DXO

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HFnotts
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DXO

Unread post by HFnotts »

I have been reading comments on the forum about DXO and have looked at their web site.
I am wondering whether it is worth investing and, if so, which version to go for.
I use a PC and have CS3, LR2 but, generally, use Bridge rather than LR2.
Any comments appreciated.
David Kilpatrick
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Re: DXO

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Optics Pro is very slow and heavy on memory use. If you do not do a lot of high ISO work, or if you don't have the lenses and bodies which match their database, it can be a waste of time. For example, I see that the 28-75mm and 17-35mm KM D lenses are still only supported on the KM D7D and not on the Alpha 900.

You can check the list here:

http://www.dxo.com/uk/photo/dxo_optics_ ... ras_lenses

Actually, they appear to have most of the lens combinations we use, which could make Optics Pro worth considering for batch auto processing of entire shoots overnight - with full CA and geometry correction at source. That would be rather good. Includes the 12-24mm Sigma on 900, the 18-250mm Sony on A700, etc. I may test the 18-250mm Sony with DxO because the cost of the Sigma replacement is a bit daunting, and perhaps the optical corrections will improve the Sony.

DxO Optics Pro also bridges or plugs into Lightroom. I do not fully understand how yet, need to try it.

David
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Re: DXO

Unread post by stevecim »

David Kilpatrick wrote: I may test the 18-250mm Sony with DxO because the cost of the Sigma replacement is a bit daunting, and perhaps the optical corrections will improve the Sony.
David
David if you have the time can you please test the 18-250mm Sony with DxO and the A350 ?
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Re: DXO

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

OK, I'll put the Sony 18-250mm on the A350. It will be interesting to see what it does anyway.

David
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bakubo
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Re: DXO

Unread post by bakubo »

David Kilpatrick wrote:OK, I'll put the Sony 18-250mm on the A350. It will be interesting to see what it does anyway.
Thanks, I am interested too. I see they also support the Sony 11-18mm.... :) Those are the two lenses I use the most on my A700 and possibly will again on an A700 update next year.
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dennismullen
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Re: DXO

Unread post by dennismullen »

David Kilpatrick wrote: DxO Optics Pro also bridges or plugs into Lightroom. I do not fully understand how yet, need to try it.

David
Hi David,

My experience with DxO is the Photoshop plugin is not the way to go. It strips the Exif.
After talking with the DxO tech support people I have found the best way to use DxO is to export the picture as a DNG file and open it in ACR, then Photoshop.
This gives you the use of the tools in all three programs. I keep bridge open to sort pictures and open the DNG file from there. If you select the ARW and DNG file and open them together you can compare them in ACR.

Cheers,
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Dr. Harout
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Re: DXO

Unread post by Dr. Harout »

dennismullen wrote:
David Kilpatrick wrote: DxO Optics Pro also bridges or plugs into Lightroom. I do not fully understand how yet, need to try it.

David
Hi David,

My experience with DxO is the Photoshop plugin is not the way to go. It strips the Exif.
After talking with the DxO tech support people I have found the best way to use DxO is to export the picture as a DNG file and open it in ACR, then Photoshop.
This gives you the use of the tools in all three programs. I keep bridge open to sort pictures and open the DNG file from there. If you select the ARW and DNG file and open them together you can compare them in ACR.

Cheers,
Hi Dennis and welcome to the forum and thank you very much for your input as having newly acquired DxO Pro, I was getting acquainted to it, trying to figure out the question raised by David too, as well as trying to use both DxO and ACR in action together. And there you are.
BTW, I encourage all to view Dennis' site. You'll love it guys. I bookmarked it already. :D
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Dr. Harout
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Re: DXO

Unread post by Dr. Harout »

BTW, DxO is recognizing the 50/2.8 macro as 50/2.8-3.5 (or it's that the macro 50/2.8 is becoming f/3.5 at short distances?) :roll:
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01af
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Re: DXO

Unread post by 01af »

Dr. Harout wrote:BTW, DxO is recognizing the 50/2.8 macro as 50/2.8-3.5 (or it's that the macro 50/2.8 is becoming f/3.5 at short distances?)
In various places on the Internet, the information is floating around that the Minolta AF Macro 50 mm 1:3.5 and (some versions of) the Minolta AF Macro 50 mm 1:2.8 were sharing the same lens id---which is wrong. Still you can find this superstition in several programs that read Minolta lens ids from the EXIF data ... those programs obviously include DxO.

As far as I know, the lens ids of the 50 mm macro lenses are these:
  • Minolta AF Macro 50 mm 1:2.8 (original version)---Lens ID = 25641
  • Minolta AF Macro 50 mm 1:2.8 (re-styled version)---Lens ID = 26381
  • Minolta AF Macro 50 mm 1:3.5---Lens ID = 9
  • Minolta AF Macro 50 mm 1:2.8 (D)---Lens ID = 31
  • Sony SAL 50 mm 1:2.8 Macro---Lens ID = 31
It's the lens id 31 which sometimes is falsely believed to be shared by the AF Macro 50/3.5 also. As you can see from the list above it is shared indeed---but not by the AF Macro 50/3.5.

-- Olaf
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Dr. Harout
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Re: DXO

Unread post by Dr. Harout »

Thanks Olaf. So if DxO includes SAL50M28 in the modules then that would be fixed?
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adakshi
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Re: DXO

Unread post by adakshi »

I use DXO extensively and just DXO, no PS/LR after that. I am happy. Now my old LR processed output looks hazy, not crisp. Somehow I couldn't make LR work like what I want, DXO gives me better color rendition, almost like IDC, or even better, but with a lot more crispness and details. High ISO output is also best I'd say. I like the CA correction and distortion correction.

By the way It is super slow. IDC is rocket compared to it.

Thanks
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Sony A900, A77, SAL-1680Z, SAL-70200G, SAL-135F18Z, SAL-50F14, HVL-58AM
braeside
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Re: DXO

Unread post by braeside »

Mac users be aware that DxO does not work properly in the latest version of Mac OS X (10.6 "Snow Leopard")

You cannot navigate to any files within the DxO window, the only way to load a file is to drag it from the finder into the lower strip of the DxO window.

Hopefully an update sometime soon - especially as they have apparently fixed the green tint in shadows problem on the A900.

Yes it is also super slow, but the results are good. I only use it when I specifically need lens correction or noise reduction.

BTW Sony IDC is also broken in Snow Leopard (no loss to me personally).
David
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Re: DXO

Unread post by braeside »

Support at DxO replied rapidly to my question about Snow Leopard and DxO:
Thank you for writing. While Snow Leopard is not yet officially supported, the test team confirmed that they have tested DxO Optics Pro v5.x under Snow Leopard RC.

They have noted that DxO Optics Pro v5.x is not fully functional on this platform. You may experience unexpected behaviors under the "Select" tab.

We recommend that you not use the "Select" tab functions, but rather browse to find the images that you wish to process using the OS X's Finder. With your mouse, drag and drop the file or files you want to process in Optics Pro into the lower Filmstrip/Project pane in Optics Pro.

We are also aware of start-up problems occurring with v5.x, as well others requiring updating to the Pace Interlok anti-Piracy application for Mac 10.6. Further investigation will be performed as soon as we receive the final release of Snow Leopard to test with.

If you have already installed Snow Leopard and are having trouble starting Optics Pro, please follow this procedure.

When you try to start Optics Pro after installing Snow Leopard, you may get the following message, "Required software extensions are missing".
1) As part of the message above, there is a question of whether you want to go to the PACE site to download the needed extensions. Please accept and Safari will automatically start.
2) Once at the PACE site, please click on the link to 'InterLok MAC OS X extensions installer v5.7.2'.
3) This will download the following file to your system, macextsx.dmg. Now, double-click on this file.
4) When macextsx opens, double-click on 'Interlok Extensions.pkg'. This is the program that will install the extensions on your computer. You will need to type in your administrative password. It appears that the Snow Leopard installation probably removes or changes the needed security extensions.
5) When the extensions installation program has completed running, you can click on Optics Pro and it should start normally. You do not have to reboot.

Of course, as with any update or upgrade, we strongly recommend to our customers that they have a current and complete system backup available.
David
David Kilpatrick
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Re: DXO

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Well, I have bought Snow Leopard, but for the moment it's No Leopard. Staying in its box.

David
braeside
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Re: DXO

Unread post by braeside »

David Kilpatrick wrote:Well, I have bought Snow Leopard, but for the moment it's No Leopard. Staying in its box.

David
Probably wise until all the applications and drivers that you need are available.

I just booted my iMac into the 64bit kernel today and it works fine, though of course the problems with old printer drivers remain.

Rather ironic that Apple's flagship photo app "Aperture" is still 32bit, yet Adobe Lightroom is 64 bit.
David
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