Optimization of chromatic aberrations in DxO PhotoLab

High-quality photographs are often affected by chromatic aberrations, even when taken with great lenses. These color fringes, which occur at the edges of images, can significantly impair the overall picture. In this tutorial, you will learn how to effectively reduce these unwanted effects using the chromatic aberration editing filter in DxO PhotoLab. Let's dive straight into editing your RAW images.

Key Insights

Chromatic aberrations are unwanted color fringes, especially noticeable in wide-angle shots. The filter for correcting these aberrations allows you to adjust the intensity and width of the color disturbances. A manual adjustment offers you the most flexible options to achieve the desired result.

Step-by-Step Guide

First, open the image you want to edit in DxO PhotoLab. To apply the chromatic aberration editing filter, follow these simple steps:

1. Identifying Chromatic Aberration

First, you should become aware of where chromatic aberration occurs in your image. This often happens at the edges of structures. Especially when using wide-angle lenses, these color fringes tend to be more visible. For example, you can look at an image taken with a 21mm wide-angle lens.

2. Accessing the Chromatic Aberration Filter

In the next step, activate the chromatic aberration filter. You will find this in the "Details" panel of DxO PhotoLab. Simply click on the corresponding option to make the effect visible and activate the editing options.

3. Adjusting the Intensity

Once the filter is activated, you can adjust the intensity. This setting determines how strongly the correction is applied. As you drag the sliders to the right, you will immediately see the changes in the image. You can also set this adjustment to "Automatic," where the software performs the analysis for you.

4. Manual Correction

For the best results, however, I recommend manually adjusting the intensity. Drag the slider to the right to observe the effects. Pay close attention to the areas where the chromatic aberrations are particularly pronounced. An image can significantly improve with this adjustment.

5. Adjusting the Size of the Correction

Another important aspect is the size of the color fringe you want to correct. You should adjust the width of the filter to focus the correction on the affected areas. Consider how wide the color fringe is and set the size in the filter accordingly.

6. Fine Tuning

Take the opportunity to further optimize your image. Play with the sliders for intensity and size until you are satisfied with the result. Pay special attention to red and violet color fringes. Sometimes it can be helpful to adjust these two settings simultaneously to achieve the best effect.

7. Final Check and Visibility of Adjustments

Before exporting the image, it is important to note that some changes are only visible at a certain zoom level. In DxO PhotoLab, the effect of the filter only becomes apparent at a zoom level of 75%. Therefore, you should ensure that you check the image at this zoom level to assess the effectiveness of the corrections.

8. Exporting the Image

Once you have made all the adjustments, you can export the image. The applied filters remain intact after export, so you will receive an image without the distracting chromatic aberrations.

Summary - Guide to Correcting Chromatic Aberrations in DxO PhotoLab

In this tutorial, you learned how to effectively reduce chromatic aberrations in your images using the filter in DxO PhotoLab. The adjustments of intensity and size allow you to target your interventions and achieve an appealing image quality.