I’m using DXO PhotoLab 8.2.1 on Windows 11. My camera is the Canon R5 Mark II and the Canon RF 100-500mm lens. Lately I have noticed that my results on PhotoLab are not sharp.
I use FastStone Image Viewer to look at my photos to decide which ones I want to edit. I believe I am just using the default settings on FastStone to look at my images, but they are appearing much sharper/crisper in FastStone, than before or after editing them in DXO PhotoLab.
Here is just one example. The first image is viewing the RAW file in FastStone Image Viewer. Photo is zoomed to 120%. The second photo is exported from DXO PhotoLab, Optical Corrections Only, then DeepPRIME XD/XD2s, Global set at 0.10, DXO Smart Lighting Spot Weighted, and a couple of minor changes on the contrast. The PhotoLab image appears much softer to my eye.
I have not had this problem in the past, only in the past few weeks. I figure it must be something I am doing, but I can’t figure out what it is. Any help is appreciated. If you need the original RAW file, just let me know.
To start with, if you are exporting using Optical Corrections Only and there is a lens profile available, the only settings included in the export are “Vignetting”, “DeepPRIME / XD / XD2S”, “Lens Softness Compensation”, “Distortion”, and if you also have Viewpoint, Volume Deformation. All other editing settings are ignored including your Smart Lighting and Contrast settings
When you are viewing raw images on Faststone are you viewing the actual raw files or the embedded previews? The Embedded previews are JPGs.
I exported after making the Smart Lighting and Contrast settings changes. There is a lens profile for the Canon RF100-500, which I have been using for a couple of years.
Now I am confused. Did you export using Export as DNG (Denoise & Optical Corrections Only)? That is what I assumed when you indicated you exported with Optical Corrections Only. If so, did you add the Smart lighting and Contrast to the DNG file and export it again?
To me, the PhotoLab image is sharp but is losing detail in the highlights (particularly the owl’s face) - possibly because of your contrast or color rendering settings. You didn’t say what those settings are, nor did you say what the image ISO is or how much noise reduction you’re applying. For now, try reducing highlights in the Selective Tone palette. You can also add microcontrast or ClearView Plus (just a little bit) to see if that helps. Also try raising Global to +1.00.
None show the owls face as sharp at the embedded jpg on FastStone at any rate (set to display the embedded JPG), PL8 HQ versus DP XD2s versus NO NR all with Lens Sharpness at 1.0.
Sorry I lied about the FastStone setting it was (and still is) (but does FastStone use that setting for the comparison I wonder!?)
RAW photo was taken at 1/2500, f8, ISO 320, 500mm. Noise reduction in PL was DeepPrime XD/XD2s, Luminance 40. I had tried some ClearView Plus and Microcontrast, and also all different Selective Tone highlights, both reducing and increasing to see if that would help. None of those did. I tried raising Global Sharpness, and that helped. However, I had to raise it to 2.5, which seems extremely excessive.
Thank you everyone who has been trying to help me. Another interesting find - I just downloaded the Canon Digital Professional 4 photo editing software from Canon, and when I view the photo in that software, it is also looking much sharper than it does in DXO PhotoLab unless I crank the Lens Softness Compensation almost to its limit in DXO. I have verified that my DXO software does have both my camera and lens profile downloaded.
I’ll not say that you do, but anyways, here it comes: To ne, it looks like you inspect your image with different glasses (kind of Apple and Oranges) and all those different glasses (or apps) do things that we don’t know.
Each app has its developer’s view of what is “right” burnt into its defaults. Set all your apps to “No Correction” and observe how images look. They mostly look different. Some are more or less saturated, sharpened, show embedded JPEGs or previews that have been calculated from RAW image data.
If you really want to compare things, look at them through the same glasses and make sure that you look at an image exported to standardised formats like JPEG or TIFF … and accept that making comparisons can spoil your happiness. (hic)
So what, app XY displays a sharper image? If you want similar acutance from an other app, use its sliders until you get what you need or want.
