This entry is written by Patrick Dean, editor of the photography news and review website, Neutralday.com.

DxO Labs has released the latest version of their RAW editing software, DxO Optics Pro 6. Available early this month, DxO Optics Pro 6's key advancement is enhanced high ISO RAW conversion. For photographers who prefer to shoot in natural light or in occasional challenging light conditions, using higher ISO settings on your camera can be make the difference between getting a shot or no shot at all. To that point, Optics Pro 6 claims that photographers can push their cameras up to 2 stops higher than they normally would, without a noticeable loss in image quality.

“Advances in DxO Optics Pro 6 are able to significantly reduce the noisy color cast and the low spatial frequency color blotches that typically ruin very high ISO shots and more generally any photo with deep shadows,” explains Frédéric Guichard, DxO Labs’ Chief Imaging Scientist. “Removing strong low frequency noise involves processing pixels over a very large neighborhood while preserving fine details. To achieve natural-looking and sharp images, we leave some purely colorless noise in the image, producing a grain that looks strikingly similar to the finest grain from silver halide times.”

Optics Pro 6 also brings new improvements to its Optics module, where specific lens/camera optical flaws can be addressed or even enhanced in the case of distortion. In addition the user interface has been refreshed, making Optics Pro 6 easier to use for beginners, while offering more control and productivity for professionals. Finally Optics Pro 6 brings additional camera support for the latest cameras.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com.