
In Customize mode there are also buttons for cropping, forcing parallel lines, and a neutral color picker. The Standard option adjusts tonality and noise as well as lens optics, while the Optical option only adjusts the lens issues, leaving the rest up to you. You choose between Standard, Optical Corrections, and No Corrections, with a sample image showing the result of each choice.

The software automatically applies the fixes as soon as you load a photo.

Compare shows you what your photo looks like without DxO's corrections (regrettably, there's no way to compare two different shots side-by-side, as you can in Lightroom). I like DxO's top button-bar options-one click for full image-size viewing, fit on screen view, full-screen view, and side-by-side comparison views. DxO makes Lightroom round-tripping an option in PhotoLab as well as in PureRAW. That's really all you need, but Adobe's Lightroom Classic offers more flexibility with modes for sharing, printing, maps, and books, as well. The latter is where you do all your editing and tuning. The program interface has two modes: PhotoLibrary and Customize. The dark gray interface of PhotoLab has a clean, subdued look.

Upgrading from PhotoLab 3 or 4 costs $54.99 for Essential and $79.99 for Elite. PhotoLab is available at two pricing levels, neither of which requires a subscription, Essential ($139) and Elite ($219). Also new are support for wide-color-gamut monitors and printers, a more powerful ReTouch tool, soft proofing to see if an image will print or display correctly, and perspective correction tools. But the big new feature is an even stronger de-noising tool-DeepPrime XD-for extra detail. New workflow features in version 6 let you use color labels to organize your collection, add more EXIF information, nested projects and improved keyword options. DxO PhotoLab deserves a place in every serious shooter's digital photography toolbox, though we wish it had stronger workflow features.

The software incorporates Nik U Point local selection technology for some excellent local adjustment tools. PhotoLab 6 continues DxO's tradition of automatic lens and camera body-based image correction, superb noise reduction, and other innovative image tools. Now a separate entity from the well-known DxOMark camera equipment testing lab, DxO has long been among the most dynamic photo editing software makers.
