DxO Releases PureRAW 1.5

DxO Releases PureRAW 1.5

When DxO released PureRAW it initially confused some people. Many didn’t realise you could achieve the same result in DxO PhotoLab or why you might want to use it. Also, whilst PureRAW performed well in terms of image quality, it lacked control which some users didn’t like. Fortunately, DxO continues to develop the software to include new features based on user feedback and has now released PureRAW 1.5.

Using DxO PureRAW 1.5

Using DxO PureRAW 1.5 is remarkably easy and little of the original process has changed.

Typically, you load a RAW file or files into the software which then appear as thumbnails in the interface. You can then sort using a dropdown list with different options for example “Shot Date”. It’s also possible to apply a filter to the thumbnails to display only Processed or Unprocessed images which is very useful when working on batches of files.

DxO PureRAW Modules

After loading an image or group of images for processing, PureRAW checks to see if any new lens/camera modules are required. These are key to how DxO PureRAW achieves the exceptional image quality that it does. You can also view the DxO modules for the selected image(s) by clicking the “Modules” button.

This is where you can download any missing modules. If you decided to, you could also switch to the “None of the above” option. This prevents lens corrections being applied to the image although there is a better way as you see.

DxO PureRAW 1.5 Processing

When you are ready, select the thumbnails for the image or images to process and click the “Process Photos” button. This displays the Processing options to select the actions you want to take.

In the top section of the dialog, we have the “Method” options. Here you can select between HQ, PRIME and DeepPRIME. Personally, I always use DeepPRIME as the results are superb. In a recent article I compared DeepPRIME with On1 NoNoise AI. The results from both packages when working with RAW files are excellent but DeepPRIME is superior in my experience.

DxO PureRAW 1.5 Options

Assuming you select DeepPRIME for RAW processing, you can now choose if you want to apply “Global lens sharpening” and “Lens distortion correction”. If you don’t want to, simply switch them off.

Personally, I would like to see the “Global lens sharpening” option replaced by a slider to control the strength of the sharpening applied. I think this would be better than the all or noting approach but perhaps that will come in a future version.

This is a section of the same RAW file that’s been processed with and without sharpening. The section is being viewed at 200% magnification. The version on the left has no sharpening but would benefit from some. The image on the right has the global sharpening applied.

Destination Folders

At the bottom of the Processing dialog, you can select the output destination for your processed image files.

This now has an option to save frequently used locations as favourites. These then also appear in the “Favourite paths” list which can be selected with a single click. Below this is a list of “Recently used” locations which can also be selected with a mouse click.

Viewing Processed Results

Once the processing is complete you have the option to export the processed images to another application or view them. If you select the View option, the images are opened in the PureRAW viewer.

The DxO PureRAW 1.5 viewer also has a couple of enhancements. There is now a list of different magnification options to select. These help you better judge the quality of the results. Then the size of the original RAW file is displayed with the processed DNG (or JPEG) file next to it.

Of course, the real benefit of processing a RAW file with DxO PureRAW is the exceptional image quality it achieves. By saving the processed image as a DNG file, you gain the benefit of DxO DeepPRIME processing and lens corrections but retain the flexibility of RAW processing. This means you can process the resulting DNG file in any RAW processor supporting the format.

Support for new lenses and cameras

In addition to the new features, DxO PureRAW 1.5 now supports an additional eight new cameras and 18 lenses:

Cameras

• Pentax K-3 III
• DJI Mavic Air 2S
• DJI Mavic Mini 2
• Panasonic GH5 II
• Canon EOS Ra
• Olympus PEN E-P7
• Sony ZV-E10
• Nikon Z Fc

Lenses

• DJI Mavic Air 2S Lens
• DJI Mavic Mini 2 Lens
• Canon RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM
• Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM
• Irix 150mm F2.8 macro
• Laowa 10mm F2 Zero-D
• Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4 Pro
• Zuiko Digital ED 150-400 F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO
• AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm F4G ED VR with AF-S TC-14E III
• AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm F4G ED VR with AF-S TC-20E III
• Panasonic Lumix S 50mm F1.8
• Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN C
• Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art
• Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro
• Tamron 11-20mm F2.8 Di III-A RXD
• Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD
• Laowa 10mm F2 Zero-D
• Zuiko Digital ED 150-400 F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO

Summary of DxO PureRAW 1.5

DxO PureRAW 1.5, like the earlier versions, produces excellent image quality from supported RAW files. By converting and saving them in the DNG format you can continue to use your existing RAW converter whilst achieving the benefits of DxO technology.

Whilst the results from PureRAW are impressive, there are still limitations to be aware of. Perhaps the largest is that the camera and lens used to shoot the RAW file need to be supported. This is important so be sure to check the list of modules carefully.

But if PureRAW does support your camera and lenses it’s well worth testing out by downloading the trial version.