DxO’s Perspective Efex allows you to correct geometric distortion easily, doing so either automatically or manually in an intuitive, powerful, and quick manner. This perspective filter is a newer addition to Nik Collection 4. DxO introduced it in the Nik Collection 3 suite. It works as stand-alone software or as a plugin, using DxO PhotoLab, Affinity Photo, Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop as a host.

I’ll illustrate some of the perspective correction process with a couple of night photos.

First, I used it to correct the keystoning of an image of a desert church I took for a night photography Southwest-style Christmas card. I wanted to minimize the appearance that the church was leaning backward. Admittedly, the keystoning in this image is relatively subtle. After all, I had done the best I could to minimize distortion while using a Pentax 15-30mm f/2.8 lens. However, I thought I would try and minimize the distortion a little more.

A desert church with some keystoning, giving the appearance of the church leaning back. I wanted to correct this with DxO Nik Collection's Perspective Efex.
A desert church with some keystoning, giving the appearance of the church leaning back. I wanted to correct this with Nik Collection’s Perspective Efex.

Auto function to fix geometric distortion

I first attempted to use the Auto function. This appears to address everything that requires correcting. There are times in which this works brilliantly. However, it attempted to straighten everything, including the horizon, and turn the church around so that it was straighter. This created distortion elsewhere in the image.

Manually fixing geometric distortion

Manually fixing geometric distortion with the Perspective panel in Perspective Efex.
Manually fixing geometric distortion with the Perspective panel in Perspective Efex.

Here, I manually placed their reference lines to the areas that I want the program to correct, pressing Apply transforms the image. This worked quickly at applying the desired corrections. It was also easy to revert if I didn’t like it.

I drew lines from a couple of different areas of the church before being satisfied with the results. 

Checking to see if the applied corrections are straight using the grid function.
Checking to see if the applied corrections are straight using the grid function.
Before and after. It's a subtle change. However, on the right, you will notice that the church doesn't seem like it's leaning backwards anymore. Also notice that some of the photo has been cropped away. This is typical when addressing distortion. I chose to photograph this church from farther away, knowing that I would lose some of the edges when applying distortion correction.
Before and after. It’s a subtle change. However, on the right, you will notice that the church doesn’t seem like it’s leaning backward anymore. Also notice that some of the photo has been cropped away. This is typical when addressing distortion. I chose to photograph this church from farther away, knowing that I would lose some of the edges when applying distortion correction.

Tilt-shift Miniaturization Effect

Perspective Efex also gives you a Miniature effect panel. You may change the area of the blur and the character of the blur easily.
Perspective Efex also gives you a Miniature Effect panel. You may change the area of the blur and the character of the blur easily.

Perspective Efex also includes a Miniaturization Effect. This emulates the effect of a tilt-shift lens when used to create a very shallow depth of field.

A view of the desert church with the tilt-shift blur effect from the Miniature effect panel.
A view of the desert church with the tilt-shift blur effect from the Miniature effect panel.

Auto function on another structure

I was curious about how Perspective Efex would alter the perspective on this night photo of historic Kelso post office in Mojave National Preserve. I had photographed the structure from an angle. Would it straighten this to make it look like I was directly in front of it? See for yourself!

To be clear, there wasn’t anything wrong with the original photo. I was curious about what the Auto function would do. And I was curious about how well it would straighten the photo so it would like I had aimed the camera straight at the building.

Before and after. My original photo is on the left. On the right, Perspective Efex gave the historic old Kelso post office a rather noticeable perspective shift. Do you have a preference?
Before and after. My original photo is on the left. On the right, Perspective Efex gave the historic old Kelso post office a rather noticeable perspective shift. Do you have a preference?

General observations

DxO Perspective Efex is easy to use and works effectively. The Auto version works extremely well, correcting numerous kinds of distortion simultaneously. 

You may use this as a stand-alone app. It also works as a plug-in with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. 

However, in Photoshop, Perspective Efex does not appear to create a new layer. I mention this because most of the other Nik Collection filters do create new layers if you have indicated so in its preferences.

Also, with most plugin filters, you may apply the same effect to a photo again — or to another photo — by selecting Filter and then the name of the filter. However, Perspective Efex simply opens. It does not apply the same distortion corrections as before. This is likely due to it needing to re-analyze the image.

Perspective Efex also corrects lens distortions such as barrel, pincushion and fisheye distortion through its Volume Deformation panel. And it has a lens correction module for specific lens/camera combinations. I did not use either of them here, but both work capably.

Best of all, Perspective Efex does all this intuitively and quickly.

The desert church after distortion correction has been applied in Perspective Efex by Nik Collection 4. The only other difference is that I cloned out the tree stump. I don’t clone out things too much, but that one was really bothering me.