DxO Optics Pro update adds GoPro, smartphone support and more

The folks at DxO Labs have just pushed an update for their flagship Optics Pro imaging application, and it's a pretty interesting one. DxO Optics Pro v8.3 adds support for the famous GoPro action camera line, as well as recent Apple and Samsung smartphones, not to mention a variety of Samsung's mirrorless and fixed-lens cameras.

We typically think of Optics Pro -- which aims to maximize image quality with an array of clever computational tricks that automatically correct for common defects -- as being aimed at enthusiasts and pros. It stands to reason: if image quality is your main goal, you're typically going to be shooting with the best hardware and optics you can get your hands on. And while those same shooters can often fix their images' flaws in Photoshop, there's a definite attraction for an app that does it all in a hands-off manner, asking that you step in only occasionally to tweak the results.

It's easy to forget that Optics Pro's algorithms are just as applicable to less sophisticated cameras -- and that there's arguably more to be gained when the original image had more egregious issues. That's particularly true of imagery from smartphones and action cameras, with the latter being especially prone to unattractive images thanks to their use of very wide-angle lenses.

Devices newly-supported by DxO Optics Pro v8.3 include the following:

• Apple iPhone 4

• Apple iPhone 4S

• Apple iPhone 5

• GoPro HD HERO2

• GoPro HERO3 (all variants)

• Samsung EX-1 (aka TL500)

• Samsung EX2F

• Samsung Galaxy S III (aka Galaxy S3)

• Samsung Galaxy S4

• Samsung NX10

• Samsung NX11

• Samsung NX20

• Samsung NX100

• Samsung NX200

• Samsung NX210

• Samsung NX300

As well as the new camera support, the latest release of Optics Pro adds modules for some 168 lens/body combinations, including the built-in optics on the smartphones and fixed-lens cameras. The new version is also said to include minor bug fixes, although DxO doesn't specify what these entail.

Available immediately, DxO Optics Pro v8.3 is a free update for anybody who purchased Optics Pro v7 or v8 after September 1st, 2012. A one-month trial version is available for new users, and pricing for the retail version is currently discounted to US$99 for the Standard edition, or US$200 for the Elite edition. Regular pricing is US$170 for Standard, and US$300 for regular.