Support for the Nikon Z6 and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone are some of the new features of DxO PhotoLab 2.2, DxO’s software, on the path to become a complete image-production workflow.
One more contender for the title of “your photo editor with everything included” DxO PhotoLab now reaches version 2.2, and the company behind the product has some new features to share with potential buyers. This new version offers improved performance and additional camera support. The software now adds support capabilities for four new devices: the Nikon Z 6, the Canon EOS R and EOS M50, and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone.
This continues a trend already seen on update 2.1, when DxO introduced support capabilities for three new devices: the highly anticipated Nikon Z 7, Nikon’s first full-format hybrid, as DxO refers to it, the Mavic 2 Pro drone from DJI, the Mavic 2 Pro, a consumer drone from DJI featuring a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 1-inch sensor, and the Fujifilm X-A5, a hybrid camera with a built-in Bayer-filtered CMOS APS-C sensor.
More than 46,000 camera/lens combinations
For the Z 7, DxO PhotoLab 2’s camera/lens combination database includes no less than 200 optical modules. By extension, the software also supports the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S and the NIKKOR F FX lens, which have already been calibrated. The compatibility of the software does not stop there, and DxO engineers are currently calibrating, according to the company, the EOS M50, the Fujifilm GFX 50s and GFX 50r.
DxO claims that the sofware has more than 46,000 camera/lens combinations available. In fact, DxO PhotoLab 2.2 adds no fewer than 3,472 new optical modules to its library, bringing the total number of available combinations to 46,248 — among them the recent NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S and NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S, as well as the CANON RF 24-105mm F4L and the CANON RF 50mm F1.2. The software also includes modules from the Hasselblad X1D’s range of autofocus lenses specifically designed for high resolution: the Hasselblad XCD 21mm F4, the Hasselblad XCD 30mm F3.5, and the Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2. Further, the new version supports the Mavic 2 Zoom, a DJI consumer drone with 24-48mm F2.8-3.8 lenses.
A series of new modules
Version 2.2 of DxO PhotoLab completes its offer for Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony with the following modules:
- Panasonic Leica DG Vario 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH
- Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW
- Samyang AF 35mm F2.8 for Sony FE
- Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art for Nikon F
- Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C for Sony E
- Tamron SP 35mm F1.8 Di USD (F012) for Sony Alpha
- Tamron SP 45mm F1.8 Di USD (F013) for Sony Alpha
- Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4 ZE for Canon EF
- Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4 ZF.2 for Nikon F
- Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm F2 for Nikon F
- Zeiss Loxia 25mm F2.4 for Sony FE
Automatic correction
The company claims that “thanks to the high-quality RAW conversion technology included in DxO PhotoLab 2 and DxO’s scientific calibration process, the photos taken with these devices will be automatically corrected for any optical flaws, such as distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, and a lack of sharpness.”
The improvements in DxO PhotoLab have a goal: the company aims to make the software the choice for many users, and is trying to promote it a complete image-production workflow, able to compete with the popular solutions, from Lightroom to Capture One. Easier image and photo data management is a key element here, and DxO introduced previously a brand-new image and data management system that lets users search for, select, sort, and display images, DxO PhotoLibrary.
Better image search
The DxO PhotoLab 2.1 version improved its image management system by optimizing its database architecture, resulting in significantly faster searches. The Windows version of the software now offers a more detailed search history feature. Any image searches are now saved and available with just one click, even if a new user session is opened. DxO PhotoLab 2.1 also added a file indexing feature to the macOS version of the software, following what was already available on the windows version. This makes the workflow faster in macOS than it was until now.
In terms of photo editing, DxO PhotoLab offers, says the company, “an advanced RAW and JPEG editing solution based on powerful optical corrections and exclusive, automatic correction tools. These tools include the de-noising feature DxO PRIME, the smart exposure optimization feature DxO Smart Lighting, and DxO ClearView Plus, a revolutionary tool that removes haze and increases local contrast within the image.”
Two versions: ESSENTIAL and ELITE
To allow photographers to apply local edits, DxO incorporated Nik Software‘s U Point technology into DxO PhotoLab. This local editing technology lets users perform complex selections, which used to require a significant amount of time and painstaking manual brush work, in just a few clicks. DxO PhotoLab is, according to DxO, the only software to fully integrate U Point technology within a non-destructive RAW workflow.
Lastly, with the introduction of DxO PhotoLibrary, DxO PhotoLab now offers search functions that let users select, sort, and display images based on various criteria. With this latest addition, DxO PhotoLab offers an even more complete photo-editing solution.
DxO PhotoLab 2 users can download this update for free. DxO is quick to point out that “you do not need a subscription to use DxO PhotoLab 2” and that users can install the program on two computers with the DxO PhotoLab 2 ESSENTIAL Edition (priced at $129) or on three computers with the DxO PhotoLab 2 ELITE Edition (priced at $199). Photographers with a license for DxO OpticsPro or PhotoLab 1 can purchase an upgrade license for DxO PhotoLab 2 by signing into their customer account. There is also a fully-functional, one-month trial version of DxO PhotoLab 2 available on the DxO website.