The way we photograph and edit is constantly changing. There are many software choices available to improve single exposure RAW files. One option is DxO PureRAW 3.0.
DxO Pure RAW 3.0 is intriguing. What does it do? How does it work? DxO PureRAW 3.0 is a stand alone program or can be used as a plug-in to Lightroom Classic. It is very simple, it improves single exposure RAW files for editing. With one click, it sharpens, cleans up noise, and does lens correction. That’s all! No other editing features. Keep it simple.
Note: The DxO PureRAW 3.0 was provided to me free. This is an independent review. All opinions are my own.
Pros
- Easy to download
- Operates as a plug-in to Lightroom
- Non-destructive to original file creates a .dng copy
- Removes noise
- Corrects lens distortion
- Enhances details
- When used as a plug-in to Lightroom it saves back to the Catalog
- Fast processing
Cons
- Was a little glitchy when first downloaded, but recent software updates corrected issues
- Edited photos go into a collection instead of the original folder when used as a plug-in
- Instead of <Edit in> you go through <File>Plug-in Extras>Process
DxO Pure RAW 3.0 — Compatibility
In the images above note differences in the before (left) and the after (right). There is decreased noise and improved details.
Software compatibility is taken from the DxO PureRAW 3.0 website. The software is now in Version 3.2.
Microsoft Windows
Minimum system configuration:
- Any CPU supporting SSE 4.1
- 8 GB RAM
- 4 GB available disk space
- Microsoft Windows 10 version 20H2 (64-bit, and still supported by Microsoft)
Recommended system configuration:
- Intel Core processor with 6 cores or better, or AMD Ryzen
- 16 GB RAM
- 6 GB available disk space
- NVIDIA RTX 2060, AMD Radeon RX 6600 or better with latest drivers
macOS
Minimum system configuration:
- Any CPU
- 8 GB RAM
- 4 GB available disk space
- macOS 11.6 (Big Sur)
Recommended system configuration:
- Intel Core Processor with 6 cores or higher, or Apple Silicon
- 16 GB RAM
- macOS 12 (Monterey), 13 (Ventura)
- 6 GB available disk space
- AMD Radeon Pro 580X or better for Intel Macs
DxO PureRAW 3.0 — macOS (Ventura 13.4)
The image on the left of the Barred Owl above is without any processing other than cropping. The image on the right is after improving the single file RAW image with the software.
The computer used to install the software is an Apple MacBook Pro. The macOS is Ventura 13.4 and it runs with the Apple M1 Max processor. The computer has 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive. The Lightroom Classic version used is 12.4. The installation took less than 5 minutes and it was ready to run.
The gear used to photograph with was the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with the M. Zuiko 150 — 400mm f/4.0 Pro lens (unless otherwise noted in captions). My camera body is a micro 4/3 and with higher ISO’s noise is visible, especially in the sky.
Initially, the software processed the image and then errors popped up on the screen. It couldn’t find a location to store the photos and there was a Lightroom Classic error. When the new update came out in early May, the errors went away. The processed files began saving in a DxO PureRAW 3 folder under Collections in Lightroom Classic. I prefer the location to be in the original folder, but it is an easy drag and drop to where you want it.
The following image was processed in about 10 seconds using DxO PureRAW 3.0 with DeepPRIME XD selected. The grain in the sky has evened out and the pelicans have more detail.
Compared to other denoise software
About the same time the DxO PureRAW 3.0 was downloaded, Adobe Lightroom Classic added the Denoise feature. Below is a comparison of DxO PureRAW 3.0 DeepPRIME XD and Lightroom Classic’s denoise processor.
The image on the left was processed with Lightroom Classic Denoise and the one on the with DxO PureRAW 3.0. The latter did a better job clearing the noise out of the sky. In the DxO PureRAW 3.0 version, there is a minor loss of detail in the feathers, but the shadows are no longer noisy. As you move the slider, you can see subtle changes in the eagle as DxO PureRAW 3.0 applied lens correction.
For years I have used Topaz Denoise. Let’s compare DxO PureRAW 3.0 to Topaz Denoise.
The Topaz Denoise image is on the left and DxO PureRAW 3.0 is on the right. In comparison, Topaz Denoise still has much grain in the image where DxO PureRAW 3.0 removes the grain and adjusts the subject.
As mentioned above, DxO PureRAW 3.0 does not have any other editing capabilities. It improves single image RAW files by reducing noise, adjusting for lens distortion, and pulls out details.
I highly recommend DxO PureRAW 3.0 to photographers who use higher ISO’s to capture action or who photograph in low light. Furthermore, photographers whose primary camera is Micro 4/3 will also benefit from this technology.
DxO PureRAW 3.0 improves single image RAW files. I am pleasantly surprised by its powerful processor. I highly recommend this software to anyone who struggles with noisy/grainy photographs. DxO PureRAW 3.0 is offered as a free trial or for a price of $129.
Additional information can be found in this review by Jemma Pollari.
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