DxO PureRAW

DxO just (OK, a week ago but I found out today) released a stand-alone RAW converter that in essence consists of the demosaicing, denoising, and lens correction engine of the DxO PhotoLab software. Output from this converter is either JPG or DNG; you can also export to LR and PS directly.

 

The user guide is available here: DxO PureRAW User Guide

 

I just tried the converter on a few images. Here's is a comparison (strictly as FYI, I have no connection to DxO) of a shot taken with the D500 and 500PF lens, ISO 4000, processed with AdobeCameraRAW:

Every image was cropped at the pixel level to 1500x1500px, then exported at 1000x1000 for upload to PN.

Here's the same image after using Topaz Denoise AI:

Here's what results using DxO PureRAW with HQ denoising:

DxO PureRAW with PRIME denoising:

 

DxO PureRAW with DeepPrime denoising:

All the DxO PureRAW images above were exported as JPG, quality 100%. This one was processed with DeepPrime denoising and exported as DNG, then processed via AdobeCameraRAW and photoshop to create the JPG file:

Here's another sequence, same camera an lens but ISO 12800:

ACR/PS:

 

Topaz Denoise AI applied to above image:

And this one is DxO PureRAW with DeepPRIME denoising:

I own but hardly ever use DxO PhotoLab 4 - simply because it is not convenient for me to import images into it first, do some processing, and then export them to finish processing in photoshop. This new standalone program makes the process a little more convenient. Just drag the images to be processed into the program window and let the program run (single image or batch) - there's no user input required (except at the beginning and end of the process). At the beginning, if the lens/camera is not yet saved in the program, one needs to download the lens correction module. Then select the denoising method as well as the output format. At the end, one needs to choose what to do with the results (review, export to an application). If one uses a camera/lens combination that DxO has no module for, then the program can't be used.

 

EDIT: ignore the images below - I don't know why they are there and I can't delete them.

 

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Dieter Schaefer

Using the full DXO Photolab 4 allows you to make adjustments to the Deep Prime process before applying and exporting, unlike DXO PureRaw though, no?

ull DXO Photolab 4 allows you to make adjustments to the Deep Prime process before applying and exporting

Just two sliders - controlling the amount of luminance noise reduction and affecting the number of dead pixels (never tried that one). Preview of the result is only in a small window - not very convenient.

There's more control for the PRIME denoising option.

In DxO PureRAW there's no control whatsoever.

If you use DXO-PL4 , Elite version, (not Essential) you have Deep Prime as one of your options for noise reduction. It gets applied to the full image when you Export the image like when you are making a Tiff or a Jpeg. (I do not know if the processed RAW file retains the noise reduction changes after Export. I will have to check some of my files. )

 

Robin Whalley has a video on Pure Raw. Check it out:

 

PhotoJoseph has a Noise Reduction comparison webinar on Deep Prime, Topaz and Photoshop. Check it out too.

 

So, I've used DxO PhotoLab and its predecessor since 2008, so I've used DeepPrime since it was brought out in 2020, as part of PhotoLab 4. The only thing that worries me about PureRAW is that I've read that you can't adjust Luminescence levels. For feathers and fur I turn down Luminescence to preserve more feather detail. I turn it down to 20 or less and then add Fine Contrast at around 15. The samples shown in this tread look great, but I find that my small adjustment are even better. Don't understand why they don't allow that with PureRAW.