Different crops processing Mavic 3 Pro RAWs in different packages

[Ed Hurst]

Hello there, I've been shooting stills using the Mavic 3 Pro - always in RAW (DNG) format. My workflow involves processing RAW files using either Adobe Camera RAW or DxO; they have different strengths and I find it useful to decide which to use based on the requirements of each specific image. However, I've noticed something really odd. Even though both packages are set to show me the whole image (so no cropping), the ACR images show me less image than the DxO images. There's a noticeable amount of 'extra image' visible in DxO. Try as I might, I have found no way to get ACR to show me these extra data. I've checked the pixel dimensions they're set to; confirmed there is no cropping set; etc.. As the images are shot in RAW on the drone, there's no digital zoom applied. So I am stumped! Any idea what's going on and how to get ACR to show me 'the whole image'? Many thanks, Ed

 

[AlanL]

I use a workflow based on Lightroom and typically run either DxO PureRAW or DxO PhotoLab7 on candidate images directly from Lightroom. When I am done with my processing with either DxO path the result is automatically imported back into my Lightroom catalog as a new DNG. I can directly compare the DxO output with the original and there certainly are some differences at the edges of the images with DxO showing much better definition and seemingly a wider view with output from my Mavic 3 Pro. The pixel count is identical but I think most of the difference is due to DxO's optical corrections for the DJI camera lenses. Adobe lens corrections don't even come close to how well DxO can handle the task and that appears to show at the edges.

I don't see as big a difference at the edges when I look at originals from my Canon 5D MkIV vs. ones processed with DxO so Adobe might not have the best solutions for DJI lens corrections.

 

[Ed Hurst]

Thanks, Alan. I too thought it must be to do with lens correction - though I have this apparently switched off in ACR. However, if it is this, then it's happening quite crudely in ACR, since the DxO images are more effectively corrected and still retain more image. I guess it has to be this, but it's odd given the extent of image lost in ACR, combined with the apparent lack of meaningful correction.

Oh well! I suppose I will have to favour DxO, but it's frustrating since there are things that I find easier to do in ACR. I guess I will just have to up my DxO game!

 

[AlanL]

I ended up embracing both applications. DxO's cleanup is in another league compared to ACR/LR but in my case LR is my master cataloging program as well as image processing so I ended up using both since DxO lets me use PureRAW or PhotoLab from inside of LR and then resume my usual ACR/LR RAW processing. The DxO processed image keeps the DxO lens corrections when the image is imported back into the Adobe application.

I don't see that it matters whether you have Adobe's lens corrections checked or not - DxO's corrections still recover more at the edges than ACR/LR.

 

[JeffreyS]

Fascinating.

 

[Ed Hurst]

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that DxO is better in terms of corrections, noise, detail, etc.. However, I'm just not as skilled at getting the colours, tones and local adjustments out of that I can do easily in ACR; especially things like red skies (which generally end up looking dreadful in DxO with my processing!). So I'll just have to put the time in, I guess, to learn it properly...

 

[AlanL]

DxO's colors in PhotoLab7 are tricky to work with. I mostly use their apps for noise/light balance. PhotoLab7 has some tricks for lighting and hazy skies that Adobe can't touch but I prefer LR/ACR for colors and final touchups. The only thing I do with color in PhotoLab7 is to make sure that Rendering is set to DxO camera profile (DJI Mavic 3) and then look carefully at which Profile Adobe is using. I have found Adobe Color gives me workable results and then I do all my final RAW tweaks in LR before dropping the image into Photoshop. There are some LR Profiles that can make a real mess out of the colors. What you see in PhotoLab7 isn't what you get in LR/ACR.

That is my major nit with PhotoLab7 - I am not fond of needing to use LR adjustments to correct what looked nice when I had the image open in PhotoLab. DxO PureRAW just does the noise/optics corrections and I use it instead of PhotoLab7 whenever I don't need to correct some nasty lighting.

 

[Filmarik]

DxO's colors in PhotoLab7 are tricky to work with. I mostly use their apps for noise/light balance. PhotoLab7 has some tricks for lighting and hazy skies that Adobe can't touch but I prefer LR/ACR for colors and final touchups. The only thing I do with color in PhotoLab7 is to make sure that Rendering is set to DxO camera profile (DJI Mavic 3) and then look carefully at which Profile Adobe is using. I have found Adobe Color gives me workable results and then I do all my final RAW tweaks in LR before dropping the image into Photoshop. There are some LR Profiles that can make a real mess out of the colors. What you see in PhotoLab7 isn't what you get in LR/ACR.

That is my major nit with PhotoLab7 - I am not fond of needing to use LR adjustments to correct what looked nice when I had the image open in PhotoLab. DxO PureRAW just does the noise/optics corrections and I use it instead of PhotoLab7 whenever I don't need to correct some nasty lighting.

DxO PureRAW has become my very first step in processing DNG. I do not use its sharpening though, Lens softnes OFF everything else ON. The new DxO DNG open automatically in LR. There I apply my own presets (including dedicated sharpening amounts) created for each M3P camera and export the photos as 16bit TIFF. I finish them off in Photoshop.
This workflow has been working well for me.
And yes, the files processed in DXO not only show more image around edges but their optical correction is nothing short of magical. I have never seen as much detail in my Mavic 3 Pro files as I see after DxO processed them. On top of that I can now shoot with all cameras but mainly with the 70 and even 166mm at much higher ISO knowing that DxO cleans the noise just fine. It is quite astonishing how clean and sharp the high ISO shots actually look.