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A S C R A P B O O K O F S O L U T I O N S F O R T H E P H O T O G R A P H E R
Reviews of photography products that enhance the enjoyment of taking pictures. Published frequently but irregularly.
DxO Releases Optics Pro 9 With Improved Denoising
23 October 2013
DxO Labs has released DxO Optics Pro 9 with Probabilistic Raw IMage Enhancement or PRIME noise reduction technology that, the company claims, adds a full stop in image quality over the competition.
"In contrast to the usual approach of finding a better compromise between image quality and execution speed, we have created a tool whose sole purpose is to obtain the best image quality possible," explained Frederic Guichard, chief scientific officer of DxO Labs.
Optional for Raw images, PRIME processing taps into the GPU, taking several minutes to perform its magic. Our review comparing it with Photo Ninja and Adobe Camera Raw was published this morning.
HIGHLIGHTS
There's more to Optics Pro 9 than the new denoising approach. Here are the highlights:
Image Quality Improvements
- Denoising with DxO PRIME and Standard Denoising
- Improved highlight recovery
- Improved color rendering
Editing Improvements
- Visual Presets
- More efficient workspace
Tweaks
- New export system
- Improved workflow with external apps
- Visual aids for beginners
- New Mac interface
OUR REVIEW
We attended a briefing with Guichard and product manager Laurent Prost then spent about a week processing images with a late beta version of Optics Pro 9.
Our review compares Optics Pro 9 with Noise Ninja and Adobe Camera Raw on select Raw images and runs some underexposed JPEGS through its improved standard denoising.
AVAILABILITY, PRICING
The Standard and Elite editions of DxO Optics Pro 9 for Mac and Windows are now available in the DxO Labs line store (shop.dxo.com) and at photo resellers at a special discount through Nov. 20:
United States:
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Standard Edition: $99 instead of $169
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite Edition: $199 instead of $299
Great Britain (suggested retail prices, including VAT):
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Standard Edition: £79 instead of £119
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite Edition: £159 instead of £239
Europe (suggested retail prices, including VAT):
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Standard Edition: €99 instead of €149
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite Edition: €199 instead of €299
Photographers who acquired a DxO Optics Pro 8 license on or after Sept. 1, are entitled to a free upgrade to version 9. Other customers can benefit from a special discount on their upgrade directly from their customer account through Nov. 20.
A fully-functional trial version of DxO Optics Pro 9, good for one month, is available on the DxO Labs Web site.
See our review for more details. The press release follows.
DxO Optics Pro 9 Introduces Revolutionary PRIME Denoising Technology, Pushes Limits Of High ISO Photography Even Further
With its award-winning and unrivaled image processing quality, DxO Optics Pro definitively emerges as the software of reference for the most demanding photographers
Special introductory offer through Nov. 20
PARIS, France -- DxO Labs announces the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro 9, the major new version of its image-processing software. DxO Optics Pro 9 introduces PRIME, a revolutionary noise reduction technology whose spectacular performance produces detailed and vividly-colored images even under the most extreme shooting conditions.
Based on DxO Labs' exclusive approach of prior calibration of equipment in its laboratories, DxO Optics Pro integrates many powerful tools for automatically processing Raw and JPEG images: precise optical and geometric corrections, intelligent optimization of exposure and contrast, preservation of colors and details. Its numerous presets can be adapted to photographers' personal tastes and will help them bring out the best in their photos in just a few clicks.
Breathtaking images, even at extremely high ISO
Thanks to PRIME (Probabilistic Raw IMage Enhancement) denoising technology, which analyzes the structure of Raw images in depth in order to differentiate between noise and fine details, DxO Optics Pro 9 offers a gain in image quality of up to one full stop over the best noise reduction algorithms currently on the market.
"In contrast to the usual approach of finding a better compromise between image quality and execution speed, we have created a tool whose sole purpose is to obtain the best image quality possible," explained Frederic Guichard, Chief Scientific Officer of DxO Labs. "For each pixel, more than a thousand neighboring pixels are analyzed. This vast exploration allows DxO Optics Pro to identify similar data that can serve to reconstruct image information. Several minutes may be required to do this, but this process takes place in the background, so users can work on other images and projects while they wait for the results."
PRIME technology results in truly spectacular images: noise is suppressed and textures, details and color saturation are preserved, particularly in shadows, for a beautifully natural look.
For photographers who prefer to denoise their images immediately, DxO Optics Pro 9 still offers a newly-improved high-quality "classic" denoising tool that produces finely-detailed renderings quickly, even at the highest sensitivities.
Unrivaled highlight management and color rendering
The exclusive DxO Smart Lighting feature optimizes the overall contrast of an image by intelligently adapting to its contents. This tool has been further improved in DxO Optics Pro 9, which now offers even more powerful highlight management: details that once were thought lost are revealed, even when the information is missing in the original Raw data and colorimetric errors are minimized.
DxO Labs' highly precise knowledge of the way each camera reproduces color allows DxO Optics Pro to emulate the rendering of any camera on Raw images. DxO Optics Pro 9 goes even further by proposing a new color rendering called "DxO Portrait," which preserves skin tones and naturally-saturated colors.
New visual presets
DxO Optics Pro 9's library of presets has been completely redesigned. Portrait, Landscape, Black & White, Single-shot HDR: the new DxO presets respond to different use cases that photographers frequently encounter and are supplemented by "Atmospheres," a new set of creative renderings.
A new visual presets window makes it easier for users choose which preset to apply to their images by letting them preview thumbnails of the rendering effects prior to application.
New export tools
DxO Optics Pro 9 simplifies its workflow by allowing photographers to go directly from customizing their images to using and sharing them.
The "Export to Disk" feature lets users generate and save JPEG, TIFF and DNG images in just a few clicks. The new "Export to Application" feature groups into a single transaction both processing and opening images in an external application, such as other DxO software products or other editors that specialize in photo retouching, panoramic shots, HDR and cataloguing. Finally, the "Export to Flickr" feature adopts this same new approach, letting users process and publish their photos directly online in just one step.
Even more comfortable and productive
The DxO Optics Pro interface has undergone another evolution, with a new workspace that highlights essential correction tools, optimizes vertical space and reorganizes toolbars and palettes in an even more logical fashion. Further, it is now possible to access context-sensitive help directly in the correction palettes.
Availability and special introductory offer
The Standard and Elite editions of DxO Optics Pro 9 for Mac and Windows are now available in the DxO Labs line store (shop.dxo.com) and at photo resellers at a special discount through Nov. 20:
United States:
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Standard Edition: $99 instead of $169
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite Edition: $199 instead of $299
Great Britain (suggested retail prices, including VAT):
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Standard Edition: £79 instead of £119
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite Edition: £159 instead of £239
Europe (suggested retail prices, including VAT):
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Standard Edition: €99 instead of €149
- DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite Edition: €199 instead of €299
Photographers who acquired a DxO Optics Pro 8 license on or after Sept. 1, are entitled to a free upgrade to version 9. Other customers can benefit from a special discount on their upgrade directly from their customer account through Nov. 20.
A fully-functional trial version of DxO Optics Pro 8, good for one month, is available on the DxO Labs Web site.