[robgo2]

DxO can be used as an external editor in LR, but that bypasses much of the corrections that can only be done on straight out of the camera images.

Actually, it is possible to import image files into DxO from LR, but it only works if no image adjustments have been made in LR. Once adjustments have been made, DxO cannot read the file.

Sometimes when I am working on a large project with many hundreds of images, I prefer to screen them first in LR and flag those which I want to process in DxO. I then select all of the flagged images in the film strip or grid window and drag them directly into a project window in DxO. From that point, I proceed in my normal fashion. It's an extra step, to be sure, but not very difficult or time consuming.

I realize that DxO is supposed to be able to work as a LR plug-in, but I have read that it does not function properly. I have not had the time to test it myself.

Rob

[robgo2]

Rob, I would appreciate seeing your settings. I also appreciate LR2 greatly, and DxO as well. I use PS E6 as my external editor for the odd time I need to do something out there. I am not a particular fan of darkroom work, whether digital or odorous.

OK, here is my custom DxO preset for the K10D:

-Exposure compensation--off
-DxO Lighting--on [Auto Mode--slight, Intensity--70 (default), Black and white points, brightness--default, Preserve shadow--off, Contrast global and local--default]
-Tone curve--off
-Raw white balance--As shot
-Vibrancy--off
-Color rendering--off
-Color modes--off
-Hue/Saturation/Lightness--off
-Multi-Point Color Balance--off
-Geometry--all off
-Sharpness--on [DxO lens softness--on (will only work for supported lenses), Unsharp mask--off]
-Dust--off
-Chromatic aberration--on [Purple fringing--on, Lateral chromatic aberration--on]
-Dxo Noise--on [Luminance and Chrominance--default]

I have found that this preset generally gives me good files to work on in Lightroom. Exposure is reasonable and color has not been altered by DxO, which tends to have garish colors for the K10D. When I process in DxO, I set the output for DNG, and I place the files in a folder that might be labeled xxxDNG. From that folder, I import the files into LR.

This combination of DxO and LR/ACR works so well that I am surprised that more people are not using it. I am sure that similar results could be obtained from DxO and Aperture and possibly other editing programs as well. Last night, out of boredom and just for fun, I processed a number files shot with the K10D and the FA 31 Ltd, which does not have a correction module in DxO. I ran the files both through DxO/LR and LR alone. The differences were striking and entirely in the combo's favor. With supported lenses, the differences are even greater.

Hope this is helpful to you and anyone else who might be curious or interested.

Rob

[Canada_Rockies]

OK, here is my custom DxO preset for the K10D:
... <snip> ...

Hope this is helpful to you and anyone else who might be curious or interested.

Rob

Thank you, Rob! I'll have a serious look at these. I appreciate your efforts.

[falconeye]

-Exposure compensation--off
-DxO Lighting--on [Auto Mode--slight, Intensity--70 (default), Black and white points, brightness--default, Preserve shadow--off, Contrast global and local--default]
-Tone curve--off
-Raw white balance--As shot
-Vibrancy--off
-Color rendering--off
-Color modes--off
-Hue/Saturation/Lightness--off
-Multi-Point Color Balance--off
-Geometry--all off
-Sharpness--on [DxO lens softness--on (will only work for supported lenses), Unsharp mask--off]
-Dust--off
-Chromatic aberration--on [Purple fringing--on, Lateral chromatic aberration--on]
-Dxo Noise--on [Luminance and Chrominance--default]

Just to make a few comments ...

To only use the lens correction module in DxO and leave anything else to LR, you would turn the options OFF I marked in RED -- and turn ON the option I marked in GREEN (well, I don't know, I mean the options for vignetting and distortion, actually).

This is my setting and I run only supported lenses through DxO because the output DNG files are three times as big as the input PEF files.

For these lenses, I actually enable noise reduction with default settings (which are ISO-dependent!) too. Because DxO does a rather heavy noise reduction internally anyway, before applying its lens softness module -- so heavy that it is unusable sometimes at higher ISO! DxO must do this because mathematically, deconvolution gives unpredictable results in the presence of noise. So sometimes, I turn off lens softness for high ISO (like 1600).

The most visible effect from the settings above comes from DxO Lighting On which corresponds to "Automatic" in LR color/level controls.

[Canada_Rockies]

And thanks to Falconeye!

Rob, I have gone over your selections, and most of them make good sense to me. I will leave the Geometry on for vignetting and distortion, as does Falconeye. I find they save me time fixing things later. I also like the keystone corrections in DxO rather than later, definitely a personal preference, and mostly because of the auto crop option. One step with a check box rather than doing an independent crop later.

So, I have changed my default DxO settings and saved them as a K10D preset. I'll try this for a while and see if I need to tweak things later.

Thanks to both of you for your input.

[robgo2]

And thanks to Falconeye!

Rob, I have gone over your selections, and most of them make good sense to me. I will leave the Geometry on for vignetting and distortion, as does Falconeye. I find they save me time fixing things later. I also like the keystone corrections in DxO rather than later, definitely a personal preference, and mostly because of the auto crop option. One step with a check box rather than doing an independent crop later.

So, I have changed my default DxO settings and saved them as a K10D preset. I'll try this for a while and see if I need to tweak things later.

Thanks to both of you for your input.

On my computer, the Vignetting module is separate from the Geometry modules, and I do have it turned on. My mistake on the Distortion module. It is part of the Geometry group, and I have it turned on as well.

Rob

[robgo2]

Just to make a few comments ...

To only use the lens correction module in DxO and leave anything else to LR, you would turn the options OFF I marked in RED -- and turn ON the option I marked in GREEN (well, I don't know, I mean the options for vignetting and distortion, actually)

This is correct, but I like the way that DxO Lighting handles shadow detail, so I want some of that effect, but not too much. It seems to work differently than Fill Light in LR/ACR

Rob

[robgo2]

This is my setting and I run only supported lenses through DxO because the output DNG files are three times as big as the input PEF files.

For these lenses, I actually enable noise reduction with default settings (which are ISO-dependent!) too. Because DxO does a rather heavy noise reduction internally anyway, before applying its lens softness module -- so heavy that it is unusable sometimes at higher ISO! DxO must do this because mathematically, deconvolution gives unpredictable results in the presence of noise. So sometimes, I turn off lens softness for high ISO (like 1600).

The most visible effect from the settings above comes from DxO Lighting On which corresponds to "Automatic" in LR color/level controls.

I use DxO for unsupported lenses, because it still beats the pants off LR/ACR. File size is an issue, but not a huge one.

As I understand DxO Lighting, it both brightens shadows and increases local contrast within them. When applied gently, it can be very effective.

I have no experience with high ISO shooting, so I will have to defer to you on that one. Maybe when I get a K-7, I will have an opportunity to do some.

Rob

[causey]

Hope someone is still subscribed to this thread, because I have this question: what are your DxO presets for unsupported lenses?

[Canada_Rockies]

Hope someone is still subscribed to this thread, because I have this question: what are your DxO presets for unsupported lenses?

Even when the lens is not supported, the body corrections are supported, which does help a bit. My work flow goes DxO > LR > PSE 6 > other specialized tools as needed