Dull images with orange tint

[m9k]

Hi again;

Here is my No1 problem I have in DxO.

Just for demonstration I’ve attached 2 photos – the first from my main RAW converter and the second from DxO. The images are not done; they are for demonstration.

On the image I attached I’ve ONLY pushed Shadows slider. Nothing else. Just Shadows slider for demonstration purpose. I didn’t move any other slider.

When I push Shadows slider in my other converter the image still has contrast and glow. Then I only have to do a small move to two or three sliders and I would have the image I like in a A FEW SECONDS.

When I push Shadows slider in DxO I get this lifeless no-contrast and dull looking image with this ‘’orange tint’’ I hate so much.

What else do I need to move or push in DxO to get the same result? How much more time this will take to get the same image?

I hope someone will lead me through settings what else do I need to do.

[m9k]

The next step was to kill some highlights outside.

In my first Raw converter I move Highlights slider to the left and I get not so bad image.

If I do the same in DxO I get this even more lifeless orange glow dull and no-contrast image.

What the hell am I doing wrong?

[m9k]

And the final step - -to add a little contrast.

In my other Raw converter I move Contrast slider to the right and More or less my image is done.

When I move Contrats slider in DXO I get nightmare image.

Help me!

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

Hmm, different raw developers produce different results. I see this in the apps I use regularly and occasionally (DxO PL, Adobe Lr, Phase One C1, Canon DPP etc.) and some of it can be equalized with whatever adjustments are needed. I suppose that you don’t do anything wrong but you might like to check your image against the presets that DxO provides and see if you find one that more closely produces what you want.

Assuming that you prefer what Lightroom gives you, you might try to copy your camera’s .dcp profile from somewhere in Lightroom’s scattered directories and apply it in PhotoLab. I’m on Mac, so I cannot point you to the profile directory.

[m9k]

Thanks for the answer platypus.

Those DxO presets are OK but I couldn’t get the same results.

‘’ Hmm, different raw developers produce different results. ‘’

So, how much work I need to put in DxO to get the same result? I can not get the same result only by moving 3 sliders like I did in my other RAW converter in a few seconds.

So I guess there is a catch somewhere and I need to adjust something more to avoid this dull look.

Here is an attempt with Smart Lighting and Contrast. I Think Smart Lighting is not the answer as well.
Regards

[Egregius ((Greg) - Windows 11)]

Does the image look better if you turn on Lens Sharpness? I always leave this on for RAW images.

The contrast adjustment you’re comparing DxO’s against adds a lot of microcontrast for a strong HDR look. If that’s what you want, try increasing microcontrast or fine contrast in PhotoLab. Or use Clearview instead and raise midtones if the overall brightness drops too low.

What if instead of adjusting highlights and shadows in PhotoLab you simply apply Smart lighting instead (Uniform mode) and increase or decrease it to taste - or select the Spot Weighted mode and draw a large selection box around the cat?

There are many ways to achieve the results you want in PhotoLab, because we all have different objectives. The workflow will be different than you’re used to, but hopefully not much more involved once you’ve experimented with the controls a bit more.

[m9k]

Yes; my other RAW converter is adding something to my photos ‘’behind the curtain’’ (contrast, micro contrast, dynamic, …?) and I like the results.
On the other hand DxO is not and I can’t figure it out. I don’t know how to do it so I can ge the same results.

[BoxBrownie (Laurence)]

What about the Preferences settings?

If you are seeing a particular “look” once opened in PL i.e. if PL is applying something upon opening the file is that in some way affecting the outcome as to what tools in PL that you are using or not as the case maybe, AFAIK the choice of setting in the screengrab I have posted will affect what you see, does it not???

HTH

PS as in all things, I am still learning something new everyday…so if I have got it wrong I look forward to those more ‘in the know’ to helping me learn more

[George]

One can also go to the right upper button “apply preset”. I just wonder how I can see which preset is being used now. I mean not using the preferences.

George

[OXiDant (Peter)]

‘’ Hmm, different raw developers produce different results. ‘’

So, how much work I need to put in DxO to get the same result? I can not get the same result only by moving 3 sliders like I did in my other RAW converter in a few seconds.

Your not the only one as a LR user. It seems that LR has a very sophisicated auto modes which a lot of people like as look. (there is a old thread from a forum member who had the same issue.

Tutorials DxO PhotoLab by the user

Hello, I wrote three tutorials dedicated to the use of DxO PhotoLab. As a DxO user, I give you my tips and tricks which might make you more efficient. 1- Discovering DxO PhotoLab A quick overview for users used others development software 2- Local Adjustments with DxO PhotoLab A user guide to Enhance the visibility of your photos 3- Efficiency with DxO PhotoLab - The means to get quickly to better results Intended for experienced users, it explains the functioning and gives some recipes …

Just scroll though this it’s a search and journey for things which seems to be done in LR as a breeze to see if it’s also possible in DxOpl v1. At the time.

Do you have filmpack?
Then you have advanged sliderset.
When you turndown highlights agressive in selective tone the white got “greyisch” so use both.
Contrast and tone highlight slider say -19 and -19 instead of -40 on tone.

Second, use smart lighting only in box selective mode. (the tool to set a box of interest around something in the image.) place one box on a dark place and one on a bright place.
When pushing exposure up the smartlighting is working to keep the image brightnes\lightness inside the DR of the selected parts in the boxes.

Vibrance does help to make the image more pop. I have my personal preset a +18 al the time.

Clearview helps to add microcontrast and thus pop into the image.

Like LR is just give you a auto modes (lot of things are done without your controll or knowing which can be a pain if you don’t want it.)
in DxO you can make your own automodes. Called a personal preset.

If you can provide the rawfile people can give it a go and even post the dopfile so you can see how it’s done.

Remember smartlighting is killing contrast because it extend the existing dynamic range. And thus stretching the tonecurve of the image tonal property’s.

About the tonecurve see this example:

Adding Blacklevel to the ClearView correction

I have sometimes images shot through water surface and every time i have such a image i have to go back to SP7pro: quote from manual: “Black level controls create clarity of the dark areas. You can specify the level of black with this function. When increasing this parameter, the color black becomes deeper black.” (sort of manual dehaze function build in) You think it’s the same as DXOPL’s “Blacks” but no: Blacks sets the Blackpoint. [P1070519-DxO%20default] This is the default by my prese…

also a methode to create contrast.

what i am trying to say is look further then the “basic sliders” .
DxO is powerfull because you can use different paths in full control to a endresult.
and if you have a solution for something which you can use more often: create a (partial) preset and name it " sunny days" or dull images or " for more pop"
And when you have a preset which others can use you can post it here:

A thread for us to share presets!

Starting a new thread for us to share presets amongst ourselves. I don’t have any new ones to kick us off, but I bet you do!!! Please share away!!! Thanx Jon

enjoy your journey of learning

[platypus (Canon & Mac (Intel and M1))]

Smart Lighting is not the answer

I got off smart lighting a while ago and almost never use it. Instead, I mostly tweak tone curve and contrast settings, I have better control of what goes where.
If you like, you can post the raw image - using one of the transfer services like wetransfer - so that we can try to emulate the Lightroom looks with PhotoLab…

[John-M (Melbourne, Australia - Win10)]

Help me!

OK, try this.

• Use DxO Smart Lighting - and select Spot Weighted mode
• Click on the Tool button (in your cat example it will say “No faces detected”)
• Now go to the image and draw a box that includes the cat AND the curtain.
• Next, with your cursor, move the box in small incremental steps to different parts of the scene - and evaluate the results: Hopefully, you may like what you find.

That is, try using some of PL’s unique features - rather than just replicating the process that you use in LR.

I’d also be happy to send you a copy of my default settings, with which I have replaced the DxO-Standard default settings (which provide a great starting point for the majority of my photos - to my liking, at least) … Just ask.

John M

[m9k]

First I need to thank you all for your answers.

I will also try to answer all your questions and suggestions.

I have lens Sharpness always ON. The thing is you just can’t see it because I posted printscreen and DxO shows sharpness only at 75% or more magnification.

I find this odd. I would like to see sharp image when the image is ‘’Fit to screen’’ in DxO window.

My last attempt was to adjust Smart Lighting and Contrast but results were similar – check the last two images I posted.

I have my own preset in preference tab – No correction with Lens Sharpness activated. When I open new RAW file my preset only adds Lens Sharpness. Then I look at the RAW file as it is and then I decide what to do.

And yes; if I apply those DxO presets I can see the changes on my photos but those presets are not what I’m looking for.

Yes; I agree. Lightroom is adding something to my RAW files. I just haven’t figured it out what it adds and how to get the same in DxO.

For example; check the first two images I posted. I only moved Shadows slider to the right. In Lightroom shadows opens but my cat does not loose contrast and you can clearly see those black stripes on the cats body.

If I move Shadows slider in DxO the image goes flat and my cat is without contrast. If I want to compensate this with Blacks slider then all image goes back to dark because Shadows and Blacks sliders have almost the same effect.

If I try to compensate with Clear View plus it homehow helps.

And here is odd thing; if I use Texture in Lightroom it somehow calculates by itself on what things to make effect – high effect on contrasty things and low effect on things without contrast like white smooth surfaces and similar. If I use Microcontrast and Fine contrast in DxO ALL image is affected no matter what.

John-M; Thanks for the answer and suggestions.
I think it’s natural to compare tools designed for the same job. I have three plunge routers for my woodworking and I compared the results so I use one router for dirty jobs (it has some play in the pillars) and the other router for more delicate jobs where I need to do more precise work and my third router is under the table because it has the best hight adjustment. They are designed for the same work – to do some routing of wood but I can not get the same end results with all three routers.

I hope you all understand what I’m trying to say.

Whenever I write to this forum I get the answer ‘’don’t compare DxO with lightroom’’. Why not? They are designed for the same work. I use Lightroom for years so it makes sense to compare and my goal is to get the same results in DxO in about the same time.

If I want to get rid of Lightroom one day I must be sure I can get the results I like with DxO. As I see Lightroom is doing lots of work ‘behind the curtain’ so I don’t have to do.

OK; so below are three results.

The first image – I draw a box on the cat and on some shadows below the cat and moved the box around

Second image – added Smart Lighting box also on the window

Third image – Lightroom – I did ’Auto settings’ and then moved Contrast slider to the right, Hdadows slider to the right and Blacks slider to the left – 5 seconds job.

Can you see how the image shines and DxO image is dull?

I don’t know what else to move in DxO to get the same result.

[Joanna (Joanna Carter)]

Here’s an example of how I use Smart Lighting (spot mode) on a high contrast image :

Unretouched image

Retouched image

All I have done here is :

1. apply Smart Lighting (I’ve highlighted the rectangles)
2. apply ClearView Plus
3. lift the tone curve at the shadow end

It took me all of 15 secs

Don’t try to compare results achieved with another tool’s “magic” settings with what DxO can achieve with its own.

The difference is that, with DxO, I know what has been done to my image and can modify any of the settings if the “magic” isn’t quite what I was after.

[m9k]

OK; below is the link to the RAW file of my cat. I hope the link works.
If you have time please play with the file. I think you will do a better job

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CI6JS-_cqBboJLw5zRIkSzfsrustfNu0?usp=sharing

[OXiDant (Peter)]

Yes; I agree. Lightroom is adding something to my RAW files. I just haven’t figured it out what it adds and how to get the same in DxO.

For example; check the first two images I posted. I only moved Shadows slider to the right. In Lightroom shadows opens but my cat does not loose contrast and you can clearly see those black stripes on the cats body.

there is a thread about how to interpretate selective tone tool there is also a gray ladder.
If you have two screens load this “testfile” in LR and DxO and see when what who is done in both.
No use to use a raw file, it’s differently processed from the start when turning it in a screen preview in both rawdevelopers so even when the shadow sliders are working the same it 's outcome would be different. That’s i think why it’s no use to try compare LR and DxOPL in way of use.
Compare endresult yes.

Understanding Selective Tone control

Ah, yes, you are right. One normally doesn’t notice this in everyday usage, but your greyscale ramp image is good to discover things of that nature. So here is a summary of my observations on how tonality tools work in PhotoLab 2: It’s interesting that the PhotoLab RGB readout under the histogram shows the black strip [RGB 0/0/0 as seen in Affinity Photo and Lightroom] as [RGB 2/2/2]. It looks like a bug to me. The white strip [RGB 255/255/255] is reported correctly. None of the Selective To…

when i am at home i will give it a go. ( please ad a LR endresult jpg as example how you would process the image to your liking.
thanks.

peter

[Joanna (Joanna Carter)]

Here’s my version. It took longer than a few seconds but I took the liberty of playing to see how good it could be.

One problem is that you are starting with an image with blown highlights.

Here’s the .dop file the_cat.NEF.dop (11,9 Ko)

[m9k]

Thanks for the effort. Nice work.
Not exactly the same as my Lightroom attempt but much better as I did in DxO…

The thing is; I can get similar results to some extent in DxO but with more work. I can not do it only with Selective tone sliders. I also can not do it only with Smart lighting. I need to use Selective tone sliders, Smart lighting, ClearView, all those sliders below name ‘Contrast’, Curves and some Local adjustments.

There is no way I can get the same result in 5 second.

[Joanna (Joanna Carter)]

All the best images tend to take time - unless you strike it lucky and the “magic button” creates something you like.

I come from a large format (5" x 4") film photography background, where good pictures have to be thought out before you press the shutter. With such an image as this, in colour, I would only have around 5 stops of dynamic range to pay with and would more than likely not take this shot due to the excessive contrast involved; due to the bright area only taking up a corner of the image, graduated filters would not work without darkening the wall to the left of the window.

I could more than likely take this picture in B&W, which normally has a range of around 8 stops, thanks to being able to use the Zone System to calculate by how much I would have to over-expose and under-develop the sheet of film to compensate for the high dynamic range.

Here’s such an image taken on film with a dynamic range of 14 stops between the sky through the window and the lit gas mantle on the desk, through to the detail on the hearth around the fireplace.

Some modern digital cameras can now cope with such high dynamic range but you have to carefully expose to avoid blowing the highlights - shadows can be recovered whereas highlights of more than 2 stops over the measured exposure cannot.

[John-M (Melbourne, Australia - Win10)]

I have my own preset in preference tab – No correction with Lens Sharpness activated … … Then I look at the RAW file as it is and then I decide what to do.

In that case, I reckon you’re missing the point of PL - - It will do a lot of the basic image processing steps for you, if you will let it do so.

The first image – I draw a box on the cat and on some shadows below the cat and moved the box around

Second image – added Smart Lighting box also on the window

My suggestion was to use just ONE box - covering both the cat AND the curtain (within the one box) - then move that around - - in small incremental steps. This is easier to manage (and more effective, I’ve found) than moving around two boxes.

John M