DxO Optics Pro v5.2 new RAW converter extends already important achievements in noise removal, detail rendition and color fidelity to images shot at ISOs as high as 25600. The software also adds support for the Pentax K20D, Sony-A350 and Sony-A700 DSLRs as well as the long-awaited DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®.

Paris, France—July 8, 2008—DxO Labs today announced DxO Optics Pro v5.2, the latest version of its award-winning flagship software application for automatic image quality enhancement for digital SLR camera users, featuring dramatic improvements in RAW conversion for images shot at ultra-high ISOs. The release of DxO Optics Pro v5.2 is accompanied by support for three new camera bodies, various improvements including the DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®, and extension of the free DxO FilmPack offer.

DxO Optics Pro v5.2 RAW conversion breakthroughs
DxO Optics Pro v5.0 marked an important milestone in the world of RAW converters by taking the lead in terms of noise removal and detail rendition. DxO Optics Pro v5.2 takes another dramatic step forward in noise removal for RAW images shot at ISOs as high as 25600, while improving the level of details and color fidelity in the photo.

“We are facing a paradox,” says Cyrille de La Chesnais, director of the photography business at DxO Labs, “as technology evolves the number of pixels and the amount of noise simultaneously increase so that RAW conversion becomes more challenging.” 

Frédéric Guichard, Chief Scientist at DxO Labs explains, “Reduction of the pixel size of roughly 35% from 2003 to 2008 and the naturally increasing demand from photographers to shoot at very high ISO reveals new problems with noise related to both the manufacturing of the sensor and the quantity of light hitting it. This means that RAW converters have to cope with higher photonics noise as well as with new sources of noise due to electronic imperfections. The ability of RAW converters to reduce noise while keeping good detail rendition is clearly the key for high ISO shooting.”

The noise engine in DxO Optics Pro v5.2 has been improved to take these evolutions into account:

• Automatic correction of defective pixels (dead and hot pixels …)  
• New chrominance noise removal in RAW format is better adapted to the characteristics of each camera body and does a better job of preserving real color nuances.
• Multi-scale RAW luminance noise removal allows the software to remove larger noise spots and results in even smaller digital grain size after correction.
• Compared with competing RAW converters, for the same level of detail preservation, DxO Optics Pro v5.2 provides a 2-f/stop gain in the shooting latitude at ultra-high ISOs.

Support for 3 new camera bodies
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 adds support for the popular Pentax K20D, Sony-A350 and Sony-A700 DSLR camera bodies and an initial selection of lenses.

With the release of v5.2, new lens correction modules have also been added for the Samsung GX20 and the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi (also known as the Canon EOS 450D or Canon EOS Kiss X2).

A complete list of DxO Modules (body/lens combinations) supported by DxO Optics Pro v5.2 can be found on the company’s website: www.dxo.com

Adobe® Photoshop® Import plug-in and other improvements
The DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® is included in DxO Optics Pro v5.2. It allows users to import images (RAW or JPEG) into Adobe® Photoshop® via the DxO Optics Pro plug-in and thus benefit from DxO Optics Pro revolutionary RAW conversion, and exclusive optical and lighting corrections. Additionally, as compared to v5.1, DxO Optics Pro v5.2 brings a number of stability and interface improvement, and bug fixes.

Extension of the DxO FilmPack special offer
To celebrate the release of DxO Optics Pro v5.2, DxO Labs is extending the special DxO FilmPack free license offer until July 31, 2008.
Customers who upgrade (either a free or purchased upgrade) or purchase DxO Optics Pro v5.2 and activate it before August 1, 2008 will receive a free DxO FilmPack v1.2 license.
DxO FilmPack exists as a plug-in for Photoshop or DxO Optics Pro, or a stand-alone application, accurately reproducing the color and grain of traditional films onto digital images, thereby allowing users to capture all the magic of film in their digital images. Customers who already own DxO FilmPack can install the new license on additional computers.

Pricing and availability
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 for Windows and Macintosh platforms is available immediately on the company’s e-store or from respected retailers.  See the company’s website for a complete list: www.dxo.com

DxO Optics Pro v5.2 is available in Standard and Elite versions at pricing unchanged from version 5.x:

DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: $169
DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: $299
(All prices are excluding sales taxes)

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro on or after August 1st, 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 5.2. For customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro before August 1st, 2007, the pricing of upgrades is as follows:

DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: $95
DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: $125

Operating System Requirements
Windows:

• Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD® equivalent (Pentium® Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
• Microsoft® Windows XP 32 bits Service Pack 2 or Windows VISTA™ 32 bits

Macintosh:

• Universal Binary (G4, G5 or Intel)
• Mac OS X.4 or X.5

120 MB of available disk space
DxO Optics Pro Standard & Elite Edition: 2 GB RAM

About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions ensuring excellence in digital imaging. DxO Labs develops and licenses intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:  licensing of optics and silicon architectures for embedded still and video image processing; image quality evaluation and measurement tools and methodologies; image quality enhancement software for consumers. The company’s key customers and partners include:

• Consumer electronics manufacturers such as digital camera vendors and cameraphones vendors;
• Imaging components suppliers: camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors;
• Demanding photographers, as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.

DxO Labs’ product portfolio is steadily finding a place at the heart of advanced consumer electronics and world-class industry imaging systems where “Image Science by DxO” becomes a reference for quality.

For more information or a list of distributors and resellers, visit DxO Labs online at www.dxo.com

DxO is a registered trademark of DxO Labs. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. DxO Labs disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.