Clear View color shifts?

DxO PhotoLab
1

Hi,
I have tried to use Clear View to remove haze from landscape pictures but in my opinion it is not very usable because of color shifts issues.

Specifically, after applying Clear View to mountain landscapes, I get some contrast boost as expected on distant peaks but there is a strong color shift, from a usual slightly bluish cast (due to distance) to a strong magenta color cast.

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The color shift bothers me, too. I usually see it in pavement and dirt. Just a little bit of Clear View brings out contrast in rocks, but more than that makes them look flat and adds a lot of unwanted color. I work around these problems either by applying changes locally or (more often) by using the contrast sliders that FilmPack 5 adds to PhotoLab.

DxO claims that PhotoLab 2’s Clear View Plus improves color shifts over PhotoLab 1 Clear View. I have found only minor improvement, plus an even greater tendency to add excessive microcontrast. I consider it a step backward. DxO knows of my observations but hasn’t commented.

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I find ClearView handy at times, but for my taste, the effects are too strong. I usually only go to below 20 unless I really want to exaggerate expression. Colour casts are part of this exaggeration and don‘t bother me in such cases.
I find that most images fare well with tonecurve and contrast adjustments, be they integrally or locally applied.

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Very interesting that so many of you gentlemen share my aversion to ClearView. It’s the most garish of the PhotoLab intelligent filters (Prime Noise, Smart Lighting being the other two). As Egregius mentioned, I use Fine Contrast (added only with FilmPack 5) to achieve that magic extra pop. I also find that the Leica M9-M10 Color Rendering (again FilmPack 5) gives me the deeper contrast and richer colours which I prefer as a starting point (often dial it back).

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Hello Alec,

are you talking about “Clear View” irrespective of it’s setting or are you talking about “Clear view” and it’s default setting?
I personally like it but not at 50 as default.

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I’m also using and like ClearView Plus tool, and as @Sigi at lower value, often not over 20.

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ClearView generally. It’s effects are less garish at 15 or 20 strength, of course. Still I find that Curves palette and Fine Contrast does a better job of adding pop without compromising the integrity of the image. Not a fan. Huge fan of Prime Noise and have grown to find Smart Lighting a great time saver for subjects which are darker than the background.

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Clear View like any tool has it’s place, ditto Prime Noise and Smart Lighting. I take the view that if I get colour cast, then I am either pushing it too far, or it isn’t the tool for the job in the first place.

It is however nice to have a range of options each with their own merits that can be mixed and matched according to need and aims.

I generally use Nik filters to finish off contrast, especially the micro-contrast in CE4 (I dont have FL)

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Thanks all for you inputs. So I’m not alone to experience these problems.

What would be nice is to have separate sliders for luminance and chroma. I think Clear View on luminance only (or predominantly) would produce better results.

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