[Fenwoodian]

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Today I downloaded a trial copy of DxO PhotoLab. I've been processing DNG RAW files from my K1 with it.


To my surprise, the current version of PhotoLab does NOT include the NIK Collection of plugins (even though DxO owns both of these image editing softwares).

If PhotoLab were to include the NIK Collection I would buy it.

I emailed DxO customer service this question - I would LOVE to be able to use the NIK collection of plugins in DxO Photolab. Do you ever plan to integrate NIK collection into Photolab, and if so, when?

I received the following response from them within 15 minutes - We do not have any information about this integration at this time. I am happy to pass along your interest to our developers!

In the last couple of weeks I've asked DxO customer service a couple of other questions. Each time I received virtually the same answer - we don't know anything, but we'll pass along your interest to our developers.


Without the NIK Collection embedded into PhotoLab, there is no way that I'll be purchasing PhotoLab.

[disconnekt]

Most of the time the "customer service" really doesn't know anything, especially if something is gonna be compatible with another thing else until management tells em "Hey, this is a thing. Here's general info to tell people."

They may announce something about compatiblity info between the two systems in a couple months.

[Des]

DxO are now selling their version of the Nik Collection: Homepage - Nik Collection by DxO. It's curious that it works as a plugin with Photoshop, PS Elements and Lightroom, and as a stand-alone application, but isn't yet integrated with PhotoLab. DxO have incorporated Nik's U-point tech into PL, but integration of the Nik Collection with PL only seems to be under consideration: NIK Integration - Which feature do you need? - DxO Forums

[Fenwoodian]

They may announce something about compatiblity info between the two systems in a couple months.

Where did you hear that????

[disconnekt]

Where did you hear that????

I'm just saying, I figure both of their own programs will have to work together at some point right? Where one workes like a plug-ing for the other or like how you're able to use Adobe LR & Photoshop together when editing a photo.

Would be dumb for both programs not work with each other somehow, especially since DXO owns both programs.

[Madaboutpix]

To my surprise, the current version of PhotoLab does NOT include the NIK Collection of plugins (even though DxO owns both of these image editing softwares).

Er, having integrated Nik's U Point technology - as an implementation of PhotoLab's new local adjustment tools - does not mean having integrated the whole Nik Collection of plugins.

I'm actually finding the local adjustment tools pretty effective, and in the latest v1.2, they have been more intuitively grouped and expanded.

I assume truly integrating the two different lines of software, if at all planned, will take considerable development time.

[Larrymc]

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Today I downloaded a trial copy of DxO PhotoLab. I've been processing DNG RAW files from my K1 with it.


To my surprise, the current version of PhotoLab does NOT include the NIK Collection of plugins (even though DxO owns both of these image editing softwares).

If PhotoLab were to include the NIK Collection I would buy it.

I emailed DxO customer service this question - I would LOVE to be able to use the NIK collection of plugins in DxO Photolab. Do you ever plan to integrate NIK collection into Photolab, and if so, when?

I received the following response from them within 15 minutes - We do not have any information about this integration at this time. I am happy to pass along your interest to our developers!

In the last couple of weeks I've asked DxO customer service a couple of other questions. Each time I received virtually the same answer - we don't know anything, but we'll pass along your interest to our developers.


Without the NIK Collection embedded into PhotoLab, there is no way that I'll be purchasing PhotoLab.

Their integration of U Point Technology is part of their Local Adjustments. Have you tried those they work great. With the exception of the NIK RAW presharpener, NIK collection has always been a add on program and I do not think its designed to work with a RAW editor only JPEGs. Give PhotoLab Elite a shot for the trial period you have nothing to lose. I use my NIK collection as a stand alone by dragging and dropping an image on to the particular Icon you want to use. Say you want to use SilverEFEX for a monochrome effect then just drag and drop the .jpg file on to the SilverEFEX icon and do your editing then click save and you have the edited image. With PhotoLab you don't really need the Dfine2 feature just do your noise reduction in PhotoLab its a much better noise reduction.

Larry

[rawr]

DxO have incorporated Nik's U-point tech into PL, but integration of the Nik Collection with PL only seems to be under consideration

Yes, it would be nice to have those Nik Collection elements available as a 'presets' tab or something directly from within PhotoLab, so that you could work with them on RAWs.

My guess is that they will eventually find a way to integrate the whole Nik Collection into PhotoLab, just like they have with their other apps, like Viewpoint, for example.

[mee]

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Today I downloaded a trial copy of DxO PhotoLab. I've been processing DNG RAW files from my K1 with it.


To my surprise, the current version of PhotoLab does NOT include the NIK Collection of plugins (even though DxO owns both of these image editing softwares).

If PhotoLab were to include the NIK Collection I would buy it.

I emailed DxO customer service this question - I would LOVE to be able to use the NIK collection of plugins in DxO Photolab. Do you ever plan to integrate NIK collection into Photolab, and if so, when?

I received the following response from them within 15 minutes - We do not have any information about this integration at this time. I am happy to pass along your interest to our developers!

In the last couple of weeks I've asked DxO customer service a couple of other questions. Each time I received virtually the same answer - we don't know anything, but we'll pass along your interest to our developers.


Without the NIK Collection embedded into PhotoLab, there is no way that I'll be purchasing PhotoLab.

They gave me the same response to requesting a DAM integrated into Photolab. It appears to be their canned message for feature requests..

[emalvick]

I suspect it will happen at some point, as a previous poster stated, in a manner similar to how they have the FilmPack and Viewpoint software they support.

In the meantime, I have been able to use the Nik collection as a plugin by just setting an export preset to export a TIFF file and open it in the appropriate EXE file (Windows), much like the plugins in LR. It works fine and has been as useful as Nik is in LR. I think the only one that I haven't gotten to work this way is the HDR efex because the LR plugin is not a typical plugin and it relies on taking in multiple source images to create 1 HDR. It probably could be figured out, but I've not worked with HDR much in the past few years and rely on an intermediate step to Affinity Photo or Photoshop CS6 before creating an HDR.

[Fenwoodian]

I suspect it will happen at some point, as a previous poster stated, in a manner similar to how they have the FilmPack and Viewpoint software they support.

In the meantime, I have been able to use the Nik collection as a plugin by just setting an export preset to export a TIFF file and open it in the appropriate EXE file (Windows), much like the plugins in LR. It works fine and has been as useful as Nik is in LR. I think the only one that I haven't gotten to work this way is the HDR efex because the LR plugin is not a typical plugin and it relies on taking in multiple source images to create 1 HDR. It probably could be figured out, but I've not worked with HDR much in the past few years and rely on an intermediate step to Affinity Photo or Photoshop CS6 before creating an HDR.

The strength of PhotoLab is the ability to print directly from the RAW file. That's why I need the NIK Collection embedded into PHotoLab.

Saving a RAW as a TIFF file and then processing the TIFF in stand-alone NIK would downgrade and image file and reduce the quality of the prints I'm making.

[emalvick]

The strength of PhotoLab is the ability to print directly from the RAW file. That's why I need the NIK Collection embedded into PHotoLab.

Saving a RAW as a TIFF file and then processing the TIFF in stand-alone NIK would downgrade and image file and reduce the quality of the prints I'm making.

How is saving a Tiff a downgrade? RAW files are basically just Tiff files with different headers. I've never had issues going that route before and DxO handles the Tiffs just fine when they come back (as do most RAW software) including for printing.

The only trick is making sure you export the color profiles correctly and recognizing that once you do export a TIFF file you don't have the RAW headers anymore, so making adjustments are not as easy as with the original RAW file (but not impossible either).

Granted, I will love it if they can embed the Nik collection, but it hasn't been, and I've been more than happy with what I've been able to do. Of course the big advantage if they could go that route is skipping the intermediate file, but even LR had those issues (at least when I was last using it).

[Des]

Saving a RAW as a TIFF file and then processing the TIFF in stand-alone NIK would downgrade and image file and reduce the quality of the prints I'm making.

I don't understand this. For example, when I want to create a stitched image I process the images with DxO PhotoLabs (and previously OpticsPro) and export them as TIFFs, then stitch the TIFFs in Microsoft Image Composite Editor, then export the final stitched image as a jpg. As I see it, the only lossy stage of this process is the final export from ICE.

[Fenwoodian]

I don't understand this. For example, when I want to create a stitched image I process the images with DxO PhotoLabs (and previously OpticsPro) and export them as TIFFs, then stitch the TIFFs in Microsoft Image Composite Editor, then export the final stitched image as a jpg. As I see it, the only lossy stage of this process is the final export from ICE.

I don't pretend to understand it. But from my limited experience with DxO's PhotoLab, prints from DNG RAW files look better than prints from TIFF files.


I have not yet printed from the same image file. Will do that next week and report back then.

[Oakland Rob]

I dunno if DxO even knows what DxO wants to do. I haven't seen a lot of evidence.

Photolab (and Filmpack and Perspective) could be nice standalones for RAW processing, and also as means of processing RAW when sending stuff there from Lr. I have used it for RAWs sent from Lr for quite a while since they have a nice RAW workflow (you can get back linear DNGs, which can be useful), and I esp preferred some tools in Photolab, like lens corrections. U-point is kinda nice too, since it can mask better in some situations than Lr (Lr has improved in that regard quite a bit lately though). If I need even more control, then I'd go to Ps. So Photolab is kind of an intermediary. How Nik plugins would work with that, I dunno. I use them far more infrequently since they aren't being kept up, especially since Lr got better profiles.

I think DxO has to decide if it's gonna keep going as an adjunct to Lr, or if it wants to be an alternative to Lr. And it has more competition on both sides of that; without layers, it's kinda behind something like Luminar/Aurora. Or Affinity Photo. And Lr keeps getting better and adding more features, so it's a moving target as well. For example, it now has K-1ii support and I can't even use those files in DxO. I would have to see some real value coming out of Photolab for me to keep going with it, and I dunno that the u-point adjusting and lens support is enough. And oddly, the Nik plugins seem to be competing with Photolab...why would one get both? It's unclear to me where all that's going, if anywhere.