement gift for one's self - LOL.

Will definitely check out the free trial (windows) as not many other options at present other than Canons free but super slow DPP - or am I wrong? Any feedback yet on whether it opens compressed raw images?

I must add I loved the ON1 Raw 2020 workflow/performance when I trialled that, but without R5 support it's just currently of no value.

 

[COBRASoft]

From what I see, DxO has become even faster/more optimal using multicore cpu's.
I won't be upgrading my body anytime soon, so this € 58 is well spent for a couple of years... Unless DxO PL5 brings amazing new features I want.

 

[HenryL]

No that is not true. You can open the Lightroom for ever, you can export any or all of your photos, you can print your photos in the Lightroom Print module. All of your Develop settings are maintained and are stored and you can export any or all of your photos as shot or with all your develop settings applied. What you can't do is change the develop settings or import new photos.

It's not even as bad as that - you actually can still import new photos and use all the DAM features. When the subscription ends, you lose the Develop and Map modules, and the ability to sync to mobile editions.

 

[AlanF]

The Dragonfly was a low iso image. I just took some horrible shots at iso 5000 and 800mm and took extreme crops of a few hundred pixels. Don't take the quality seriously, just look at the noise. You can see which is the DeepPRIME, the smaller one. PRIME is really good but DeepPRIME is even better very noisy images. So, for me, at low iso, PRIME, high iso (and Moire) DeepPRIME.

 

[AlanF]

Good to see a non-subscription-based option especially for those of us who have bought the R5 as a retirement gift for one's self - LOL.

Will definitely check out the free trial (windows) as not many other options at present other than Canons free but super slow DPP - or am I wrong? Any feedback yet on whether it opens compressed raw images?

I must add I loved the ON1 Raw 2020 workflow/performance when I trialled that, but without R5 support it's just currently of no value.

It opens CRAW - that's all I shoot in. Canon did a great job creating CRAW, with what appears to be lossless compression to all intents and purposes.

 

[COBRASoft]

My original image of the dress doesn't have the moiré issues. Prime caused it. I think I'll prefer to give up a littlebit of finest detail for cleaner images.
Fyi, i haven't touched the noise sliders. Perhaps find tuning those can help as well.