DxO Adds Powerful New Tools to PhotoLab 6 and ViewPoint 4

DxO has announced updates to its PhotoLab 6 and Viewpoint 4 software packages adding artificially intelligent (AI)-powered features and new tools for photographers.

PhotoLab 6 adds powerful new artificially intelligent (AI) technology to its denoising, advanced color management, improved retouching tools, and several refinements to its library system, while ViewPoint 4 adds a new powerful ReShape tool for local adjustments, improved cropping and rotation, better guides for enhanced alignment, a more refined user interface, and the addition of full Apple Silicon support.

The most prominent feature in this latest flagship edition of DxO PhotoLab(6) is DxO DeepPRIME XD (Extreme Details), an AI-powered RAW conversion technology that, according to the company, “redefines industry standards for denoising and detail enhancement.” This new mode will allow for much greater detail retention and noise reduction in photographers’ RAW files shot with high, and extremely high ISO settings. Leveraging machine learning, the software can remove noise, retrieve previously unseen details, and restore vibrant natural colors to images that would have otherwise been archived and unused.

The company says the DeepPRIME XD uses a neural network that has been trained using billions of image samples and can provide photographers improvements of more than 2.5 stops. Meaning an image shot at 4,000 ISO will look closer to an image captured at 500 ISO in terms of color, clarity, and overall noise. The company also says that since it is connected directly to the RAW conversion process, the DeepPRIME XD can also increase the dynamic range in RAW files allowing photographers to have greater flexibility when shooting in low-light situations. The original DeepPRIME mode will still be available for users who want a faster overall enhancement on images that need fewer adjustments.

“We were thrilled by the response to DeepPRIME in DxO PhotoLab 5, but we knew we could do more” explains DxO’s VP of Marketing and Product Strategy, Jean-Marc Alexia. “The new DeepPRIME XD has been a year in development and the AI has literally been teaching itself how to do its job better. The results speak for themselves.”

In addition to the greatly improved noise reduction tools, PhotoLab 6 also introduces a re-engineered color processing algorithm that enables users much greater control over their color management as well as an expanded working color space. With the addition of these tools and a new “soft-proofing” mode, users can ensure color accuracy throughout their entire workflow so their images will look exactly the way they want for both the screen and fine-art printing.

PhotoLab 6 will also see a new ReTouch tool added to the application that the company says extends the capability of healing and cloning well beyond that of other RAW processing software with the ability to mirror, rotate, scale, or use brushes to fine-tune areas they’re editing into a more accurate shape. This new tool/workflow should allow users to take fewer trips outside of DxO PhotoLab for complex cloning/healing tasks and keeps each step non-destructive.

The updated software will also see improvements made to the library system for a smarter workflow with an extended range of EXIF and IPTC tags, nesting for projects, and color labels for easier organization of images. Finally, the updated software will include an expanded and improved camera and lens profile library (now covering more than 77,000 camera and lens combinations) that is automatically downloaded/updated to DxO PhotoLab 6, giving users some of the most precise optical corrections in the industry.

The latest addition of lenses includes the Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM, Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8, HD Pentax-D FA 21mm f/2.4 ED Limited DC WR, HD Pentax-FA 31mm f/1.8 LTD, 43mm f/1.9 LTD, and 77mm f/1.8 LTD, as well as the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C, 35mm F2 DG DN | C, and Sony E 11mm f/1.8.

“We’re committed to giving photographers the best possible results from their gear, and we’re delighted to add these nine new lenses,” explained Marie-Catherine Fargnoli, DxO Product Owner, and Laboratory Manager. “DxO has never used off-the-shelf lens corrections and no other software company matches the quality that we’re able to achieve through the work carried out in our laboratory”

The ViewPoint 4 update contains powerful new tools that allow users to perfect their shots down to the tiniest of details. The software gives photographers control over the perspective and geometry of their images, and with the addition of the new ReShape tool for local adjustments, it got even more useful. This new tool will give users the ability to fix imperfections in framing, adjust optical flaws, and rebalance subjects in their images better than ever before.

Available as a stand-alone solution or as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop (Elements and Lightroom Classic), the ReShape tool will let photographers warp specific regions of an image as well as provide the ability an enhanced crop and rotation functionality with the addition of new and much-greater-controlled guides for precise adjustments. This includes things like the ability to realign a crooked architecture detail or a broken pattern so that the images can have a “greater impact and balance”.

Fabrizio Dei Tos, Product Manager at DxO, explains: “We created ViewPoint 4 as the next step in DxO’s continued pursuit of optical and imaging perfection. The ReShape tool is the best solution out there for warping local details, and provides a truly powerful solution for photographers. ViewPoint 4’s other upgrades expand and refine its usability, so whether you’re perfecting architectural images, ensuring distortion-free landscapes, or improving group portraits, this is the software you need.”

In addition to this powerful new feature, ViewPoint 4 also includes the ability to quickly flip and mirror images, as well as provide enhanced integration between the crop and horizon tools for a smoother workflow when making these adjustments. This also includes the ability to add guides for more accurate adjustments in vertical and horizontal lines.

DxO PhotoLab 6 is available in Essential or Elite editions for $139 and $219 respectively. DxO ViewPoint 4 is available for Windows and macOS for $99. Upgrade versions are also available to existing users at a reduced price. Both applications can be purchased from the DxO webstore. A full one-month trial of DxO ViewPoint4 and PhotoLab 6 is available from the DxO Website.