Canon DPP Digital Lens Optimizer (DLO)

jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
edited October 21, 2012 in Cameras
Wow, I just realized this. Using Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP), you have to download profiles for each of your lenses. Go to the Lens tab of the Tool Palette when viewing a RAW file to do this. Once installed, try it out. Works very well. Here's a couple tests:

The scene:
philly.JPG

5D3, 17-40L

100% crop (straightened), DLO OFF:
philly_crop.JPG

DLO ON:
philly_crop_dlo.JPG

I recommend viewing each image in its own browser tab/window and toggling back and forth.

Another scene:
scene.JPG

5D2, 35L

100% crop, DLO OFF:
no_dlo.JPG

DLO ON:
dlo.JPG

But, it doubles the file size of your RAW file, and you have to manually apply it to each picture, so I will only be using this before printing enlargements.

This takes pixel peeping to a new level!
-Jack

An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.

Comments

  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    I heard that it is magic on the 14 L and the 16-35 mk2 L... Definitely wondering if that is the case; if Canon can finally give the Nikon 14-24 a run for it's money... ;-)

    =Matt=
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  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,127 moderator
    edited April 26, 2012
    I feel the need to caution users that the DLO library of files for all available lens profiles amounts to hundreds of megabytes. Additionally, using DLO on a Canon CR2 file can cause the file size for the file to grow considerably.

    My recommendation is to only load those profiles you will use, and only apply DLO to selected files, worthy of the process.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    ziggy53 wrote: »
    I feel the need to caution users that the DLO library of files for all available lens profiles amounts to hundreds of megabytes. Additionally, using DLO on a Canon CR2 file can cause the file size for the file to grow considerably.

    My recommendation is to only load those profiles you will use, and only apply DLO to selected files, worthy of the process.

    Agreed, but I thought I basically said this...? Not sure why anyone would select and download profiles for lenses they don't have.

    Interesting side note, the profiles for all my lenses except the 35L were around 20-25 MB. The profile for the 35L is 3.5 MB. Guess it must be almost perfect! :D Or maybe there is specific data for the various focal lengths of the zooms.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    Now if they only had an Aperture plug-in for it. :)
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  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,245 moderator
    edited April 26, 2012
    The file size issue is moot if using DLO. Here's why:

    Yes, the RAW CR2 file will be anywhere from 1.8 to 2.3x in size when you've DLO'd the image. So from there, you make your JPEF or 8 or 16 bit TIFF and take the resultant image to wherever you want. But what a lot of people don't realize is that once you're done, you can go back and un-DLO the image by deselecting the little box in the dialog and then SAVE again, and the DLO stuff is removed from the RAW and the file size snaps right back to where it was beforehand.

    I love DLO! wings.gif As I mentioned in another thread, it is like waving a magic Nikon 14-24G over your images. This works fantastical on my old 40D files with the EF-s 10-22. Not as well with the 70-200 (because it is already a magic lens).

    Look for Canon to expand the lens offerings. As a bonus, DPP has a decent HDR engine included in the newest DPP. Note, the "fixed" and latest version is 3.11.26 which is free from Canon if you already have Canon software mounted on your machine. The included DPP with the early 5D3's is flawed, so don't use that.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • eoren1eoren1 Registered Users Posts: 2,391 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    So if I take 5D3 CR2 files directly into LR 4.1 and cull/keyword/rate photos. Then I decide I want some to be run through the DPP DLO step, can I open those CR2's in DPP? Does LR strip or screw up the EXIF data in regards to DLO?
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    eoren1 wrote: »
    So if I take 5D3 CR2 files directly into LR 4.1 and cull/keyword/rate photos. Then I decide I want some to be run through the DPP DLO step, can I open those CR2's in DPP? Does LR strip or screw up the EXIF data in regards to DLO?

    Kind of a tangent but have you compared DPP vs. LR for color? I tried LR a year ago and just recently and both times I liked the colors in DPP better. Seems like DLO gives me reason to not worry about the little extra sharpness in LR anymore.

    By the way DLO works on your 50D files too.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • eoren1eoren1 Registered Users Posts: 2,391 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    I compared dpp, c1 and LR but that was two years ago. Problem is that I'm dependent on LR for managing my catalog of images. The workflow would be too complicated if I went through the above with every image. Especially without a batch mode in dpp for the dlo function.
  • Dan7312Dan7312 Registered Users Posts: 1,330 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    LR doesn't make any changes to the raw file, except if you configure it to write timestamps to it when you make changes. Keywords and ratings don't go into the raw file, they go into the LR database.

    The default for LR is to not write timestamps into the raw file. If you do a bunch of edits in LR you can see that the date/time on the raw file does not change.

    eoren1 wrote: »
    So if I take 5D3 CR2 files directly into LR 4.1 and cull/keyword/rate photos. Then I decide I want some to be run through the DPP DLO step, can I open those CR2's in DPP? Does LR strip or screw up the EXIF data in regards to DLO?
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    eoren1 wrote: »
    I compared dpp, c1 and LR but that was two years ago. Problem is that I'm dependent on LR for managing my catalog of images. The workflow would be too complicated if I went through the above with every image. Especially without a batch mode in dpp for the dlo function.

    I hear ya. DPP is too ingrained in my brain for me to switch.

    However, I discovered you can do DLO in batch. You copy the recipe from one image and paste it to the rest. It takes a long time though, and you do it before converting to jpg.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,245 moderator
    edited April 26, 2012
    ...However, I discovered you can do DLO in batch. You copy the recipe from one image and paste it to the rest. It takes a long time though, and you do it before converting to jpg.

    Good to know; haven't tried that yet. And, YIKES! One had better know beforehand they have enough room on a drive to do a large batch, much less the time aspect. Not something I'd want to do to pre-process a time lapse sequence.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • JaapJaap Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    edited October 18, 2012
    Lens data not available for Digital lens optimizer?
    Hello all,

    since buying my Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i I've been working quite a lot with DPP. However, I can't seem to get the Digital lens optimizer to work. I've got the standard short and long zoom lenses (EF-S f3.5-5.6 18-55mm IS II and EF-S f/4-5.6 55-250mm IS) and a macro lens (EF f/2.8 100mm Macro USM). When trying to use the Digital lens optimizer, the appropriate tab on the Tool palette in DPP consistently reads "Lens data not available" with images taken with any of these three lenses. When trying to download them, the lenses do not appear on the list of downloadable lens types. Am I doing something wrong here? Your help would be much appreciated.

    Regards, Jaap Verhage, Utrecht, Netherlands.
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,127 moderator
    edited October 18, 2012
    Hi Jaap,

    The DLO supported lens and camera combinations are listed on the second page of this link:

    http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/education/technical/dpp_3_11_software_explained.do

    No, I don't see your current lenses listed. (I doubt that the EF f/2.8 100mm Macro USM would benefit much since it's already very highly corrected).

    For software with similar capabilities I can suggest DxO Optics Pro v7.5.5. (You should not need the "Elite" version.) While it costs to purchase Optics Pro it does support a much broader range of cameras and lenses.

    http://www.dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro/for_your_equipment

    The list of Canon lenses that they support for the Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i alone is 3 pages long, and I believe at least some of your lenses are supported.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • JaapJaap Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    edited October 21, 2012
    Thanks for your help!
    ziggy53 wrote: »
    Hi Jaap,

    The DLO supported lens and camera combinations are listed on the second page of this link:

    http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/education/technical/dpp_3_11_software_explained.do

    No, I don't see your current lenses listed. (I doubt that the EF f/2.8 100mm Macro USM would benefit much since it's already very highly corrected).

    For software with similar capabilities I can suggest DxO Optics Pro v7.5.5. (You should not need the "Elite" version.) While it costs to purchase Optics Pro it does support a much broader range of cameras and lenses.

    http://www.dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro/for_your_equipment

    The list of Canon lenses that they support for the Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i alone is 3 pages long, and I believe at least some of your lenses are supported.

    Hello Ziggy,

    thanks for your prompt and informative reply! I'll go look into the adresses you mentioned.

    Regards, Jaap.
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