Hydra Pro 3 from Creaceed SPRL allows you to create high-dynamic-range (HDR) images. You can import up to seven regular photos to this image editor and it will create a stunning final image, called an HDR image. I found it to be one heck of a simple program, while still providing ample creative control.

This seven-image limit is enough for most common situations, such as a brightly lit room with an even more brightly lit window. Of the five scenes I used for testing Hydra Pro 3, two certainly covered the 16 or 24 f-stops the human eye can see. Those required more images (12 and 16, respectively) to avoid banding and noise.

Hydra Pro 3 has excellent automatic alignment and ghost-removal features, but even better, you can manually adjust these with intuitive tools, such as the X-ray feature, to align images. The ghost-removal feature is just as intuitive and more powerful than any competitors’ products.

The program has presets, as well as global and local adjustments. The local adjustments are grouped together in a drop-down menu that, at first sight, looks overly simple: Details, Contrast, Saturation, Hue, and Brightness. You can, however, adjust all areas (light and dark), and red, green, or blue channels individually, as well. And you can add up to three probes—adjustments localized using an easy-to-set, but accurate mask. In between your edits, you can save snapshots to switch between variants.

Hydra Pro 3 exports to TIFF, JPEG, 32-bit OpenEXR, and Radiance. It also supports batch processing and comes with plug-ins for Aperture and Lightroom.

Company: Creaceed SPRL
Price: $99.99
Web: www.creaceed.com
Rating: 4.5
Hot:  Easy to use; alignment and ghost removal; creative features
Not:  Only seven images supported

Creating slide shows from digital images isn’t just for your desktop anymore. More often, we’re seeing YouTube, promotional, and product demonstration videos in addition to portraiture presentations. The latest version of FotoMagico from Boinx Software is an easy and fun way for users of any experience level to create great slide shows with professional results.

When you launch the stand-alone software, you select the viewing device (monitor, television, or projector) and choose your photo folder or library content from your hard drive. From there, it’s all dragging-and-dropping to your heart’s content to create your timeline. The default content is, of course, from your iPhoto Library and Pictures folder, but you can drag folders of photos, videos, and audio into the sidebar. It saves time to have a project folder ready in advance with the content you wish to use.

With your images and videos in place, you can drag your background audio onto the timeline, as well. In the Options section, parameters can be set for automatic or on-click transitions that are Apple-esque, à la Keynote.

FotoMagico has output options presets for sharing your slide show via YouTube or Vimeo (with selectable quality settings), as well as viewing on several types of devices, such as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and DVD output. It would be helpful to have control over audio quality and format in the sharing modes, but that can be done in the QuickTime output mode as needed.

There’s a lot to enjoy about FotoMagico 4.1 and you may find yourself experimenting in the beginning. There are so many improvements and updates from previous versions that make this product a great value and a lot of fun to use. For any level of user, the output quality is HD and the familiar, intuitive interface will save you time in the process.

Company: Boinx Software Ltd
Price: $99.99
Web: www.boinx.com
Rating: 5
Hot:  Ease of use; output quality; performance speed; user options
Not:

Plug-ins frequently fill a void with features not found in the main application, or they might do tasks found in the main application more efficiently and with better results. And let’s not minimize aesthetics—many plug-ins are more visually appealing, making them more enjoyable to use. An old favorite of mine was the incredible Kai’s Power Tools, but sadly, somewhere along the line, it was sold to a larger company and left to die. This is a fate shared by many plug-in manufacturers; however, onOne Software thrives, and for good reason: they’re keenly aware of, and responsive to, their audience. They continually hone, evolve, and expand their products, giving us better ways to work with our images.

Let me give you an example. In September 1994, Adobe amazed the photographic and design communities by introducing a powerful feature in Photoshop 3 called “layers.” It was a revolutionary and practical way to work with images. Fast-forward to Lightroom, which doesn’t have a layers feature, but onOne filled the void with their impressive Perfect Layers plug-in, and now we can combine areas of multiple files using layers and masks. Quite an accomplishment.

At first, onOne made plug-ins exclusively for Photoshop but eventually expanded to include Aperture, Lightroom, and Photoshop Elements. Their latest and most ambitious offering is Perfect Photo Suite 7. It’s a big, comprehensive, powerful piece of software that stretches the definition of plug-in by straddling the border between a plug-in and a full application. In fact, I think a case can be made that as a standalone program, it might be all you need for image editing.

THE SUITE EDITIONS

Perfect Photo Suite 7 is sold in three different versions: Standard Edition, Lightroom & Aperture Edition, and Premium Edition. All editions work as standalone applications, but the Lightroom & Aperture and Premium Editions also work as plug-ins. The Premium Edition is the only one that works as a plug-in in Photoshop (in addition to integrating with Lightroom and Aperture). The onOne website clearly defines the differences between the editions, but probably the most import difference to be aware of is that the Standard Edition doesn’t support RAW files. This edition also comes with a smaller library of effects in both Perfect Effects and Perfect B&W.

All editions of the Suite include seven unique plug-ins under one roof. In the standalone version, this structure lets you move your image seamlessly between the plug-ins (called modules) in a logical workflow without being interrupted and having to return to your main application. Perfect Photo Suite 7 includes new versions of Perfect Layers, Perfect Effects, Perfect Mask, Perfect Portrait, Perfect Resize, and Focal Point. Although Perfect Photo Suite 6 used black-and-white presets, it became clear that it was time for Perfect B&W. This new module gives us the space and tools to build our grayscale images with impressive tonal separation. Photoframe was dropped from the line up, but much of it was absorbed in the other plug-ins, especially Perfect Effects 4.

One caution: Before purchasing, read the suggested minimum and recommended system requirements. Perfect Photo Suite 7 is a big program and I soon discovered that smooth sailing requires a graphics card with 1 GB of VRAM, which is listed under the recommended system requirements. The stated minimum system requirements of 256 MB of VRAM will get you in the door, but if you work with large files, the brush tools won’t run smoothly and screen redraws lag. This is important because if you can’t work with smooth precision locally, your work will only be half-baked. I know I shouldn’t compare, but the tools in Lightroom are a pleasure to use, and Perfect Photo Suite 7’s should be, as well.

THE INTERFACE

Working in Perfect Photo Suite 7 will be familiar to a lot of people, but its many tools, sliders, and features that might be new to others require further explanation. onOne Software is committed to supporting their users and provides documentation, videos, webinars, and a site called Perfect Inspiration (www.ononesoftware.com/inspiration) that uses a weekly multimedia approach to motivate and get you to explore the Suite’s impressive depth. There’s even a commercial online Marketplace link where you can shop for textures, presets, and borders that can be directly downloaded and added to the modules.

The new user interface is straightforward and easy to learn. The modules share a common interface design, which minimizes the learning curve. The centerpiece is the large preview window, but the true signature piece is its vast library of visual styles (Effects) to the left of the preview window in the various modules. To the right of the preview window is a toolset specifically designed for each module. You can create, name, and save presets based on your most-used adjustments.

New to Perfect Photo Suite 7 is the Search field, located at the top left of the interface. If you don’t know where to look but have an effect in mind, type in a keyword and all the related presets will appear. If you have a preference for certain presets, you can flag them and add them to a Favorites collection for quick access.

The standalone version now has a file browser in the interface of the Perfect Layers module; however, its navigation is limited to your main drive. To navigate to external drives, you have to choose File>Open. If you already have an image open and you select another image, you’ll be asked if you want to add the image as a new layer or create an entirely new image. It’s nice to have the option.

Photo Credit: Steve Baczewski

PERFECT EFFECTS 4

The round trip from Lightroom to any of the modules is smooth, with a reassuring, nondestructive workflow. Right-click on your image, choose Edit In, and select a module. When I have photographer’s block, the new Perfect Effects or Perfect B&W is the place to go for inspiration. Perfect Effects has a preset library with hundreds of effects organized by category, with names such as Cross Process, Edge Control, etc. The styles range from subtle to dramatic. With so many new effects, it’s inevitable that some seem repetitive and become a case of a distinction without a difference—at least they’re too subtle for me to see. You can view the Effects categories as a list or with timesaving resizable thumbnails that you can make large enough to easily evaluate the effect before selecting it.

When you single-click a thumbnail, the preview window will update your image with that effect until you single-click another preset. If you want to commit to an effect, double-click the effect to automatically apply it and create a new Empty Layer, to which you can apply additional effects. As you add new effects and layers, you can combine them with Blend Modes (click Options in the Effects Stack panel) globally or locally using masks. Your original image is on the bottom of the stack and is never changed, so you can always revert back to it.

Photo Credit: Frank Salas

PERFECT B&W

The new Perfect B&W is impressive for several reasons. First, the preset effects give you a wide range of styles to choose as a point of departure. My current favorite is an homage to Ansel Adams called Ansel in the Valley. But the true power of this new module is the amount of local control you have using the Brightness, Contrast, Detail, Targeted Brightness, and Selective Color Brushes.

I have two issues with Perfect B&W. First, there’s no ability to work in layers. Second, when loading a color image into Perfect B&W, a black-and-white conversion takes place but there’s no way to view this conversion against the black-and-white preset you choose. Toggling Before and After below the preview window will always show the original color image, and this isn’t an ideal basis for comparison.

Speaking of layers, I’d like to ask onOne to add the ability found in Photoshop that lets us hide the effect of a layer mask by clicking on the mask while holding the Shift key. Currently, you can only remove the mask.

There’s a new feature in most of the modules associated with the brush tools called the Perfect Brush. It’s a precision edge-detection tool that lets you paint in effects selectively with a meticulousness that leaves you smiling.

Photo Credit: Andy Marcus

PERFECT PORTRAIT 2

I don’t do a lot of portraits, but I recently used Perfect Portrait on a sizable job involving several portraits, and it really did a good job and was fast to boot. It automatically selects the faces in your image and targets priority features like the mouth and eyes for enhancement, placing an adjustable outline that allows you to tweak and correct them to your heart’s content. Perfect Portrait also allows blemish and color correction of the skin with a subtleness that looks real and not manufactured.

PERFECT RESIZE 7.5 PRO

Perfect Resize is a no-brainer. It works better than the Image Size function in Photoshop. It’s quite apparent, especially when going over 200%. I made several tests and all you have to do is compare the clarity of the edge quality to see the difference. Also, for people who work with canvas and make gallery wraps, Perfect Resize automatically extends the margins without any image loss.

I suggest you download the 30-day free trial. In a few days, I think you’ll see enough production and creative features to warrant buying Perfect Photo Suite 7.

Company: onOne Software
Price: Premium Edition: $299.95; Lightroom & Aperture Edition: $149.95; Standard Edition: $79.95 (upgrades available)
Web: http://www.ononesoftware.com
Rating: 4.5
Hot:  Impressively fluid and deep
Not:  Underestimated minimum requirements

HDR Express 2 takes a complicated process and simplifies it, especially for people new to creating HDR images. HDR Express 2 expands your dynamic range in a photorealistic way instead of the more prevalent stylistic or surreal effects. It installs as a plug-in with Lightroom or Aperture, and also works as a standalone program.

HDR Express 2 is faster and features new deghosting and adaptive tone-mapping algorithms. In the standalone version, the new Image Browser lets you navigate and open images from your folders more efficiently. It automatically and accurately sorts, groups, and arranges your bracketed exposure sequences into thumbnail sets by format. So if you shoot both RAW and JPEGs simultaneously, but only want to use RAW files for your HDR images, the browser automatically arranges it.

The interface is well designed for an efficient workflow. Your merged, tone-mapped image appears in a large window. Below are thumbnails of 11 optional tone-mapped preset effects for you to build from (e.g., Vivid, Grunge, Open Shadow, etc.). On the right side of the preview window, you can finesse your image with eight basic control sliders: Exposure EV, Highlights, Shadows, Black Point, Contrast, Saturation, Warmth, and Tint. These control sliders can be frustrating. Instead of updating the image in real time as you adjust the slider, it only processes the image when you stop and release the mouse button. This results in unnecessary readjustments if you’ve unknowingly gone too far.

Any adjustments you make can be named, saved, and added as a new preset. Still, I wish the diversity of supplied presets were greater to give beginners more avenues for creative departure. Finished files can be saved as TIFFs, JPEGs, or as a 32-bit BEF proprietary format. Express 2 performs well and produces quality HDR images.

Company: Unified Color
Price: $99 (Upgrade: $59)
Web: http://www.unifiedcolor.com
Rating: 4
Hot:  32-bit color; good highlight and shadow retention
Not:  Relatively expensive

Simple Monitor Calibration System

X-Rite’s ColorMunki Smile is an affordable, introductory monitor-calibration and -profiling kit, with an emphasis on ease of use. The results are very good and it’s the perfect solution for color-management holdouts. The whole process takes 5 minutes and, when through, you’ll be able to edit your images with confidence, or shop on the Internet, knowing that the colors are accurate. One caveat: Smile lacks advanced controls and isn’t meant for professionals.

In the box, you’ll find a nicely designed USB colorimeter with an adjustable counterweight to balance it securely on the screen. There’s a gasket on the bottom of the colorimeter to block any stray light. The software uses onscreen animation prompts, or there’s an instructional video on the webpage to walk you through the process. Essentially, there’s one step: You place the colorimeter over an onscreen target and click start. There are no options to select, so there’s nothing to screw up.

Set to a gamma of 2.2 and a color temperature of 6,500 K, the program works with your screen’s existing brightness (you can adjust the brightness later). The colorimeter reads a series of colors and gray patches, builds a profile, and saves your profile automatically—annoyingly, you can’t name it. When the process finishes, you can view a before and after of your display.

Smile’s scope is narrow. It doesn’t let you customize settings such as gamma or color temperature. There’s no ability to read ambient light, nor feature to track your screen’s Delta E or to measure light falloff at the edges. Does it do a good job? Yes! Should you get it? If you’re on a budget, and (for whatever reason) still haven’t calibrated your screen, ColorMunki Smile will, well, make you smile!

Company: X-Rite, Incorporated
Price: $99
Web: http://www.xrite.com
Rating: 4.5
Hot:  Simplified color management
Not:  No customization

Capture One Pro 7 from Phase One has an improved processing engine with an advanced Bayer Interpolation algorithm, and it comes with integrated digital asset management (DAM). Further improvements include better noise reduction, a new lens setting for tilt-shift lenses, a new Clarity setting for adding punch to photos, new export formats, and more.

I started the review process by importing 4,800 photos from a LaCie 4big RAID 5 connected via a LaCie Thunderbolt/eSATA converter. This setup normally allows a throughput of 200 MB/s, which should be high enough for any digital-imaging software. I first imported these images by simultaneously “ingesting” them in the Capture One catalog with backup enabled.

The import process took the better part of half a day and left the application unresponsive, so I decided to uncheck the backup option. Performance was better, but the application still seemed slower than version 6.

With the catalog only referencing the images already on disk, I got a much snappier performance. Apparently, with images ingested in the catalog, the app needs a lot of processing power and continuously writes to disk. Even 200 MB/s doesn’t seem to satisfy Capture One Pro 7’s bandwidth hunger.

In my opinion, the DAM module isn’t ready for show time yet. Speed is obviously one element. Not having a method to prevent duplicates from ending up in your catalog is another. And what I also would have liked is a search capability across catalogs. Fortunately, you don’t have to use the DAM part. You can still use Capture One Pro 7 with a session-based workflow.

While the DAM module was somewhat of a disappointment, the new processing engine turns Capture One Pro into the best of all the RAW image apps available. It combines the power of Aperture (the app I know best) with Nik’s latest versions of Viveza and Silver Efex Pro combined.

The new engine is said “to give photographers more detail and better color rendition,” but I found that the color rendition looked pretty much unchanged from version 6. I did, however, find that I could better recover highlights and shadow elements with more accuracy than before.

The noise-reduction algorithm has also been considerably improved. I tried it with a photo of a black leather lounge chair and was able to eliminate most of the noise without also wiping out too much of the leather grain.

Lens correction seems to be a big thing in Capture One Pro 7, but it’s targeted mainly at users of medium-format cameras, such as Phase One and Hasselblad. Canon and Nikon lenses are also well represented, but my own Zeiss lens by Sony is nowhere to be found.

The best new feature for me is the dramatically expanded Local Adjustments module. Along with the brush mask, you now also get a gradient mask, a brush mask that recognizes area boundaries (auto mask), and a fill mask command.

The Local Adjustment tool lets you play with an image and bring out detail that you can’t with other RAW editors, such as Aperture and DxO Optics Pro, unless you use plug-in filters like those from Nik Software.

Other new features included with Capture One Pro 7 (that I couldn’t test) are instant tethered capture with Capture Pilot (iOS or Web-browser view and rate functionality), and live view for DSLRs. Version 7 also exports to more formats than before, including JPEG 2000, JPEG XR, calibrated DNG files, and more.

Company: Phase One
Price: $299
Web: http://www.phaseone.com
Rating: 4
Hot:  Local adjustments; conversion quality; detail; color
Not:  DAM module

FontAgent Pro is arguably the best font manager for the Mac, and this new version 5 makes it even better, with several new features and improvements. The most obvious update is its ability to auto-activate fonts in Adobe CS6 software—InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InCopy.

FontAgent Pro 5 works on the premise of Libraries and Sets. You can have as many Libraries as you wish, depending on how you like to organize your fonts. (Professional designers with a repertoire of hundreds or thousands of fonts generally need a robust font manager.) The fonts are added to a central location but not to a locked database; they’re simply checked for missing/corrupt fonts, copied, and organized. (If desired, you have the option to delete the original fonts after copying.) FontAgent Pro can also auto-gather fonts via an AppleScript. (While this feature is promoted as new, it’s simply a Finder search, and is woefully documented in the online Help, the Help PDF, and the website.) From there, fonts can be broken down further into Sets, again based on the designer’s needs. A Set is a simple, folder-like organization, and as with folders, you may have Sets within Sets. A Set is part of FontAgent Pro but it doesn’t reorganize your fonts on the hard drive; however, Sets may be exported.

In addition to checking the fonts, FontAgent Pro 5 now includes Smasher—a program that can clear operating software (OS) and program caches, and remove fonts from old, unnecessary font suitcase files. You can solve two issues, however, by keeping your OS and software up to date, and using OpenType fonts rather than the older Type 1 (PostScript) fonts. FontAgent Pro 5 supports OpenType, Type 1, Macintosh TrueType, Windows TrueType, and Mac dfonts. Technically, the new software covers Adobe CS3–CS6 and QuarkXPress 6–9.

Useful features in FontAgent Pro 5 for finding just the font you want include Font Player, Font Compare, Glyph View, Find, Smart Sets, and Font Classifier. With Font Player you automatically scan through fonts (via selection, Set, or Library) to preview them one at a time. Font Compare is similar, but shows all the selected fonts at once in a scrollable window. Both Font Player and Font Compare allow you to print a specimen book (and with Mac OS PDF tools, you can print to PDF). The new Glyph View lets you see the actual glyphs (often called “characters”). A nice touch is the ability to drag-and-drop the glyphs into a program; however, Photoshop is the only major program that really needs this feature, and I couldn’t get it to work. InDesign, InCopy, Illustrator, and QuarkXPress already have a built-in Glyph panel. The Find feature lets you search for fonts based on a wide range of criteria, such as font format, foundry name, slant, comments, and much more. One of the more powerful features, the Smart Set, works just like Find, except that your Sets automatically update as new fonts meet the criteria. Using Font Classifier, you can preview fonts by basic classifications (text serif, text sans serif, display, script, etc.) and then by subcategory, such as oldstyle, modern, or transitional. For fonts unknown to FontAgent Pro 5, you can apply a custom classification. And for those who want even more fonts, there’s an AppleScript to download 650 Google open-source fonts.

There are a few more features I’d like to see in an update (rather than the next version), for example, a floating, customizable Font Player window for overlay in other applications; and Font Set activation directly in Adobe and Quark programs. (Granted, these suggested features are taken directly from Extensis Suitcase, but they’re nice ones.) Also, I’d like to see a simultaneous release of Mac and Windows versions—with an identical feature set, of course.

FontAgent Pro 5 costs $99.95 new and $49.95 to upgrade from version 4. Other versions of this software include the Workgroup Edition for $129.95 (upgrade $65) for font sharing without using the FontAgent Pro server; and FontAgent Pro PLUS for $149.95, which includes 750 Bitstream OpenType fonts.

Company:  Insider Software
Price: $99.95 (Upgrade: $49.95)
Web: www.insidersoftware.com
Rating: 4.5
Hot:  Easy to use and set up; works with CS6
Not:  Mac only version (Windows still at 4.1)

Smart Tools Can Automate Pretty Much Anything

Right on the heels of PhaseOne’s new Capture One Pro 7, DxO Labs released version 8 of DxO Optics Pro, their RAW converter and image-editing app. DxO Optics Pro 8 has enough new features and improvements to keep even the most demanding photographer happy, with most of them aimed at automating adjustments.

I tested only the DxO Optics Pro 8 Elite’s most important new features, as many are related to the reorganization of palettes and tools. The most important new feature is Smart Lighting, an automatic re-lighting algorithm. Except for a legacy setting, you can choose one out of four new ones: Slight, Medium, Strong, and Custom. I tested all of them on a photo shot at sunset and another one shot with a strobe. The adjustment worked extremely well on the sunset photo; however, it made the image taken with a flash slightly more flat. After fiddling a bit more, it looked to me as if Smart Lighting does more than adjust the brightness and saturation: It improves the looks of an image.

Smart Automatic Exposure, also new, works with RAW and JPEG images. It adds some contrast to the image, which again made me suspect there’s more going on than just exposure compensation.

The Selective Tone tool allows you to set highlights, midtones, and shadows individually. Unique is that you can also adjust the blacks, which can result in dramatic looks. When applied with care, I could control contrast better than with a curve.

The Contrast tool has a new Microcontrast slider. Changing microcontrast adds or removes some punch and structure. It’s what others call “local contrast.”

In my opinion, the Denoising tool still is one of the best around, and it has become even better with an added dead-pixels slider. Denoising can now happen at all zoom levels, as with other image editors.

There are other improvements that justify the big number upgrade, but all are less visible. There’s a better organization of palettes and controls, and some controls have disappeared, but the tools that were once available are still there—they’ve only changed location. In addition, DxO Optics Pro 8 offers a long list of minor improvements. Lens softness correction, for example, is better with strong highlights.

You’ll also find improved chromatic-aberration correction for images shot with lenses for which a DxO module exists. Just double-click to reset the sliders to the default. Some new items are supported in the EXIF palette. The warning icon that pops up when your zoom level is too low for an edit to be viewed correctly has gone from the image window to where it belongs: right next to the tool in the palette.

There’s a new feature in the Print area for professional photographers who must print contact sheets: You can print a contact sheet of selected images without processing them first. The Print dialog allows you to set the sheet’s appearance and you’re done. This works with RAW and JPEG images.

Finally, DxO announced one limitation, which probably applies to other vendors’ tools as well. If you own a Nikon D800 or D800E, you’ll need to run DxO Optics Pro 8 on a 64-bit machine equipped with a 4-core processor. DxO warns of unwieldy size and processing requirements for Nikon D800 files.

Company:  DxO Labs
Price: $299 Elite; $169 Standard
Web: www.dxo.com
Rating: 4
Hot:  Conversion quality/detail/color even with auto adjustments
Not:  No support for drag-and-drop from desktop into a project

I hadn’t yet considered the iPad as a Photoshop tool, except perhaps to display panels; but enter ColoRotate from IDEA.org. This app features multiple ways to create and tweak a color palette in RGB, CMYK, LAB, and other color models, and it effortlessly synchronizes with Photoshop CS5 and CS6. It allows you to send color samples to the foreground or background of the Photoshop Toolbox by just tapping-and-holding a swatch in ColoRotate; or you can send swatches directly to the Swatches panel.

Photographers will love that you can view images directly from Photoshop and instantly extract a color scheme from them. The Image mode is particularly useful for matching the colors in one shot to another.

Several unique 3D tools, such as Scope, Hue, and Tint, display radish-shaped orbs of color (fun to play with). The Scope view populates its orb with dozens of effervescent-looking bubbles that represent concentrations and distribution of your image’s colors, making it simple to choose harmonious additions to your color story. Adjust colors precisely, or slide your finger around the little color galaxies until you come upon just the right one.

For the occasional color rut, ColoRotate has the ability to generate random palettes based on a main color choice, providing sliders to set parameters for its randomness—including Vivid or Muted, Natural or Synthetic, etc. Once the palette is complete, it can be viewed next to the source image in any of six color-theory-based previews, and shared via email, Twitter, Facebook, Evernote, Dropbox, or the iPad photo library. Palettes export as CSS files, and the accompanying text lists the RGB and HEX values of each swatch. Image editors and digital artists will find ColorRotate a great buy!

Company:  IDEA.org
Price: $4.99
Web: www.colorotate.org
Rating: 4
Hot:  New ways to visualize color
Not:  Exported palettes CSS only (ASE would be nice)

DxO’s ViewPoint fixes distorted images as a result of lens flaws or the lack of a tilt-shift lens, attempting to fix keystoning, anamorphosis, and horizon problems.

Keystoning is the effect that occurs when you shoot architecture from ground level without using a tilt-shift lens. It’s quite easy to fix by warping the image until parallel lines look parallel. That’s exactly how you work with ViewPoint, but to be successful, you should still keep a fair distance from the subject. You obviously can’t straighten lines if you take a photo of a skyscraper looking toward the sky.

Anamorphosis is horizontal or vertical deformation, also known as barrel distortion. It’s an automatic or manual fix in DxO Optics Pro 7.5. It will correct the distortion, again, by warping the image. In DxO Optics Pro, anamorphosis correction is part of the lens module and therefore can be automated with accurate results. In ViewPoint, you can only fix by manipulating sliders, which works well with a dependable monitor.

Last but not least, there’s Horizon that lets you straighten your horizon. There’s also a Cropping tab, which is automatically used when applying a fix. With each additional fix, more of the image is cut off, making it increasingly smaller. This is due to the warping of the image that happens as part of the repair process. ViewPoint lets you control the cropping factor, although it does a good job of keeping your image as big as possible. By the way, the keystoning and horizon tools are also in DxO Optics Pro, so if you already use that program, you don’t need ViewPoint.

Company:  DxO Labs
Price: $79
Web: www.dxo.com
Rating: 4
Hot:  Ease of use; results
Not:  No automatic correction based on lenses