DxO PureRAW 4 Review & Demonstration

DxO PureRAW 4 is released on 5 March 2024. This video demonstrates the user interface and deep dives into the use case of an Adobe Lightroom user preprocessing an extremely noisy image in PureRAW 4 before returning it to Lightroom for further corrections and enhancements. We cover all four noise removal modes including HighQuality, PRIME, DeepPRIME and DeepPRIME XD2/XD.
PureRAW 4 represents the latest step in an increasingly evenly balanced competition between Adobe and DxO to produce the best and most usable RAW processor. What many photographers may not fully appreciate is that the RAW processor you use converts the image to the version you see on the screen before they press a single button or slider.
The idea of using PureRAW as a pre-processor is particularly attractive in the sense that photographers can use DxO technology to produce superior RAW files, and then use the tools they are familiar with to complete the development of the image. Ending up with a better picture.
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0:00 Intro
2:06 Review
3:24 Noise Evaluation
3:56 Export to PureRAW 4
4:27 Denoising and Optical Corrections options
17:01 Bonus content - Processing the Output
25:21 Before / After Comparison

[@johnkendall5025]

Would you comment on the use of PureRaw versus PhotoLab 7. DXO has suggested that you do not need PureRaw if you have PhotoLab, but your video does highlight some features which are not available in PhotoLab or features that are automated in PhotoLab. Excellent videos.

[@chriswrightphotographs]

Thanks! PureRAW is one step ahead of PhotoLab in so far as the noise removal algorithms release cycle is concerned. I expect that to be rectified in PhotoLab 8 (that's an opinion, but it seems like a safe bet). Otherwise there is no reason to use PureRAW if you already have PhotoLab. I've always used Lightroom to manage my photos and Photoshop to do layer based processing when I need to (Exposure Blending, Focus Stacking). In those cases it's easier to use PureRAW to preprocess the RAW files and go straight to Photoshop than it is to go via PhotoLab.

[@whamni]

Brilliant review Chris, you talk about the sliders at their default settings of 40 and 0 in advanced, I just discovered they don't default, but stay at the last position you used and may not be the ideal settings you want for the next photo !

[@chriswrightphotographs]

Thanks. That's a good spot, I hadn't realised!

[@GusMcCrae01]

Excellent information.

[@chriswrightphotographs]

Thanks, glad it was of interest !

[@chriswrightphotographs]

Update - I bought a new computer last week. Long story short, what took 23 minutes on the old intel based MacBook takes less than a minute on the new MacBook with M3 chip. I processed 73 RAW files in four minutes on the new laptop. Thanks due to those who commented about speed in this and other videos!!