Post by BuckSkin on Apr 24, 2020 20:31:28 GMT
I was very happy with my version of DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite and was beginning to learn how to use a few of it's many features; there are more features I have not yet explored than those that I have.
Alas, I acquired a camera that it claims it does not support, therefore it refuses to even try; this is complete hogwash in my opinion as the files are the same old Canon CR2 that all the other accepted cameras produce; this is just a ploy to force one to upgrade.
My version of RawTherapee is older than the DxO 9 and it accepts the files without even flinching, as does several other older programs that I have.
However, once one ever uses DxO, it is sort of like letting a horse have a taste of Western Alfalfa hay; after one bite, he won't eat anything else.
I managed to get a copy of DxO Photolab 2; you cannot buy this or any older version from the source; they will only sell you the latest greatest and it only works with Windows 10 and I will never have Windows 10, so EBay to the rescue.
There are quite a few "improvements" in the newer version that I am not happy with.
One difference that really sticks out is the various little emblems that get tacked onto the image thumbnails so you can tell what has and has not yet been done to the image; in DxO 9, while they could stand to be a bit bigger, these are huge in comparison to PL2; plus, they make a lot more sense as to what they mean.
For instance, in DxO 9, there is a big diagonal banner with a large "P" for those images that have had Prime applied; in PL2, it is a tiny symbol that is barely noticeable.
My biggest gripe though, is the fact that a very very handy feature has been taken away.
In DxO 9, on the various sliders, I can place the mouse cursor on one side or the other of the center and each click advances the slider in equal increments; once a person learns how many clicks will accomplish what they are seeking, it is a quick and simple matter to give each slider a few clicks.
This wonderfully convenient feature is lacking in PL2; and, to add insult to injury, in my experience, the sliders are very lurchy jerky in their response; it really slows me down.
In PL2s defense, it does have an in-house haze reducing feature that makes a very noticeable improvement to images that need it.
As for the incorporated NIK, it is not nearly so convenient as the old FREE incorporated NIK in my Elements 7.
In Pl2/NIK, it saves the NIK product as a separate file; this is not nearly so convenient as having the NIK product added as a new layer onto the existing image as is the way it works in Elements.
Also, I am not saying there are not any new features in the included NIK, but that I cannot find anything that I use that it can do any better than the old free version.
I guess I am stuck with the new aggravations of PL2, as compared to DxO 9, on account of "9" refusing to acknowledge the files from my newer camera, but only for the files from the newer camera; for all the other cameras we have, I will keep using DxO 9.
I have spent hours on images in several other programs and cannot achieve the results that I can get in a few seconds with DxO, so I guess I can put up with a few frustrations in the newer version.
Alas, I acquired a camera that it claims it does not support, therefore it refuses to even try; this is complete hogwash in my opinion as the files are the same old Canon CR2 that all the other accepted cameras produce; this is just a ploy to force one to upgrade.
My version of RawTherapee is older than the DxO 9 and it accepts the files without even flinching, as does several other older programs that I have.
However, once one ever uses DxO, it is sort of like letting a horse have a taste of Western Alfalfa hay; after one bite, he won't eat anything else.
I managed to get a copy of DxO Photolab 2; you cannot buy this or any older version from the source; they will only sell you the latest greatest and it only works with Windows 10 and I will never have Windows 10, so EBay to the rescue.
There are quite a few "improvements" in the newer version that I am not happy with.
One difference that really sticks out is the various little emblems that get tacked onto the image thumbnails so you can tell what has and has not yet been done to the image; in DxO 9, while they could stand to be a bit bigger, these are huge in comparison to PL2; plus, they make a lot more sense as to what they mean.
For instance, in DxO 9, there is a big diagonal banner with a large "P" for those images that have had Prime applied; in PL2, it is a tiny symbol that is barely noticeable.
My biggest gripe though, is the fact that a very very handy feature has been taken away.
In DxO 9, on the various sliders, I can place the mouse cursor on one side or the other of the center and each click advances the slider in equal increments; once a person learns how many clicks will accomplish what they are seeking, it is a quick and simple matter to give each slider a few clicks.
This wonderfully convenient feature is lacking in PL2; and, to add insult to injury, in my experience, the sliders are very lurchy jerky in their response; it really slows me down.
In PL2s defense, it does have an in-house haze reducing feature that makes a very noticeable improvement to images that need it.
As for the incorporated NIK, it is not nearly so convenient as the old FREE incorporated NIK in my Elements 7.
In Pl2/NIK, it saves the NIK product as a separate file; this is not nearly so convenient as having the NIK product added as a new layer onto the existing image as is the way it works in Elements.
Also, I am not saying there are not any new features in the included NIK, but that I cannot find anything that I use that it can do any better than the old free version.
I guess I am stuck with the new aggravations of PL2, as compared to DxO 9, on account of "9" refusing to acknowledge the files from my newer camera, but only for the files from the newer camera; for all the other cameras we have, I will keep using DxO 9.
I have spent hours on images in several other programs and cannot achieve the results that I can get in a few seconds with DxO, so I guess I can put up with a few frustrations in the newer version.