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Test Drive: PureRaw 6
3 March 2026
DxO's PureRaw, a preprocessor for Raw files, is a tremendous idea. You can simply add it to your workflow no matter which image editing software application you prefer. And you'll get the benefit of DxO's extensive optics modules corrections to whatever camera and lens combination you shot with.
But much as we wanted to do exactly that ourselves, we were discouraged by the large file sizes PureRaw produced after it added crisp detail to our images.
PureRaw only processes unprocessed Raw files. It will not processed a compressed DNG. But it will process a DNG out of the camera (compressed or not) and a proprietary Raw file converted to uncompressed DNG.
That's changed with the release of PureRaw 6, we learned during a briefing with Cyril Duchêne, product marketing manager, and Nicolas Beaumond, chif products evangelist.
NEW FEATURES
PureRaw 6, like the company's other products, relies on the DxO's database of lens and sensor data that informs its optic modules as well as the machine learning acquired from its voluminous test images.
It effectively handles the denoising, demosaicizing and optical corrections your camera sensor and lens require to optimize the image. In fact, PureRaw performs denoising and demosaicing simultaneously rather than sequentially so you geet noise reduction with detail instead of one or the other.
But PureRaw can function within your current workflow as an image file preprocessor, so you don't have to give anything up (or learn very much) to benefit from it.
PureRaw 6. Lightbox with Before and After comparison.
PureRaw 6. Settings and options.
With this update, the company has made four significant improvements: an compressed export file size, expanded sensor support, AI dust removal and batch parallelization.
FILE SIZE
What happens when you recover detail in an image file? The file gets larger. Much large in the case of PureRaw.
In our table below, an original DNG conversion from a Nikon NEF ballooned from 13.1-MB to 39.0-MB. It's the main reasons we've avoided adding PureRaw to our workflow, where we're mainly making 800- or 500-pixel images for the Web.
But in this version, DxO has added an export option it calls High-Fidelity Compression. That same 39.0-MB export using the new compression formula results in a 7.3-MB export.
FILE SIZE COMPARISON File Software Compression Size DNG from NEF Camera Original Uncompressed Original 13.1 MB Camera Original Adobe DNG Converter Lossy Compression 3.8 MB Camera Original DxO PureRaw 6 Uncompressed 39.0 MB Camera Original DxO PureRaw 6 High Fidelity Compression 7.3 MB Uncompressed
DeepPRIME DNGAdobe DNG Converter Lossy Compression 1.5 MB You can't detect a difference between the two export options just by looking. Even running a Difference filter in Photoshop of the two images layered on top of each other does not show a difference.
Just for fun, we used Adobe DNG Converter to compress the original 13.1-MB DNG with lossy compression. It took 3.8-MB. We also ran the 39.0-MB XD3 export through Adobe DNG Converter with lossy compression and it took 1.5-MB.
SENSOR SUPPPORT
DeepPRIME XD3 (eXtrad Detail) appeared in PureRaw 5 for the benefit of X-Trans sensors only. But with PureRaw 6 it now supports Bayer sensors as well.
This third generation release of XD uses a larger, more complex neural network to eliminate noise as well as recover detail in the original sensor data.
AI DUST REMOVAL
New in this version is AI Sensor Dust Removal, which automatically detects and removes dust spots. The Retouch tool includes a slider to affect the threshold for determining what's dust.
We asked if it also previews what is going to be touched up. But for that you have to compare the Before and After images. Which makes us a little nervous.
BATCH PARALLELIZATION
Batch processing is common in many utilities. It allows you to specify a file list for the utility to operate on. You just sit back and wait for the utility to get through the list.
With PureRaw 6, there's less sitting back because it not only batch processes your list but it does it in parallel.
MORE
There are a few other features you may appreciate included in this update:
- A widget can automatically detect when you mount external storage devices
- Drag and drop or right click to select files to process
- A Lightroom Classic plug-in is included
- Photoshop Smart Filters are integrated so the product functions like Camera Raw
- Advanced renaming options
- Automatically send output to any image editing software
STILL MISSING
In our 2022 review of PureRaw 2 we suggested a command line interface for PureRaw to make it scriptable. We wrote:
Here's what a command line might look like from a
$prompt:$ pureraw -m deep -o dng -d dxo
$ pureraw -m hq -o jpeg -d /Users/User Name/Pictures
$ pureraw -m prime -o jpeg -d dxoThen we bemoaned the large file sizes PureRaw's conversion produced and the time it takes to process them, which we calculated as 4.5 hours for 35 Raw images.
That was in 2022 on an Intel processor with PureRaw 2. On Mac silicon in 2026 with PureRaw 6, it may be time to revisit this option. It could easily be rolled into an Apple Shortcuts or Keyboard Maestro macro. And that could be tucked into an image gestation routine so all your Raw files from any shoot would benefit from this preprocessor.
A COMPARISON
We were curious, though, to compare this tool relying on lens and sensor metrics to massage the life out of a Raw file to the approach Adobe Indigo takes to manipulate iPhone camera captures.
There are a couple of disclaimers to keep in mind, though. At 500 pixels on the long side, these are thumbnail comparisons, which greatly disadvantages what PureRaw has done. And then, too, we didn't shoot the images at the same time or (obviously) with the same hardware. They're certainly similar shots but not precisely equivalent.
Still, we find the comparison instructive.
Both approaches represent improvements. PureRaw massages the Raw file data to bring out details not immediately apparent. Indigo makes this difficult hand-held shot look like it was taken on a tripod. Both of them rely on artificial intelligence to do something special with the raw data.
But where you take either image is up to you in post processing. Both of these images were tweaked in Camera Raw but they aren't equivalents.
They show, we think, two significant approaches to image processing, both in handling raw data, one on the desktop and the other in the camera. PureRaw can't, in a single image, do what Indigo does with multiple ones, but it may just be as optimized as you can get out of the camera.
PRICE, AVAILABILITY
Available directly from DxO today, a PureRaw 6 perpetual license is $139.99, €129.99 or £119.99 with upgrades from either PureRaw 4 or 5 available at $89.99, €79.99 and £74.99.
You can save 15 percent using the discount code PhotoCorners at checkout.
A 14-day free trial is also available.
We find it an excellent preprocessor for Raw data, worth everyone of our highest four-corner rating.
DxO PureRaw 6 Redefines Image Quality with DeepPRIME XD3 for Bayer Sensors and Dramatically Reduces DNG File Sizes
Photographers will also benefit from AI-powered sensor dust removal and powerful workflow upgrades.
PARIS -- DxO, the global leader in Raw image processing, today announces the release of DxO PureRaw 6, the essential first step of every Raw photo workflow, guaranteeing sharper, cleaner, more detailed images and giving photographers unparalleled freedom. Released today, version 6 extends DeepPRIME XD3 -- previously exclusive to X-Trans sensors -- to deliver its groundbreaking noise reduction and detail extraction for both Bayer and XTrans cameras.
DxO PureRaw 6 also brings a host of intelligent improvements: game-changing new DNG compression that delivers Raw quality at a fraction of the file size; AI sensor dust removal that cleans entire batches of images; and powerful workflow improvements.
"DxO PureRaw 6 continues our mission to push the boundaries of what's possible in Raw image processing," said Jean-Marc Alexia, VP of Product Strategy at DxO. "With this release, we've made extraordinary image quality more accessible than ever. DeepPRIME XD3 extends the power of our neural network to every camera type, while workflow improvements give photographers a faster, smarter and more enjoyable experience from start to finish. It's the essential first step of every Raw workflow."
DeepPRIME XD3: The new benchmark in Raw processing
DeepPRIME XD3, previously exclusively for X-Trans sensors, marks a major leap forward in Raw image quality by now extending its groundbreaking technology to Bayer sensor cameras.
An extension of DxO's renowned DeepPRIME technology, DeepPRIME XD3 is designed specifically for the most demanding files captured under challenging conditions. It produces cleaner, sharper images than ever before, extracting phenomenal detail while maintaining natural textures and colors. It brings professional-grade clarity to every file, from high-ISO night scenes to finely detailed landscapes, establishing a new benchmark for what's possible in Raw conversion.
Next-level DNG compression: Raw power, smaller files
DxO PureRaw 6 redefines efficiency with new High-Fidelity Compression, delivering RAWquality output in DNG files up to four times smaller than standard uncompressed versions.
This breakthrough means that photographers no longer need to compromise between quality and storage. DxO's intelligent compression technology maintains the full dynamic range and flexibility of a Raw workflow while dramatically reducing disk usage. Large-scale processing and archiving become faster, lighter and more efficient than ever.
AI sensor dust removal: Automated perfection
DxO PureRaw 6 brings effortless image cleanliness with the introduction of AI Sensor Dust Removal -- the most advanced and accurate automatic dust-spot correction available. By harnessing the power of AI, PureRaw 6 intelligently identifies and removes sensor dust marks across entire batches of images.
Users can fine-tune the cleaning threshold for total control, while automation eliminates the need for tedious manual retouching. The result is a spotless workflow that saves time and preserves image integrity, even when processing thousands of photos at once.
Faster processing: Batch Parallelization
DxO PureRaw 6 accelerates high-volume processing with new batch parallelization, intelligently preparing the next image before the previous one is finished. The result is dramatically faster throughput and smoother handling of large sets of files -- a powerful boost for demanding workflows.
Price and availability
DxO PureRaw 6 is available today from the DxO Web site for macOS and Windows machines:
A 14-day free trial is also available.
- New license: $139.99, €129.99, £119.99
- Upgrade from DxO PureRaw 4 or 5: $89.99, €79.99, £74.99
