Oloneo PhotoEngine 1.0 – May 2011

So after a year or more of beta testing the upcoming Oloneo PhotoEngine HDR software, they are releasing the full version to be purchased at a price of $149 (beta users get a 25% discount) this May. After testing and using the beta for a long time, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is clearly the best and most easy to use HDR software currently. Although they don’t have a Mac native version available yet, I have had no problems using the software under VMWare Fusion 3.x on my Mac Pro (2008 8gig, 8-core w/ OS 10.6.x). Alternatively you could run it even better under Boot Camp if you don’t mind rebooting into Windows.

On the same subject, look for my upcoming full-length DVD video tutorial showing how to do your own HDR blends based on my award winning recipe for amazing HDR images. I will post more information about that as soon as I am ready to share more.

Press release after the jump:

Oloneo PhotoEngine HDR Tone Mapping Preview

Paris, France – April 20, 2011 – Oloneo today announced PhotoEngine v1.0, the only High Dynamic Range (HDR) and RAW processing software offering photographers full control over light and exposure in real-time. PhotoEngine v1.0 for Windows is scheduled to ship on May 31st 2011 at US$149 / €125. Beta users who register with Oloneo before May 31st will benefit from a 25% discount to acquire PhotoEngine v1.0 at US$110 / €93.

Countless photographers have been enthusiastically participating in the public beta testing of PhotoEngine over the last 9 months. Their numerous feedbacks and suggestions have been key in making PhotoEngine a growing reference among professional photographers and amateurs.

“We have devoted our entire time discussing and implementing the requests received from the beta testers, thus ensuring that PhotoEngine perfectly suits their needs in terms of features, usability and speed,” said Antoine Clappier, President of Oloneo and main developer of PhotoEngine. “The number and quality of the images created by the beta users is a testimony to the potential of PhotoEngine.”

By offering an almost unlimited control over exposure and lighting in real-time, PhotoEngine provides photographers with a completely new way of handling, processing and improving digital photos.

“PhotoEngine has radically boosted my workflow and increased my level of creativity and excellence,” said David Giral, a professional photographer and longtime HDR specialist. “PhotoEngine is clearly miles ahead of the competition and manages to create stunning images efficiently.”

Oloneo PhotoEngine v1.0: Main Features

HDR ToneMap(TM): high dynamic re-exposure in real-time
A full real-time, high dynamic range (HDR) re-exposure module to merge and edit single or multiple RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs. Capable of creating a wide range of styles, from realistic to artistic, HDR ToneMap includes four tone mapping engines, Natural HDR processing mode, auto-exposure correction with fine-tuning, auto-contrast, detail size and threshold controls, halo control, edge sharpening, ghost removal tools, auto-align, auto-orientation, batch processing with interactive mode, over 40 interactive factory presets and user-defined presets, and more. Users also have the possibility to modify exposure the traditional way by turning off tone mapping while still benefiting from a 32-bit, ultra-wide gamut and full resolution environment.

HDR ReLight(TM): take pictures then set-up lighting
An image-based relighting tool using merged RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs to control in real-time the settings of individual light sources after the photos are taken. For each light source, parameters include white balance, brightness, temperature, tint and color. Other features are the auto-detection of ambient light and each light source’s color temperature.

HDR DeNoise(TM): remove noise and keep details
A powerful image noise and grain reduction tool using stacked RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs, with the added benefits of full detail preservation, no smoothing and no artifacts, even with low-contrast and low-light photos.
Complete, high-end RAW photo processing
Oloneo PhotoEngine also features a complete RAW and image processing module including a customizable Color Curve Equalizer(TM) with hue/saturation, hue/luminance and hue/hue curves, a brightness curve, a unique color saturation curve, a color toning tool, an advanced white balance control and more. PhotoEngine handles most RAW photo formats, with thumbnail and preservation of key EXIF metadata, fully supports color management and uses the ICC profiles generated by most colorimeters on the market today.

Availability
The English/International version of Oloneo PhotoEngine v1.0 for Windows platforms is scheduled to ship on Tuesday, May 31st 2011 for electronic delivery directly from Oloneo at http://www.oloneo.com.

Pricing: a Special 25% Discount for Beta Users
Oloneo PhotoEngine v1.0 will be priced at US$149 / €125.
In appreciation of their active participation during the beta testing, Oloneo will be offering a special, time-limited discount of 25% to the PhotoEngine beta users who register with Oloneo before May 31st:

US$110 (reduced from US$149)
€93 (reduced from €125)

To register with Oloneo and qualify for this offer, users need to sign up to the Oloneo Newsletter at http://www.oloneo.com before May 31st 2011. Special beta user offer valid from May 31st to June 30th, 2011.

System Requirements
Windows:
OS: 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista or Windows 7
Hard disk: 200MB of available space
CPU: 1.6 GHz Intel or AMD with SSE2, dual-core recommended
RAM: 1.5GB
Screen: 1280 x 720

Mac OS:
A Mac OS version of PhotoEngine is not available at this time. The product runs with good performance on a dual-core Mac with Parallels Desktop 5.