DXO/NIK Efex pro plugins with Photolab3?

[Tomx72]

I am looking for a streamlined workflow to use the Efex pro plugins, especially the HDR with nikon .nef raw files without Photoshop/Lightroom.

One option I am investigating is GIMP (separate thread here ), the other idea is DXO's own Photolab 3: anyone had the chance to compare the Photolab results to Lightroom/Photoshop?

Further: I like HDR panoramas, is there any recommended panorama plugin for Photolab?

 

[Digital Nigel]

I am looking for a streamlined workflow to use the Efex pro plugins, especially the HDR with nikon .nef raw files without Photoshop/Lightroom.

One option I am investigating is GIMP (separate thread here ), the other idea is DXO's own Photolab 3: anyone had the chance to compare the Photolab results to Lightroom/Photoshop?

Further: I like HDR panoramas, is there any recommended panorama plugin for Photolab?

I don't think PL hosts plug-ins in the same way that PS does. It simply exports an image file to them. ViewPoint and FilmPack are different: they're actually built right into PL, and simply switched on if you have a licence. So their tools are just added to the other PL tools, and work on the same live data.

NIK is now owned by DxO, but it's no more integrated with PL than it ever was. So you still export an image file, and can't bring it back for further tuning. The only NIK component that's truly integrated is the local editing capabilities now built into PL.

For panorama stitching, I've used ICE and Affinity Photo, both working with images exported from PL. I find ICE stitching to be slightly superior to AP (more options, fewer glitches). But I think Adobe still has the edge in this area.

Here's an example of a panorama stitched in AP, using frames exported from PL. There were a number of stitching errors which I attempted to fix or cover up:

Panorama stitched and fixed in AP, using frames processed and exported from PL2.

I was using a full-frame camera that doesn't offer in-camera panoramas, so can't compare them.

And here's an HDR image merged in AP from five frames exported from PL2:

https://flic.kr/p/2hQFA6a

 

[jerrysdean43]

I use Nik with PL3, I am able to export directly from PL, in fact it has an integrated button to bring up the Nik modules, it exports a Tiff which comes directly back into PL for further editing as a tiff if you wish.

 

[Digital Nigel]

I use Nik with PL3, I am able to export directly from PL, in fact it has an integrated button to bring up the Nik modules, it exports a Tiff which comes directly back into PL for further editing as a tiff if you wish.

Is it any more integrated than DxO Optics Pro was with Google's NIK?

Exporting a TIF is exactly the same level of integration that PL has with any third party program, such as Photoshop or Affinity. It's not how ViewPoint or FilmPack are integrated with PL.

 

[Tomx72]

Thanks Nigel, yes is see there is a lengthy export process running before passing the image to the "plugin", this is very likely a TIFF conversion. I wonder if it involves any loss, compared to Adobe's raw handling.

Pity that the stitching will require another software, again, I'll likely use a TIFF, another conversion, another possibility for loss...

 

[Digital Nigel]

Thanks Nigel, yes is see there is a lengthy export process running before passing the image to the "plugin", this is very likely a TIFF conversion.

Yes, it will be slow if you use PRIME NR. Remember, the full PL processing must be completed before the image can be written to file, which might take tens of seconds, or minutes if you have a slow machine. And the big TIFFs will be left on the disk, which doesn't happen with real plug-ins.

I wonder if it involves any loss, compared to Adobe's raw handling.

I don't think so, not if you use 16-bit TIFFs.

Pity that the stitching will require another software, again, I'll likely use a TIFF, another conversion, another possibility for loss...

Yes, it's a tedious process.