Thank you to DXO for what you do

DxO PhotoLab
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Being a hobby photographer for a short while now, I have come to appreciate just how much I value the way DXO brings my photos to life. At the start of my journey I looked into Adobe, Capture 1, and a few others, and found myself choosing DXO. Why, well it suited my style of working, gave the results I was looking for, and I could afford it. C1 is a great tool but it was too expensive for me. I did not like the subscription model of Adobe as I am retiring soon and I was concerned there would be a time I had to stop paying and I would then lose most of what Adobe offers. Does this mean DXO is perfect? No, but it gets better with age just like a good bottle of red wine.

Reading these forums is a great way to learn from others and especially from @Joanna who has a wealth of experience. Many have some great ideas for improvement and lay it out constructively, and again you learn from these comments (even those comments around price). May these conversations keep going and I am sure DXO do consider these comments (even if it takes a while).

But to those who use this platform to tear into the staff at DXO because of issues they have, or rip DXO apart because it does not perform to their liking or have features like Adobe or C1 does, or complain disrespectfully about the cost, need to mind their behavior. There is no need to vent in this manner and all it shows is your true character. Adobe, C1, and others are different tools and if you don’t like DXO then move on. If you can constructively talk about some improvements and why, then as noted above the conversations become really interesting and we all learn and respect your ideas.

But if you can’t then I am sure there are many like myself that would ask that you respect the team and the working that they do, and leave the forum. If you don’t like something then move on. And if you are wondering, I have no connection to anybody at DXO, it is just that I don’t like the way the minor few are vehemently venting on this forum with such disrespect.

Therefore, I would like to say thank you for what the staff do, and for the the product being developed. Long may the great constructive conversations continue, long may PL improve, and thank you to the team at DXO. There are many who appreciate what you do, so thank you.

25 Likes
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I do.

The renewal / sales period is now over.
We’ll be able to take part in some interesting discussions.

Pascal

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This is exactly what I think and feel!

Claude

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…and some interesting bundles have reappeared:

Bildschirm 2023-11-30 um 10.50.20.940
Bildschirm 2023-11-30 um 10.50.20.9401920Ă—1500 180 KB

Make sure to check editions and requirements before you buy!

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@akirstein I applaud your post, but and you knew a “but” was coming!

I use DxPL and have done for many years, since free copies of DxO OpticsPro 8 and 9 and then a purchase of DxO OpticsPro 11 and all copies of PhotoLab in between. I don’t “own” or “loan” (subscribe to) Capture One or Lightroom, I have used them to test DxPL keyword handling, but I do have licenced copies of ACDSee, Paintshop Pro and Affinity but more out of "sentimental " attachment than anything else and update irregularly.

However, while I find DxPL fits my style of editing exactly, the amount of testing I do on that product leaves me despairing when a new batch of users encounter issues that I and others have been highlighting for years.

DxO ignore the faults that are encountered, make no attempt to fix them or engage with users in the forum to develop an appropriate fix, while they also seek to add new features for another catch up with the competition and/or appeal to the next batch of “converts”.

The complete lack of any meaningful engagement with users and testers, except via the support process, is lamentable and with so many knowledgeable and committed users available in the forum an utter waste.

Any knowledge I have gained about the inner workings of the product have been gained either from other users or empirical analysis. DxO never commented on the “Unwanted Virtual Copies” issue albeit there is now a section available https://support.dxo.com/hc/en-us/articles/6626021486493-Why-does-DxO-PhotoLab-automatically-create-a-virtual-copy-of-some-of-my-images-Windows-only-.

The “problem” is easy to fix in DxPL but it is not a headline grabber, rather it points to a rather negative “foible” in the product which has been there since the beginning of time!

This is just one of a number of issues that should have been addressed a long time ago!

So while I appreciate the efforts of the developers, I despair at the lack of progress on such issues.

None of this will make me stop using the product that does what I want in a way that I like, but that appreciation of the product only heightens my frustrations when I see issues continue year after year as prices rise.

My “disrespect” is borne out of frustration with someone in DxO, not the developers, who are actually “holding the product back” by their apparent “indifference”.

The lack of meaningful dialogue and apparent “pig headedness” when it comes to resolving some of the longstanding “features” of the way the product works are lamentable! Since I know what those issues are I can continue to avoid them or help others when they encounter them but some are difficult to fix once encountered, i.e. the software should help avoid the problem in the first place, that is the mark of good software engineering!

@akirstein Andre keep believing, as I do, but sadly all is not “sunshine and light” when it could so easily be!!

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Its not just historical “longstanding “features”” that is annoying. It can be problems leading to DxO removing rather than sorting a problem. The loss of Sony automatic focuses distance for Version 4 (admitted when many customers noticed it had gone) due to a “problem”. This appears to have been recently sorted 4-5 years later in new Sony Cameras (at least those from late 2022) which are again reading focusing distance.
But the older ones are still waiting for the updated modules which we have been told will be done for the end of 2023 (over a year after other new Sony cameras were doing the full range of automatic lenses corrections) and 5 years from there removal (pointed out on this forum due to reading the RAW data in the wrong area).

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Last 5 years have been good for me. Thank you DxO for making my workflow and images better.

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Hear hear! A big thank you to DXO and the DXO staff for making such a great product! Happy Holidays, and a successful 2024.

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In general I agree with you (I always liked DXO PL VERY much and I think they do a fantastic job…in general), but at least that issue with that dreadful continuous spinning beachball with “Correction Review” should be repaired/solved (possibly only a problem for Mac users in version 7.1.1.38).
With this freezing the whole program, I’ m not able to work in PL7 anymore.
So please…firmware update??

1 Like
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Firmware is the software installed into hardware devices to control them. So I assume you just mean a PhotoLab software update.

Mark

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Yes. Whatever it takes to solve this issue.

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Welcome in the great DXO family, @akirstein !