Back to 9.5 to preserve all the correction applied in DNG @RedZeppelin RZ

DxO PhotoLab Feature requests
1

I work on a Mac and always save the original upgrade installers (.dmg files)

So I uninstalled version 9.7 with great care and a lot of effort (it was a struggle because if any component remains installed on the system, version 9.5 crashes > great fun!!!)

I installed the original version 9.5 from the .dmg file, I did not accept the updates (skip this version) and I also disabled automatic update notifications.

I then sent a series of protest emails to DxO and I recommend you do the same via support.dxo.com

In fact, I’m perfectly happy that you can produce DNGs without data loss, but I don’t understand why the option to preserve all edits has been removed.

I also explained to them that it’s one thing to photograph a velvet shoe and quite another to photograph a hotel room; on the one hand, I need perfection for the catalogue, on the other, I need appeal for clients, and I certainly can’t wait for the perfect day to go and take the photos.

You should write to support too and ask for the options from version 9.5 to be retained; also ask for the installer for version 9.5, precisely because you’re paying for it.

May all those who love working in TIFF be blessed, and may they know that I work that way too, but only when necessary.

Have a good weekend.

2

This was explained by DxO: https://support.dxo.com/hc/en-us/articles/34450035269277-Why-does-DxO-PhotoLab-now-export-DNG-files-with-only-technical-corrections .
See Compressed DNG brought to PL9, but with a bug - #19 by Egregius.
To put it short, translating some corrections from non-linear working colorspace back to camera linear data didn’t work too well with colors (and was probably reported as a bug).

3

Stop making excuses for DxO’s failures. This is a significant misstep.

DxO’s article states Retouch and Red Eye corrections can be done in this “native” linear space but that color corrections cannot. That simply doesn’t make sense as these tools change relative color values and move pixel values in a localized way.

Many image processing programs provide the ability to adjust the gain of the native color channels and white balance in the linear color space globally (as adopted from the video industry). These global adjustments also seem much less computationally complex than localized adjustments such as Red Eye and Retouch. The removal of these color and tone adjustments suggests these seemingly simple color management tools conflict with DxO’s denoise and optical correction algorithms.

This is most essential when processing a group of photos where “exactly” the same color balance is necessary. For me, that is stitching panos, but for commercial photographers that may be an entire project.

4

I’ve read the explanation, I’ve set out my reasons, but to put it bluntly: “Can I keep that bug because it saves me time and therefore money?”

In other words: “If I’ve bought DxO Lab because it exports DNG files with all the edits applied, can you just leave me in peace?”

Or: “If I need a bug, why should I have to get rid of it?” (Imagine below a list of all human discoveries made by chance).

Or: Are there technical, ethical, moral, religious or legal reasons why non-linear data should be banned?

Or: Why was it fine before, so much so that I bought DxO for this very reason?

And in no particular order:

Is there a maximum number of export types allowed?

If I implement a feature, do I have to remove another one?

Are there reasons to lose customers, who remain on version 9.5, due to a technical dogma?

If something works and is useful to someone, can we keep it?

Have I ever said that the new feature that exports to TIFF is wrong? If you want to use it, use it; if you don’t, don’t.

I use DxO for work; if someone uses it to make cherry pits, that’s fine by me, but let me get on with my work.

And to resume my ask:

Please restore the “DNG with all corrections applied” export option (PhotoLab 9.6+)

Hi DxO team,

I’m a long‑time PhotoLab user and I’ve just run into a serious limitation introduced with PhotoLab 9.6 and later.

Until version 9.5, PhotoLab offered two distinct DNG export modes:

  • “DNG (all corrections applied)”

  • “DNG (denoise & optical corrections only)”

This was extremely powerful for those of us who use PhotoLab as the main raw developer and then finish our images in Adobe Camera Raw / Photoshop. The “all corrections applied” DNG allowed us to:

  • Bake all DxO adjustments (noise reduction, optical corrections, tone, color, FilmPack looks, etc.) into a linear DNG

  • Still open that DNG in Adobe Camera Raw with full ACR functionality available on top of the DxO rendering

  • Keep the dynamic range and fine‑tuning tools of ACR, while starting from the DxO‑processed image

From 9.6 onward, the “all corrections applied” mode has been removed, and only the technical DNG (denoise & optical corrections only) remains. I understand from your explanations that this is to avoid color inconsistencies when converting from PhotoLab’s wide‑gamut working space back to camera/native space for a linear DNG. However, removing the option entirely forces users like me to choose between:

  • TIFF export (which bypasses Adobe Camera Raw completely and loses all raw‑level ACR tools), or

  • The reduced DNG that contains only denoise + optical corrections, losing all DxO creative adjustments when the file is opened in ACR.

For many workflows this is a major step backwards. The previous behaviour in 9.5 worked very well in practice and, importantly, it was optional: users who preferred a “pure” technical DNG could choose “denoise & optical corrections only”, while others could knowingly accept the potential color differences and use “all corrections applied”.

Request

Please consider restoring the “DNG (all corrections applied)” export mode alongside the current “denoise & optical corrections only” option. Even a clearly “advanced / use at your own risk” flag would be acceptable. What matters is having the choice.

Right now the only way to preserve the previous, very powerful DxO → ACR/Photoshop workflow is to downgrade to PhotoLab 9.5, which is not ideal for users who also need the improvements introduced in 9.6 and later.

Thank you for considering this – it would make a big difference for users who rely on PhotoLab and Adobe Camera Raw together.

Thank you.

5

Unfortunately, you seem to miss the main thing:

  • ‘all corrections applied ‘ DNG is not a linear DNG at all

It’s a 16bit TIFF embedded in a DNG format, hence:

  • You loose the full editing capabilities of a linear DNG

Also: if you use ACR in Photoshop, it can be used with ANY file format, like TIFF or JPG and so on.

Ian.

6

I know that ACR also opens JPGs and TIFFs, but with version 9.5, DNG files (with all corrections applied) open directly in ACR. Then I save directly in .jpg from there. Try to do the same with a TIFF and…

Assuming you’re right, my workflow saves time: aren’t you also famous for your watches in Switzerland?

7

Just tested ‘all corrections applied’ DNG export in PL8.15/Win. Metadata SubIFD with full resolution image has the tag ‘PhotometricInterpretation’ (253) set to ‘Linear Raw’ (34892). Clearly it’s LinearRaw, not RGB DNG or TIFF. HSL Saturation=-100 setting was reflected in data.

8

Now the question: what means linear raw and all corrections applied?
I change in an image the gamma to 4, Gamma correction is non linear. Save it as dng and open it. The gamma correction has been applied and the value is set to standard 1.
Nef is about 30MB, the dng about 100MB.

George

9

For me, it means I have an efficient workflow and I’m well paid. I don’t need to raise my rates; the speed of my workflow allows me to earn a fair wage.

They pay for what I can do, not for the time it takes me to do it.

10

Why should I stop something which I haven’t even started?

I think DxO’s explanation makes sense, please prove me otherwise.
BTW, RedEye or Retouch are doable in linear space. That said, DxO might return to this topic, given some recent papers…
You may use PL8 for previous functionality, btw.