DXO PL3 on sale

digital paradise wrote in post #19038824
Thanks

In addition, sometimes large amounts of correction using the highlights and shadows sliders require a bit of compensation by adjusting the mid-tone slider a bit in the opposite direction. Once comfortable with how the tools work, I find I can accomplish anything I want very quickly. It is more difficult for new users, especially those expecting PhotoLab's tools to work exactly like Lightroom's. A number of users have asked DXO to consider limiting the range of those sliders.

There are A LOT of control options for redistributing tone in DxO PL3 including the maybe not used so often Spot Weighted Smart Lighting and the extensive set of Local Adjustment tools, and specifically, using control points to select the tonal range you want.

Definitely download a demo and see if it fits your needs and workflow. The interface can be daunting but, unlike LR, you can configure it to be as extensive or basic as you want, and can save workspaces so you can quickly switch from one task environment to another (i.e., culling, basic adjustments, retouching).

Kirk

You can put gray scale in DxO and in Lightroom and compare how those sliders are different.

Highlights slider also affects midtones.
Highlights slider in DxO also does not recreate as much highlights as Highlights slider in Lightroom.
Midtones slider affects shadows.
Shadows slider affects all midtones area and slightly blacks.
If you push Highlights slider to the left the image gets dull so you need to push Midtones slider to the right to compensate.

The workflow in DxO is different as the workflow in Lightroom.
One way to develop RAW file in DxO is:
-First; adjust the exposure with Exposure compensation
-Second; adjust highlights and shadows with ‘Smart Lighting’ slider. ‘General Smart Lighting’ adjusts image in general. With ‘Spot Smart Lighting’ you draw rectangles on the image. It’s important how big are those rectangles and where you put them. You need to play and move those rectangles around and change their size to get the result you want. Sometimes it works and sometimes does not.
-Third; make small corrections (fine-tune) with Selective tone sliders (Highlights, Midtones, Shadows and Blacks sliders)
-Fourth; use Contrast, Micro contrast, Fine contrast and ClearView to get back the contrast.
Why? Lightroom does some adjustments ‘behind the curtain’. When you push shadows in Lightroom the photo retain contrast. When you push shadows in DxO you usually get dull image without contrast so you need to move additional sliders to get back the contrast.

Sometimes if you want to push shadows Smart lighting does not work and because of their behaviour those Selective tones slider also does not help. In such cases is best to use Local adjustment and raise exposure where you need to lift shadows.

So; you see. DxO is not as simple to use as someone could think. I could write a lot more.
Download DxO (free 1 month trial version) and play. Try to develop an image made on overcast day and then try to develop an image with wide dynamic range and try to rescue some highlights and push some shadows.

Thank you all for your input. I will check out the links offered above. Much appreciated.
For all intents and purposes I will say I'm starting from scratch with any software that I choose. I have virtually no experience with Lightroom or Photoshop so I will essentially be starting with a clean slate as far as learning DXO which hopefully will be easier than expecting it to have the same features as Lightroom etc.

kirkt wrote in post #19038868
There are A LOT of control options for redistributing tone in DxO PL3 including the maybe not used so often Spot Weighted Smart Lighting and the extensive set of Local Adjustment tools, and specifically, using control points to select the tonal range you want.

Definitely download a demo and see if it fits your needs and workflow. The interface can be daunting but, unlike LR, you can configure it to be as extensive or basic as you want, and can save workspaces so you can quickly switch from one task environment to another (i.e., culling, basic adjustments, retouching).

Kirk

I often use the spot weighted smart lighting to lift shadows before I even think about using the shadow slider. In fact, I don't use the shadow slider a lot and when I do I tend to keep the settings low. I also use local adjustments to target shadows, highlights, and mid-tones in specific areas.

Mathmans wrote in post #19038990
You can put gray scale in DxO and in Lightroom and compare how those sliders are different.

Highlights slider also affects midtones.
Highlights slider in DxO also does not recreate as much highlights as Highlights slider in Lightroom.
Midtones slider affects shadows.
Shadows slider affects all midtones area and slightly blacks.
If you push Highlights slider to the left the image gets dull so you need to push Midtones slider to the right to compensate.

The workflow in DxO is different as the workflow in Lightroom.
One way to develop RAW file in DxO is:
-First; adjust the exposure with Exposure compensation
-Second; adjust highlights and shadows with ‘Smart Lighting’ slider. ‘General Smart Lighting’ adjusts image in general. With ‘Spot Smart Lighting’ you draw rectangles on the image. It’s important how big are those rectangles and where you put them. You need to play and move those rectangles around and change their size to get the result you want. Sometimes it works and sometimes does not.
-Third; make small corrections (fine-tune) with Selective tone sliders (Highlights, Midtones, Shadows and Blacks sliders)
-Fourth; use Contrast, Micro contrast, Fine contrast and ClearView to get back the contrast.
Why? Lightroom does some adjustments ‘behind the curtain’. When you push shadows in Lightroom the photo retain contrast. When you push shadows in DxO you usually get dull image without contrast so you need to move additional sliders to get back the contrast.

Sometimes if you want to push shadows Smart lighting does not work and because of their behaviour those Selective tones slider also does not help. In such cases is best to use Local adjustment and raise exposure where you need to lift shadows.

So; you see. DxO is not as simple to use as someone could think. I could write a lot more.
Download DxO (free 1 month trial version) and play. Try to develop an image made on overcast day and then try to develop an image with wide dynamic range and try to rescue some highlights and push some shadows.

Yes, I agree with all your points. For someone new to Photolab the process can be a little bit daunting at first. Once comfortable with the tools, I found making adjustments is quick and easy. But even after two years of almost daily use, I'm still learning new things.

Quack Me Up wrote in post #19039069
Thank you all for your input. I will check out the links offered above. Much appreciated.
For all intents and purposes I will say I'm starting from scratch with any software that I choose. I have virtually no experience with Lightroom or Photoshop so I will essentially be starting with a clean slate as far as learning DXO which hopefully will be easier than expecting it to have the same features as Lightroom etc.

One thing to be aware of from the very beginning of using DxO is that it makes several automatic, per-image adjustments as the default rendering when you click on a raw image to edit it. Before you make any edits, you can click on the "Compare" button in the upper middle part of the interface to see all of the corrections and adjustments that have been made automagically. There is a preset that you can use called "No Correction" - access it from the Preset collection button in the upper right area of the interface - you can select it to turn off all of the automatic corrections and start from scratch.

Also, some corrections (like lens sharpness, chromatic aberration and noise reduction) will not be visible until you zoom into the image at a level of 75% or higher - then the more intensive rendering corrections will be rendered. These corrections will usually have a little eye icon with a slash through it on the title bar of their controls when their effect is not being rendered due to the screen magnification you are currently employing.

Kirk

Hi Quack Me up;
I think you’re gonna be fine with DxO. It has it’s quirks but in general it’s very nice sofrware.
Could be you will have some troubles at the beginning but you will soon find your way. Just remember; DxO is all about Smart Lighting. You don’t do development with Selective tone sliders. First you set general exposure of the photo with Exposure compensation slider. The next step is Smart Lighting.
I mostly use Spot Weighted Smart Lighting. If needed I do some fine-tuning of the image with small movements of Selective tone sliders.
Next step is ClearView and then Contrast sliders. You usually need to adjust them because DxO doesn’t add contrast and micro contrast to the image by itself like Lightroom does.
I think you’ll find the way.
But first thing first. Download DxO trial and start playing. Then start asking question.

But; to be honest; not all things are ideal in DxO. That’s why I’m also using other RAW converters.
One of the things that bothers me the most is that for some photos you need much much more work in DxO as you need in Lightroom.