French software publisher DxO has recently launched ViewPoint 5, the latest version of its perspective correction software. The new release includes innovative features such as the ReShape tool, which now allows you to correct (or distort) specific areas of an image. Let’s delve into the main new features of DxO ViewPoint 5.
For those who have tried to straighten the perspectives of their images, DxO ViewPoint proves to be particularly interesting. Indeed, it goes much further than the solutions integrated into photo editing software (hello Lightroom), as it relies on nearly 100,000 camera/lens combinations.
Therefore, it can restore perspectives and the proportions of elements in your images – including in the most complex scenarios (barrel, pincushion, mustache, anamorphosis…). It also offers more creative tools, such as the one that allows you to add a beautiful tilt-shift effect to your images.
ReShape Fusion: Advanced New Tools for Correcting Distortions
Introduced with version 4 of the software, the ReShape tool has evolved and is now called ReShape Fusion. As a reminder, this tool offers an adjustable grid that allows you to adjust a portion of the image to compensate for lens distortions. Until now, the tool only allowed you to manually move points on the grid.
With ViewPoint 5, the tool allows for more complex modifications. A new “Free Distortion” mode includes options for moving, rotating, and scaling. Additionally, a new Propagation slider allows you to spread the effect to surrounding areas for a more natural… and perhaps more creative result.
A “Magnetic Edges” checkbox also allows you to constrain cropping based on the original aspect ratio of the photo.
Local Perspective Retouching is Possible
In many cases, it is not possible to achieve a perfectly straight horizon in your image. While global correction of vertical lines is always possible… the operation sometimes tends to distort the rest of the frame – which can give the image a “skewed” appearance.
This is the specific problem that ViewPoint 5 addresses by allowing localized perspective corrections. You can thus realign the lines and proportions of a specific element in the image without affecting the entire photo.
This feature will particularly interest photographers who adopt complex compositions, where many buildings with different proportions coexist within the frame. Similarly, the tool corrects volume distortions created by ultra-wide-angle lenses. The areas stretched widthwise at the edges of the image should thus be a thing of the past.
Integration with PhotoLab 8, Lightroom, and Photoshop
Finally, DxO ViewPoint 5 should integrate seamlessly with your post-processing software. It can be “called” directly from Lightroom Classic and Photoshop – and works in conjunction with DxO PhotoLab 8. “Giving you more control over your RAW workflow, without any loss of quality,” the publisher states in its press release.
Price and Availability of DxO ViewPoint 5
DxO ViewPoint 5 is available now on the publisher’s website. The software is offered at 109 € for a new license. The upgrade from version 3 or 4 of the software is available at 69 €.
The publisher also offers 2 packs around its various software. The 1st includes ViewPoint 5 and PhotoLab 8 and is available at 269 €. The 2nd also includes FilmPack 7: it is available at 349 €.
To learn more and take advantage of a free 30-day trial version, visit the DxO website.
