DxO PureRAW 5 Released - is it worth upgrading?

Now DxO PureRAW 5 is finally available, does the upgrade hit the mark?

DxO Pure Raw Five is finally available, and I had a sneak preview before you could buy it.

Hi, my name is Rich Dyson from Edinburgh Photography Workshop, and this is Coffee Break Photography.

At the end of February, DxO announced the latest version of its raw processing tool, Pure RAW. You can finally download PureRAW 5 starting April 15. However, I used the Final Beta for a few days before the launch. So, does the upgrade hit the mark?

Well, let’s recall what we were told to expect from this new release by DxO. It features increased processing speed, a cleaner interface, custom presets, a refined general processing that improves chromatic processing and an extra detail version of the processing engine specifically designed for the X-Trans sensor found in Fuji cameras. 

I spent the morning in Edinburgh capturing images that could push PureRAW 5 to its limits. To achieve this, I used my Canon R5 and to try out the new X-trans processing, my ancient Fuji X-T1.  Some of the images were shot outdoors in good light to check the improvements in demosaicing and chromatic fixes. The rest were shot inside St Giles Cathedral where I was forced to push the ISO’s higher, so I could confirm the noise reduction capabilities.

Let’s start by looking at processing speeds. Using PureRAW 4 with a Canon image, the processing time was 18.36 seconds for an image. That is using a MacBook Pro M4 with 24GB of memory. The same file in PureRAW 5 saved about a second, this time it took 17.48 seconds. It might not seem a great advance, but when I am processing multiple files after a shoot, every second helps.

The PureRAW 5 interface introduces a minor change with the addition of buttons in the top right corner. You can now view the metadata related to the file and filter not only by whether an image has been processed but also by ISO values, F-stop numbers, colour labels, picks and rejects, and ratings. Additionally, it’s possible to switch the image display in the window to either a grid or mosaic layout. These are all nice changes that you probably didn’t know you needed until you see them on the screen.

Adding new presets to how you process images in PureRAW 5 sounds like a good addition, which you do by clicking on the preset dropdown in the Process Settings screen. I must admit, unless you prefer not to have the processing fix issues like vignetting or lens distortions, the standard settings work just fine. I find it difficult to see differences between files with, for example, slightly different luminance values.

The changes to the Chromatic improvements are certainly noticeable, but again, unless you pixel peek, they won’t be obvious when looking at the photo. To see them, flick through the different images and pay particular attention to the histogram. This first picture is the original raw file taken with the Fuji X-T1. As we move to the image processed in PureRAW 4, you can see that the blue and green channels have separated slightly, with both becoming a little darker. With the X-Trans processing capability, the green and blue channels separate even more, with the blue channel shifting back toward the lighter end of the histogram. Changes are definitely occurring, but in my opinion, I see very little difference in the image, other than the application of lens correction.

The most significant change in this release is aimed at Fuji camera users. The addition of extra detail processing for the X-Trans sensor has greatly enhanced the quality of the output. The image on the left was processed with PureRAW 4, while the one on the right uses PureRAW 5. You can see that both manage noise exceptionally well. The major difference becomes apparent when we zoom into the image to examine the stained glass window. The PureRAW 4 version displays a red tinge around the window panes, whereas the version 5 image has completely eliminated these artefacts. Keep in mind that this image was captured at the edge of the ISO capability for an 11-year-old camera. This is pretty impressive processing!

With the limited time I've had to test the capabilities of PureRAW 5, I’m not convinced that the version upgrade offers much for non-Fuji camera users, apart from a slight increase in processing speed. However, for Fuji users, I would say that this is a must-buy. The advancements in processing will significantly enhance your images.

If you purchased PureRAW 4 after the February announcement, you will be able to automatically upgrade to PureRAW 5. For the rest of us, upgrading from PureRAW 3 or 4 will cost £69.99 or € 79.99 or $ 79.99. New users will pay £109.99 or € 119.99 or $ 119.99.

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