PhotoLab 7 - Evolution Compared to Versions 6 and 5

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

What you see is what you get? I re.installed DPL versions 5 to 7 and activated them in their original state - without FilmPack and ViewPoint.

Looking at the righthand dock where the tools reside in customize view, I captured the three apps side by side, DPL5 at left, DPL7 at right:

Comments

• The number of tools has changed
• A few tools have been added
• A few tools have been renamed (and changed within, which can’t be seen in the screen)

Notable changes from version 5 to 6

• New working colour space
• Soft proofing
• Perspective correction, was part of FilmPack for a long time, is now part of PhotoLab

Notable changes from version 6 to 7

• Colour rendering
  → New tool name
  → New feature: create .dcp profiles by analysis of supported colour checkers
• Colour grading with colour lookup tables
  → Provided LUTs
  → LUT import feature
• Possible bug:
  → Presence of the FilmPack channel mixer
• Local adjustments
  → Replacement of the “equalizer” by the set of tools in the sidebar
  → Added functionality, e.g. HSL
  → New masking features (and issues)

[Grebstad (Stein Grebstad)]

The direct support for colour targets is a really important feature that will save hours and hours of messy fiddling.

[mwsilvers (Mark - New Jersey, USA)]

It addition, in PL 7, when a lens module is available, the “Lens sharpness” sliders have been renamed to “Lens Softness correction”.

Mark

[Egregius ([Greg] (Micro 4/3 + Win11))]

@platypus

Possible bug:
→ Presence of the FilmPack channel mixer

That is not a bug. PL7 now offers it without needing a FilmPack license. This is due to the enhanced focus on black-and-white photography within PL7 through a reorganization of the interface.

[Egregius ([Greg] (Micro 4/3 + Win11))]

There are also some smaller feature enhancements in each release that might be worth mentioning. Not clear where DxO will go next, but I find it interesting to track the movements.

PL7 additions:

• new color-choosing tool for mask color and watermark color.
• DxO Style preset
• option to “download all” found optics modules.
• relocation of Saturation and Vibrancy to the HSL tool, with some changes in behavior.
• additional camera renderings.

PL6 also adds:

• DeepPRIME XD.
• Retouch tool improving repair/clone functions.
• More support for metadata.
• Project hierarchies and organization.

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

@Egregius

PL7 now offers it without needing a FilmPack license

… channel mixer simply has no effect here, no matter how I made images B&W…

Other than that, the tool should loose its FilmPack prefix.

[Egregius ([Greg] (Micro 4/3 + Win11))]

That might be a Mac bug (my Windows installation doesn’t have these problems: the subpalette is called “Channel mixer” and works fine) or a problem with custom workspaces bringing in old interface elements from PL6.

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

No custom workspace. Everything was installed from scratch and only DPL activated.

What tool do you use to make an image B&W?

[Egregius ([Greg] (Micro 4/3 + Win11))]

In PL7 (Win), the new method looks like this:

Granted, I do have a temporary FilmPack license activated. But that shouldn’t matter. As soon as I select the B&W icon at the top of the palette, the image becomes black and white and the channel mixer may be used as desired. The channel mixer works in color mode, also, but of course that’s not what it’s intended for.

[bobrocke (Bob - Midway, GA, Mac, OM System)]

I suppose the DxO development team is small, but the version-to-version improvements seem pretty small. And certainly true of v6 to v7.

If I were to stick with PhotoLab, I’m likely to have to wait many years for the features I want.

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

@bobrocke

likely to have to wait many years for the features I wan

Probably, but how about other apps? Will their developers implement the features we propose within a short time - or do we have to revise our expectations?

[bobrocke (Bob - Midway, GA, Mac, OM System)]

@platypus

Probably, but how about other apps?

It seems like Photo RAW, in particular, adds a bunch of changes during a year. Others, maybe not so much, but their feature sets are far more complete than PhotoLab’s.

[kualilo]

When Apple RAW? Apple RAW has been around quite a while now. With iPhones now capturing 24mp by default and 48mp when chosen, DxO need to get this done.

[Egregius ([Greg] (Micro 4/3 + Win11))]

Is this is the feature request topic you’re looking for?

Apple ProRAW

Support for the upcoming new RAW format starting with iPhone 12 Pro. Let’s have a look if it is worth it ? Maybe it is an iOS only or macOS compatible format / toolkit. Windows ?

[kualilo]

There seems to be a few threads on this. I’m just trying to make some noise to get DxO to take this more seriously, especially now that better iPhone cameras are out and will continue to improve in the near future.

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

DxO has stopped adding mobile phone support quite a while ago and i doubt that we’ll see it back soon - except (and maybe) as a new, separately payable application.

@kualilo

especially now that better iPhone cameras are out and will continue to improve in the near future.

…there is no need to put effort into something that is getting better all by itself

[eriepa (WIN11, PL8, FP7, VP4, NIK1)]

@platypus

DxO has stopped adding mobile phone support quite a while ago and i doubt that we’ll see it back soon - except (and maybe) as a new, separately payable application.

DxO is already years behind LR, RAW Power, etc. on this front. If they try to play catch up OK, if they don’t, I’m OK with that too. Workarounds are available and probably better than anything DxO might come up with anyway.

[kualilo]

LOL. Now if only we can make believe that is true on the DxO side too.