| DxO
Optics Pro Review
by Neil van Niekerk
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DXO
LIGHTING ENGINE
According
to DxO Labs, DxO Lighting is a unique local
exposure and dynamic range optimizer. It also automatically
replicates the analog film techniques 'dodging and burning',
to bring out shadow detail while preserving highlights, textures,
colours and a natural look.
The
control tab for DxO Lighting shows the expected adjustments,
such as white point, black point, contrast and brightness.
There is another adjustment - Local Contrast - which affects
the image dramatically. This will be discussed on the next
page.
DxO
Lighting
was an aspect of DxO Optics Pro software proved to be a surprise
to me. I anticipated the DxO software to automatically correct
for optical aberrations and errors, like they advertise -
but DxO Lighting offers image enhancement which is impressive.
Even more so since it is automatic, but with complete manual
override if you wish.
Automatic
image enhancement with DxO Lighting
Here
are two versions of the same image. With one, I enabled
all the automatic controls in the DxO software, (including
DxO Lighting), but for the comparison, there is another
version with DxO Lighting disabled.
DxO
Lighting brings into play adjustments which gives any
image more punch.
I
suspect that the major change to the image is done via
the
Local Contrast adjustment.
The
DxO literature describes Local Contrast as altering
contrast in a spatially-determined way, and that its
effect is similar to dodging and burning.
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This
dramatic change was done with default settings, simply
by clicking the Process button.
What
attracts me here is the simplicity of it - if you so
wish. You run the image through DxO Optics at its default
settings, and it just pops! If you do want to fiddle
with it further, then the options are there.
And
to top it all, the highlights were retained. That's
a headache that wedding photographers constantly have
to deal with. |
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The
Distortion adjustment in DxO Optics corrected for the optical
flaws in the Nikon 12-24mm f4 lens, as used at 12mm. Even
though the optical aberrations are of less concern to a wedding
photographer than someone who photographs architecture, the
kind of adjustment shown here should interest any photographer.
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Another
interesting control offered are the presets that mimic
film types, such saturated reversal film.
This image should show
the vibrancy that results from this. All still with
the click of a button or two. Simplicity itself.
You can edit any of the
settings and save new presets. This will help tremendously
in speeding up a workflow where certain corrections
are repeatedly made. You can also edit any of the given
presets. |
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In this next image taken inside St Patrick's Cathedral in
Manhattan, NYC you can clearly see how DxO Lighting opens
up the image. What was a dark contrasty image suddenly has
some 'space' to it.
The DxO Optics control also corrected for
some optical aberrations You'll notice the barrel distortion
on the pews on the right hand bottom corner, has been corrected
in the DxO version. Automatically.
(Nikon D2x; 12-24mm f4 DX, used at 12mm;
1/6th sec @ f5.6 @ 1600 iso)
And
for a direct comparison, here's how DxO Lighting enhances
the image, against a basic conversion in Adobe Camera Raw.
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