An Early Report on DXO PhotoLab 5 Now That Fujifilm Files Can Be Edited In It

The #2317 steam locomotive in the roundhouse in Steamtown National Historical Site. 
This is from an older Fujifilm X-T2 file. One of my test files using DXO PhotoLab 5. (click to enlarge)
Fujifilm X-T2; 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 16mm; 1/12th sec. @ f/8; ISO 3200

A couple of months ago, DXO, developers of a number of fine digital editing software programs (the NIK suite of plug-ins being one they now own that may be familiar), introduced the newest version of their full service RAW converter and image editing program—DXO PhotoLab 5.  A few years ago, I downloaded a trial copy of an older version (v3 maybe?) to test their much talked about Deep Prime noise reduction within the PhotoLab app.  My experiments were conducted using my Olympus image files made at high ISOs.  I couldn't test the image files from my Fujifilm cameras as DXO didn't provide any ability to convert or edit Fujifilm X-Trans files.  With PhotoLab 5, they now do.  After reading this, immediately I became very interested as there are three features in DXO PhotoLab 5 that are very attractive.  

First, over the past many years DXO's engineers have created free automatically downloadable camera/lens correction modules for just about every camera/lens combination available.  What they engineer, in my opinion, is much better than the lens corrections you get with Lightroom or Photoshop.  The DXO corrections include, distortion, vignetting, fixing aberrations but most interestingly, correcting lens' optical shortcomings by improving the lens resolution and sharpness.  It works well, in my experiments.  Especially improving edge and corner sharpness.  That's what you get from specifically creating corrections for specific camera/lens combinations and not just generic corrections.

Second, their Deep Prime noise reduction (now AI based) is excellent.  It seems to be right up there with Topaz DeNoise AI.  In PhotoLab 5 I wanted to know how much it had been improved since I last tested it with the Olympus files.  Topaz, On1 and others started using artificial intelligence.  Will it measure up to these latest and greatest plug-ins?

Third, when round tripping image files from LR to DXO PhotoLab 5 and back to LR, you can have the files return as a JPEG, TIFF or, most importantly, as DNG files.  If you remember, DNG was developed by Adobe as an alternative RAW format to each camera manufacturer's individual and proprietary formats.  If you don't think DNGs are good, then you better tell Leica as that is the only RAW format they offer in their premium cameras.  IMO they are every bit as good as a camera maker's RAW files when it comes to quality.

I planned to test this new DXO release over the winter.  Then, DXO offered a Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal of 50% off all of their software programs and that got my attention.  I downloaded a free trial a week ago to see if it was worth my while to buy the program while 50% off.

Another test file from my Olympus E-M1 Mark II.  I am impressed with the color reproduction.
((click to enlarge)
Olympus E-M1 Mark II; 12-100mm f/4 lens @ 20mm; 1/400th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200

PhotoLab 5 can be used as a standalone program or a plug-in.  As I mentioned, it is full service editing software.  It has all the adjustment features of LR plus some such as a 'smart lighting' and 'exposure compensation' sliders.  However, I primarily wanted to use it as a plug-in with Lightroom Classic.  I began to test PhotoLab 5 with Fujifilm, Nikon and Olympus files from my Lightroom catalog.  I picked a variety of files made with various ISOs, various lenses and various focal lengths.  The Fujifilm files were of primary importance to me as I've never been fully satisfied with Lightroom's RAW conversion.  LR is much better than it was when the X-T1 and X-T2 were current, but other companies, like Iridient and Capture One, have produced much better conversions.

I thought that after my short battery of tests, if I liked primarily how it converted my Fujifilm RAW files by doing a better job than Lightroom currently does, then add in the camera/lens correction modules and Deep Prime noise reduction, I might just buy it while it is 50% off.  

This is something that is important.  When transferring a file to PhotoLab 5 from Lightroom, you must do it through the "Plug-In Extras" menu item otherwise if you use the "Edit in" command, your RAW file will be converted to a TIFF file and you lose the versatility of the DNG RAW format.  Of course, that is what happens when we send files to Photoshop, the Topaz plug-ins or most all other plug-ins.  You lose the versatility of the RAW file when round tripping your image files to other programs.  Returning your files as DNGs, is a huge benefit for editing.

Here are some preliminary findings based on my non-scientific and limited testing.  In general, PhotoLab 5 does a better job in converting RAW files than does Lightroom Classic.  I saw more of the finer detail and more texture in my image files.  As one example, distant pine needles in pine trees looked indistinct in LR but DXO brought out the individual needles clearly.  I won't yet swear to it, but my general sense (and this could change) is that I was able to get more bright highlight detail out of DXO PhotoLab 5 than LR.  In other words, for example, a white painted surface in sunlight with texture—I seemed to be able to see more of the texture in PhotoLab 5 than in LR.  That may mean it brings out more dynamic range in a file but, again, it may not.  Still looking at this.

The PhotoLab 5 Deep Prime noise reduction works as well (preliminarily with the files I sent through) as does Topaz DeNoise AI but without having to fiddle with sliders or different types of noise reduction.  I still think Topaz is more versatile, however, it is nice to have a "one click" solution to noise reduction and not have to experiment with each file as I do with DeNoise AI.

Deep Prime seems to be intricate to the better RAW conversions I see in PhotoLab 5.  I don't know if I am imaging that but it seems that, even with files using low ISOs, using Deep Prime gives a better overall RAW conversion rather than not using any noise reduction or PhotoLab 5's two lesser methods they offer in the software.

This scene had very high contrast.  The tree was fully backlit by late morning summer (July) sun.
I processed it DXO PhotoLab 5 and it did a very nice job holding the deep shadow detail, not
washing out the sky as well as rendering the image with sharp, fine detail. (click to enlarge)
Fujifilm X-T4; 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 18mm; 1640th sec. @ f/8; ISO 160.

PhotoLab 5, when using Deep Prime, seems to take a long time to return the files to LR.  When checking the progress bar, the processing took as short as 26 seconds for smaller Olympus files and long as 56 seconds with the huge 45mp Nikon files but curiously after processing, it seemed as though it took another two or more minutes for the file to actually appear in LR.  I have no idea as to what is happening behind the scenes.  When the image does appear in LR, PhotoLab 5 puts it next to the RAW file in your folder but also places it in a separate DXO Collection so all of your DXO converted files can easily be found.  A nice touch.  The caveat with the speed is that my desktop computer is 9 years old with a 4th generation Intel processor (they are now on their 11th generation) and 24gb or RAM.  Your computer should be much faster.  (I am in the market to replace my computer, but I have not yet decided whether or not to get a new desktop and new laptop for travel or a state-of-the-art laptop with a hub to take the place of both.  In either case, cost is a factor.  Even on Black Friday!)

I didn't realize this until it happened but when a DNG comes back to LR from PhotoLab 5, all of the adjustments you had made to the original RAW file before it was sent to DXO will be applied to the DNG.  So, if you don't want it to automatically be edited as is your original RAW, send it to PhotoLab 5 without any adjustments at all.  Then it will come back as you directed in the DXO export dialog box.

Speaking of the PhotoLab 5 Export dialog box, you have several choices upon export.  You can send you images to PhotoLab 5, edit them to your heart's delight, apply all the optical and noise reduction corrections, sharpening, etc., then they still come back as a DNG to LR with all of your adjustments intact.  When in LR, all of the sliders will be zeroed out so you can perform additional edits if you like.  It acts like a LUT, in a sense.  Second, you can send your file back to LR without anything more than converting the RAW to a DNG.  Third, you can send it back to LR but with only the Deep Prime noise reduction and optical corrections applied.  As I mentioned, the optical corrections are specially designed modules (a very small free download file for every lens and camera combination you may have) that are engineered to eliminate lens distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting as well as correcting some of the optical deficiencies of a lens in the way of edge and corner sharpness.  This last point is huge.  I put files through and PhotoLab 5 definitely made the edges and corners of my image files look better than did LR.  That is a really nice feature.

Additionally, I went all the way back and looked at some of my Fujifilm X-T1 files.  If you used an X-T1 and had Lightroom, you then knew how bad those RAW conversions looked with the 'worms' in fine detail and mushy foliage.  I found two interesting things.  First, looking at those same files in the current version of LR, they look a hundred times better than the version of LR that was available at the time.  So, Adobe has done a significant amount of work on their Fujifilm RAW conversion algorithms.  I know this as I had converted several of those original files to TIFFs back then and then compared those TIFFs directly to how the RAW files currently look in LR.  Second, PhotoLab 5 did a nice job converting those old, first generation Fujifilm files.  Very nicely done.

In conclusion, I like the RAW conversions done with PhotoLab 5 better than I'm seeing with LR.  I like being able to keep a RAW format after round-tripping a file to a plug-in.  Also, I like the idea of being able to more easily use the PhotoLab 5 noise reduction, sharpening and lens corrections as a much more easy and simpler way to improve my image files rather than send them from LR to Topaz DeNoise AI, back to LR, then to Sharpen AI, then back to LR again, all in TIFF format.  I will still use Topaz because it is excellent, but PhotoLab 5 now gives me another option.  More options are a good thing when it comes to editing my image files.

I was impressed enough that I bought the program for $109.50 US.  That was the sale price—50% off.  I would bet they will offer that again in the future.  I think it is worth the hundred bucks to have the capabilities.  One thing I should also mention.  If you buy this program and plan to use Fujifilm's film simulations as we do in LR, they aren't in PhotoLab5.  You would also have to buy DXO's FilmPack program.  They are in the, will integrate directly into PhotoLab 5 and as a bonus you would have access to tens of other film simulations and photographic processes.  Since I plan on using PhotoLab 5 as a plug-in and return my files to LR as DNGs, I will be able to use the Fujifilm film simulations there.

I will continue to experiment and include this new program into my editing workflow.  If I find something that doesn't work out to be as good as I believe it to be, I will certainly let you know.

If you are intrigued by this program, you may want to go to DXO's website and download a free trial version for 30 days.  That is what I did originally and came away pleased that I had found another and somewhat better way to eeek out the best from my image files.

DISCLAIMER:  I have no relationship with DXO or any other company.  I don't have click-through links, advertisements, endorsements, don't receive any commissions, money, in-kind products or services from any company or anyone.  I am not an ambassador, visionary nor something or other 'of light' as others are.  I pay for my software and gear at the same prices that available to you.  I just like to share my knowledge and experience with other photographers so they can enjoy photography as much as I do.  Additionally, I enjoy testing, experimenting and writing!

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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