DxO Optics Pro 6 is finally available for the Mac. The photo editing application specializes in automatically editing large numbers of images and has been available for Windows since November 2009.
The application is able to calculate adjustments for images automatically by reading the data on each image. The user does not need to go through the editing process himself and can instead sit back while the application does the tedious editing.
What sets it apart from other image editing applications, such as Adobe Lightroom 3 or Apple Aperture 3, is that it can customize edits for each individual image—according to what it needs—without the user having to specify any changes.
This application automatically corrects lens distortion, color fringing, and vignetting. It also optimizes highlights and shadows, and reduces noise and grain.
It’s fair to say that DxO Optics Pro 6 is unrivaled when it comes to correcting lens distortion and reducing grain from high ISO settings.
In terms of distortion, it can correct a shot perfectly, even if it was taken with a wide-angle lens. With noise reduction, DxO Labs claims their application can out-do the competition by up to two camera stops—meaning photographers could shoot in lower light settings with less worry.
Adjustments to each image are made in accordance with two things: presets that the user determines, and the camera and lens combination used to take each shot.
There is a long list of presets available and users can also create their own. Sorting through options is made easier with a preview feature that lets users see how each preset will affect an image. Presets include HRD settings that work with single images, highlight recovery, and high ISO adjustments for night photography.
The application is also fairly easy to use. A user only needs to choose the images to correct, choose the presets, then set the editing process in motion. It has four tabs: one to select images, one to customize presets, one to process the images, and one to view results.
One of the downsides to DxO Optics Pro 6 is that it takes a long time to correct images. With 17 images loaded, it took an estimated 33 minutes to process at close to two minutes for each image. Another project of 85 images took 2 hours and 45 minutes.
This isn’t so bad when it’s just a handful of images, but when it comes to batch editing a full day’s worth of photos, it starts to add up.
The long wait time is part of the cost when it comes to image editing. If you speak with software developers about noise reduction, for example, they’ll often tell you they have the capability to develop incredible noise reduction, but it ties into how long a user is willing to wait for it to process. Most opt toward shorter waiting times, while DxO Labs leans toward the other end. Images take longer to process, but the results are also stunning. It also saves the user from manually editing each image.
But the application also has its shortcomings. Since it specializes in automatically editing large collections of images, users may need to fine-tune adjustments in another application. DxO Labs is aware of this and provides direct integration with Lightroom. Both applications can pass images to each other.
The application also lacks keywording and advanced features to organize images, so it is not meant to work as a central place to sort and view images.
DxO Optics Pro 6 is best suited for professional photographers or hobbyist photographers who take a lot photos. Although it could work well by itself, it is best suited to work alongside other RAW image editors like Lightroom 3.
The benefit is that it saves a huge amount of time otherwise spent trudging through and correcting individual images, or doing minor batch edits. With this in mind, for anyone serious about photography, DxO Optics Pro 6 is a must-have.
Website: www.dxo.com
Price:
$169 standard edition
$299 elite edition
The application is able to calculate adjustments for images automatically by reading the data on each image. The user does not need to go through the editing process himself and can instead sit back while the application does the tedious editing.
What sets it apart from other image editing applications, such as Adobe Lightroom 3 or Apple Aperture 3, is that it can customize edits for each individual image—according to what it needs—without the user having to specify any changes.
This application automatically corrects lens distortion, color fringing, and vignetting. It also optimizes highlights and shadows, and reduces noise and grain.
It’s fair to say that DxO Optics Pro 6 is unrivaled when it comes to correcting lens distortion and reducing grain from high ISO settings.
In terms of distortion, it can correct a shot perfectly, even if it was taken with a wide-angle lens. With noise reduction, DxO Labs claims their application can out-do the competition by up to two camera stops—meaning photographers could shoot in lower light settings with less worry.
Adjustments to each image are made in accordance with two things: presets that the user determines, and the camera and lens combination used to take each shot.
There is a long list of presets available and users can also create their own. Sorting through options is made easier with a preview feature that lets users see how each preset will affect an image. Presets include HRD settings that work with single images, highlight recovery, and high ISO adjustments for night photography.
The application is also fairly easy to use. A user only needs to choose the images to correct, choose the presets, then set the editing process in motion. It has four tabs: one to select images, one to customize presets, one to process the images, and one to view results.
One of the downsides to DxO Optics Pro 6 is that it takes a long time to correct images. With 17 images loaded, it took an estimated 33 minutes to process at close to two minutes for each image. Another project of 85 images took 2 hours and 45 minutes.
This isn’t so bad when it’s just a handful of images, but when it comes to batch editing a full day’s worth of photos, it starts to add up.
The long wait time is part of the cost when it comes to image editing. If you speak with software developers about noise reduction, for example, they’ll often tell you they have the capability to develop incredible noise reduction, but it ties into how long a user is willing to wait for it to process. Most opt toward shorter waiting times, while DxO Labs leans toward the other end. Images take longer to process, but the results are also stunning. It also saves the user from manually editing each image.
But the application also has its shortcomings. Since it specializes in automatically editing large collections of images, users may need to fine-tune adjustments in another application. DxO Labs is aware of this and provides direct integration with Lightroom. Both applications can pass images to each other.
The application also lacks keywording and advanced features to organize images, so it is not meant to work as a central place to sort and view images.
DxO Optics Pro 6 is best suited for professional photographers or hobbyist photographers who take a lot photos. Although it could work well by itself, it is best suited to work alongside other RAW image editors like Lightroom 3.
The benefit is that it saves a huge amount of time otherwise spent trudging through and correcting individual images, or doing minor batch edits. With this in mind, for anyone serious about photography, DxO Optics Pro 6 is a must-have.
Website: www.dxo.com
Price:
$169 standard edition
$299 elite edition
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